Where to start when wanting to get organized

Have you heard the song Empty Me, by Chris Sligh? I absolutely love that song, it brings me to my knees on certain days. Each line of that song is a reality of my life for so many reasons. I find that on days when I am being challenged I will sing the chorus in my head over and over praising His name.

Empty me of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You!

I find on days when I am so consumed with “stuff”, I need stop and empty myself of me.  I think most people who meet me (and learn what I do), believe that it’s not hard for me to be organized; after all, I am an organizer. The reality is that it’s just as hard for me to be organized as it is for you.

What is the stuff you ask? It’s the paper, the laundry, the clutter, the toys, the phone calls, the emails do I need to go on? Okay, it’s the errands, the cranky kids, getting up early after a bad night sleep and so on. We all have it right? The stuff that is. I remember the day I gave myself to the Lord. It was shortly after my father passed away and I was really lost. I felt so out of control and unable to grasp what I was feeling within myself and I needed something. A dear friend who was a Christian took me to church with her. I remember watching the sermon and literally seeing a halo of light over the pastors head. I kept thinking something was wrong with my eyes.  The Lord was calling me that day telling me that it was going to be okay. He was there for me and that day I gave myself to Him. I knew from that moment on I had a long road ahead of me. It was a road I was willing to travel and that no matter what, I would make my small steps each day to get there. Sometimes I feel the reason I was called to help others is because the Lord knows my challenges I had with finding my starting point. And that I can help others find theirs.

If it’s 15 minutes each day, just start. If it’s just before you go to bed (or first thing in the morning), just start!

If it’s 1 hour a week, just start. Don’t look at the whole problem or challenge, just find that piece you can do today, just start.

Start with a simple task. Pair up a simple task with something you do every day or week. If you have a cup of coffee in the morning, do your simple task while you are having your coffee. It doesn’t seem as overwhelming and can easily become part of your routine!

Start with sorting. If it’s paper or laundry sort through it. Discard the rubbish, file away any papers or do a load of laundry. The important thing is to get into the habit of working through the piles. It really comes down to habits. We get into bad habits that allow us to make excuses of why we don’t do what we know we should or need to do. No matter how big (or little) your challenges might be, the important thing is to just start!

Where are you going to start?