Demanding Joy

One of the most common New Years resolutions is to lose weight.  Let’s just say that I’m in no position to give advice on that topic.  My thighs and I don’t want to talk about it.

Another common resolution, however, is to be more organized this year.  I love organizing and I’m excited to start 2010 with a six-part series every Monday of tips and strategies for getting organized and taking control of your life!

First, why you get organized is much more important than how you do it.   To rustle up some motivation, here are:

10 Ways That Disorganization Messes Up Your Life

1. It’s really stressful! Disorganization means chaos in your life, which is hard on your mind, body and spirit.  Having living spaces and work areas that are out of control is a wellness issue that has a significant impact on your quality of life and in some instances, your health.
2. It’s a huge time waster. If you spend an average of 15 minutes each day looking for things, that adds up to 91 hours per year!  Imagine what you could accomplish if you could take back that time.
3. It’s very expensive. Replacing items that are lost in your home and paying bills late – it really adds up.
4. It has a significant impact on your relationships. Being persistently late for things or always waiting until the last minute is a sign of disrespect, whether intentional or not.  Don’t let disorganization send negative messages about you.
5. It messes up your home. Have you ever felt reluctant to invite company because you’re embarrassed to have people see parts of your house?  Clutter keeps you from enjoying your space (not to mention your major investment).
6. It accounts for the large majority of the cleaning. The more stuff you have, the more that has to be maintained, the more work for you.
7. It steals your storage space. Storage space is particularly susceptible to clutter because you don’t maintain it every day.  Don’t let your items in storage disappear forever.
8. It makes it hard to get anything done. In today’s busy, fast-paced world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  The ability to eliminate distractions and prioritize tasks is critical to success, whether you’re a busy mom, a senior executive, or both!
9. It brings tension to your home. If disorganization stresses you out, it’s also bringing stress to your family.  It can prevent your home from being a safe haven for you and those you care about.
10. It keeps you from focusing on what’s truly important to you. Do you seek peace and balance in your life?  Do you wish you had more time to spend with family?  Would you like to have time to pursue a hobby?  Disorganization stands in your way.

Check back next Monday for the first 10 of 50 tips on how to get organized!

Tags: organization

This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 6:09 am and is filed under organization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.