When I am disorganized, I feel:

1. stress
2. scattered
3. unproductive
4. anxious
5. a little depressed
6. grumpy

(not a very appealing list)

When I am organized, I feel:

1. competent
2. I have purpose
3. productive
4. energetic
5. happy

(a better list)

As a mom, wife, teacher, and writer I have many tasks to do on any one day. I know that all of you do as well.

A few things are really helping me feel better organized this summer:

1. write a to do list for the day and then cross them off as I do them.

2. schedule in ahead of time an outing or activity I am going to do with a family member. This is especially helpful with my teenaged daughter right now. She is at an age where she wants to spend a lot of time with me. I have my various projects and things I want to do that require quite a bit of solitude. If we did not communicate, there would be tension between us. When she knows that I am going to spend time with her, we both can relax.

3. For my work, I am developing systems. I have one when I am teaching school and I am now developing one for The Warm Milk Journal and my other writing, blogging, and business projects. I think when it comes to business and work, having systems in place is essential. With a system in place, my brain just loves the structure and I know just what to do…it’s great! I feel productive and know that I am moving towards my goals. Without a system, I get lost in checking emails, spending too much time on Twitter or Facebook…(I know you know what I am talking about here)!

I think next I am going to work with my husband and daughter to come up with a schedule for doing the housework. We are all busy with our own activities and it is easy to let the housework go… So, until we can afford a cleaning lady, we will have to work on that…. ; )

In Peace,

Debra

Related Posts:

• Disorganization, too many commitments, and work: Three sources of stress and what we can do about them