I read somewhere recently that 45 minutes was suggested for kids getting ready for school in the morning--this was not including eating breakfast!! I think this is nuts! What little kid needs 45 minutes to get dressed, brush their hair and make their bed? I know it can be done in 25 minutes..TOPS..as we have been doing it for 3 years.
I believe by shrinking down the time to get ready and out the door, actually organizes kids and really makes them use the time, a skill they can use all over the place. It is not that we don't have enough time, it is that we don't use it well. (Well I use all my time really well. :)) There are so many hours in the day, plenty to get everything done, for the most part, unless you have like 5 kids and work full time and are a single parent..you know what I mean..but for most of us, it is just the way the time is utilized. Time is this amazing thing stretching out before us everyday, ready to be sliced and diced and used in so many ways. But I believe people are often stuck, and cannot decide what to do first, what needs to be done, what must be done, etc..and so often nothing gets done, or things that don't matter get done, and other things just get behind.
It is taking advantage of those moments or hours here and there to get things done that are just hanging around. Like putting photos in an album, raking up leaves, catching up on email, paying bills, cleaning the microwave, going to Goodwill, calling your mom, and on and on and on. If we don't plan our time, all and everything just piles up and then d i s organization sets in and seems to never go away, and becomes a vicious cycle of trying to catch up. For me, my mind is wired in a way to always get things done and always be thinking of what needs to be done next, like a system implanted in my head, so it is so easy, but I realize this is not for everyone. I wake up ready to go, not one drop of caffeine needed.
If it is not easy for you, start with a list. It might be a very long list, but make a list. Then turn it into sections, like Immediate, This Week, This Month, Within 6 Months, or however you want to structure it, and there will probably be quite a lot under each heading. And then tackle the sections you have created for yourself. Do it now, do it all the time, and soon, well a few months, it will become a habit, right? But if you keep "falling off the wagon" it will never become a habit. And that is where people get frustrated.
If you just cannot do it on your own, hire someone to come to your home or office 1x, or maybe on a regular schedule, and let them become your "coach" in this area of your life. You might just breathe a lot easier. I do believe the older I get, that while organizing can be learned (it is not rocket science) it is very hard for many people, they are just not wired that way, just like some people don't exercise or eat right, so they hire a trainer, or just simply go to a gym to get motivated. People hire CPAs for their taxes, party planners, gardeners, house keepers, etc..and oddly enough these are all positions helping people get organized with something in their life, getting something taken care of.
I know these helpers can be expensive and often not part of your budget...most of us have to do it ourselves. So, if so...tackle one thing at a time, and just get on the road to getting your life organized, stay on the road, stick to your lists. A life taken care of is much more enjoyable to travel through than one full of disarray. Really, you will see ;)..
I believe by shrinking down the time to get ready and out the door, actually organizes kids and really makes them use the time, a skill they can use all over the place. It is not that we don't have enough time, it is that we don't use it well. (Well I use all my time really well. :)) There are so many hours in the day, plenty to get everything done, for the most part, unless you have like 5 kids and work full time and are a single parent..you know what I mean..but for most of us, it is just the way the time is utilized. Time is this amazing thing stretching out before us everyday, ready to be sliced and diced and used in so many ways. But I believe people are often stuck, and cannot decide what to do first, what needs to be done, what must be done, etc..and so often nothing gets done, or things that don't matter get done, and other things just get behind.
It is taking advantage of those moments or hours here and there to get things done that are just hanging around. Like putting photos in an album, raking up leaves, catching up on email, paying bills, cleaning the microwave, going to Goodwill, calling your mom, and on and on and on. If we don't plan our time, all and everything just piles up and then d i s organization sets in and seems to never go away, and becomes a vicious cycle of trying to catch up. For me, my mind is wired in a way to always get things done and always be thinking of what needs to be done next, like a system implanted in my head, so it is so easy, but I realize this is not for everyone. I wake up ready to go, not one drop of caffeine needed.
If it is not easy for you, start with a list. It might be a very long list, but make a list. Then turn it into sections, like Immediate, This Week, This Month, Within 6 Months, or however you want to structure it, and there will probably be quite a lot under each heading. And then tackle the sections you have created for yourself. Do it now, do it all the time, and soon, well a few months, it will become a habit, right? But if you keep "falling off the wagon" it will never become a habit. And that is where people get frustrated.
If you just cannot do it on your own, hire someone to come to your home or office 1x, or maybe on a regular schedule, and let them become your "coach" in this area of your life. You might just breathe a lot easier. I do believe the older I get, that while organizing can be learned (it is not rocket science) it is very hard for many people, they are just not wired that way, just like some people don't exercise or eat right, so they hire a trainer, or just simply go to a gym to get motivated. People hire CPAs for their taxes, party planners, gardeners, house keepers, etc..and oddly enough these are all positions helping people get organized with something in their life, getting something taken care of.
I know these helpers can be expensive and often not part of your budget...most of us have to do it ourselves. So, if so...tackle one thing at a time, and just get on the road to getting your life organized, stay on the road, stick to your lists. A life taken care of is much more enjoyable to travel through than one full of disarray. Really, you will see ;)..
