Imagine what you could accomplish if your home and life were organized.
- You would always know exactly where to find exactly what you need (without tearing the house apart to hunt it down).
- You would be certain about where everything belongs (without adding it to the ever-growing “important—do not lose!” pile).
- You would experience your home as a place of peace and refuge (without constantly nagging someone to help you tidy).
- You would have the time and mental space to chase your dreams and realize your purpose (without letting your family down or dropping the ball—again).
Does this sound like a dream? It’s not. You can wake up to a life just like this—and it will be your life.
Can you relate to my story? From 2008-2011, I felt like a hamster on a wheel that wouldn't quit spinning faster and faster.
Life was moving so fast I got run over. At the time, I thought it was just me, but now I know it happens to all of us.
We all find ourselves feeling like roadkill at least once in our lives.
Does your life feel like a disaster zone right now? Surrounded by stuff that’s either not in its place, or that doesn’t have a place to begin with.
And you, standing in the middle of it all, overwhelmed and ready to throw in the towel.
It’s time to get back in the driver’s seat.
I’m a teacher. In the winter of 2012, I created a lesson plan for myself to help me stay on track as I decluttered and organized my home.
Within 18 months I had transformed my home and my life and discovered my own life’s purpose.
It was in my year-long transformation that I observed the cycle of organization. Until that time I had focused on each part of the cycle in isolation...
- I would take the whole weekend and declutter like crazy reducing the visual overwhelm around me, but not achieving the organized feeling I craved.
- Next, I would organize one or two spaces of my home with military precision and be completely overwhelmed with the thought of getting my whole house organized to this level.
- Finally, I would abandon it all and focus on one project to compilation in an effort to productively move my life forward.
When I popped my head back up from that project, the decluttering & organization progress I had made seemed to have disappeared.
I lamented with my girlfriends and realized we were all feeling the same way. Busy, busy, busy with unending to-do lists & responsibilities, and yet so little to show for our exhaustion & efforts.
Our moral sense of responsibility, unwavering (& unrealistic) desire to be the best and figure out a way to achieve the perfect idealistic home we saw in magazines & on Pinterest left us chasing after perfection like a dog chasing a car. What would we do if we caught it?
Be angry. Yes! The few times my house has been "perfect" I was ticked!
I couldn't enjoy my home, I had to protect the finished product that lasted... at the most ... 48 hours.
It was a never-ending marathon with no lasting trophy.
Maybe the goal wasn't the organized house?
Yes! That was it! It wasn't about the house or the perfect picture in my head, it was about my LIFE's purpose!
I eliminated the word perfect from my vocabulary and replaced it with excellence. I am not a perfectionist, I am a woman of excellence.
I started out again in the cycle of organization in each space of my house. Decluttering, organizing, and increasing productivity one space at a time focusing on improvements & excellence, not perfection.
I found myself naturally cycling through each space 3 times a year. At the end of my 12-month journey, I had functionally organized my home 3 times through and found myself in the process.
In other words, you can organize your way into your life’s purpose.
There is no judgment here—just grace! Start your journey.
We are SO hard on ourselves!
The final piece of the puzzle for me was to accept grace in my imperfection so I could make progress.
Once I embraced my uniqueness I was able to see that my friends, family & coworkers were not judging me, I was judging myself.
Receiving that grace was the hardest & most freeing part of my journey. I can't wait for you to receive the grace waiting for you.
Organization is a learnable skill.
No one is “born organized.” We are all learning & growing together. The process of getting organized will move you from...
Overwhelmed → Fulfilled
Reactive → Proactive
Getting through the day → Living your life’s purpose
Organization puts you in the driver’s seat. You determine your priorities and pursue your passions.
