I WAS CREATED TO BE ORGANIZED

I’ve always looked for ways to be organized. I just function better in life if I am organized. When I was raising my kids and homeschooling, I tried my best to be organized. It wasn’t easy with four kids at home 24/7, but I think we did fairly well (if you didn’t look in the kids' bedrooms).

I remember when I made breakfast charts. I was not going to be a short-order cook each morning when we got up, so I made a chart that literally had pictures of which “breakfast dish” would be served on each day of the week. Monday was cold cereal, Tuesday was eggs in a basket, Wednesday was cream of wheat, Thursday was pancakes, etc. It worked well.

Many nights when the kids were in bed, I stayed up looking over school plans for each one and tried my best to write daily plans in my school planner. For the most part, we stuck to the plan. I did learn over time to be flexible because life did happen, plans did change, and we survived (and even thrived) through it all. 

Planning and being organized on paper was my lifesaver. I had to write it on paper in order to stay focused on where I was going.

For about three years, I served as the Director of Academic Support at a local private college. One of the biggest challenges for students was staying organized. They just DID NOT want to write things down. As a result, many were forgetting assignments and failing classes.

I tried my best to help them be organized and to explain the importance of organization for academic success. I finally designed (with the help of my son-in-law, Michael) the Student Planner. Our private college sold them in our bookstore. I also gave some away when I knew students could not afford them. I hope it helped. Organization was key to academic success for college students.

 

 

Later in life, after the kids were gone, I began to set goals for myself. I wrote my goals in notebooks and tried to rewrite my goals every day, so I could stay focused and take steps toward those goals each day. It helped, so I kept doing it. Eventually, I created (with the help of my son-in-law, Michael) the Intentional Living Planner. It is a spiral-bound book used to write your goals every day and the tasks that are going to get you closer to your goals.

We are so distracted in life, so rewriting your goals each day helps you stay laser-focused on where you are going. I created this planner because this technique helps me reach my goals and I know it can work for others too.

 

 

Another area of my life that I feel needs organization is planning meals and keeping up with recipes. Oh my. I find a good recipe, make a list of the ingredients I need for the recipe and go buy the ingredients at the grocery store. Once I go to make the recipe, I can’t remember where it is. Did I see it online? Was it in one of my cookbooks or a handout I have somewhere? Maybe I saw it on one of my recipe apps? So now, I have the ingredients, but can’t find the recipe. Ahhhh. So I recently created (with the help of my son-in-law, Michael) the Eating Intentionally Planner. Yay!!! Just what I need and maybe you do too.

 

There is a place for recipes I’d like to try & where I found that recipe (just in case I forget). There is also a place for a grocery list, as well as a place to plan your healthy eating for the entire week. This will help us stay organized with our healthy eating plans. I needed this. I thought others might too. These planners are being printed this week.

As you can see, organization is essential for me. In order to be successful in my life, I have to keep my thoughts organized and focused because I am so easily distracted. These planners are helping me do just that.

Several organizations, that have asked me to speak to their staff, have also ordered planners for their entire staff. I might speak on Intentional Living and bring Intentional Living Planners with me for their staff members. I might speak on Plant-Based Eating or Eating Intentionally and bring Eating Intentionally Planners for the entire staff. These planners just reinforce my presentations and give the participants a tool to use afterward.

Are you an organized person? Do you long to be more organized? We can't stay focused on our goals without clarity of mind. Writing things down helps with clarity, reflection, and evaluation.

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