Benefits to Being Organized...Who Knew?!

I did a google a quick search tonight, "What are the benefits of being organized?"

Just curious...you know.

I admire organized people...the ones who always know where their car keys are, the ones who never miss doctors appointments (or their kid's pediatrician appointments), the ones who remember to call or send an  email on my birthday because, well, they know it's my birthday because they have it written in a calendar, or they utilize their i-phone calendar really well, or they just have super duper memory power.

Unfortunately, I have created a bit of a name for myself as being the one who often loses her car keys and other personal items of great importance.

I like to blame it on the creativity gene.

I have aspirations to be like those people...the organized ones. To always put my keys in the same spot, to know where my dentist appointment card is (or to have already have written it in my calendar that I aspire to reference daily), to deliberately put my debit card back in my wallet right after I use it instead of just sticking it in a pocket of my purse with the intention of putting back in my wallet later that day when the kids are in bed, or I'm not so rushed.

Confession #1: That moment where I clear out my purse and 'put things back' doesn't often come.

Confession #2: I have lost my debit card on far more occasions than I should, often prompting my husband to call and order new ones only, inevitably, to find the lost card the day after the new ones arrive and the old cards have been canceled.

Sigh.

I'm trying, really I am! My trying, however, sometimes feel more like running circles in a hamster wheel rather than making progress on say a 10k race course.

So when I did my little google search tonight to see what I'm missing out on (those benefits of being organized) I found this article on an appropriately titled website called "Solve Your Problem.com" (www.solveyourproblem.com)...Haha!

Here are the three benefits they offered to being organized.

1. Being organized reduces stress. Clutter and chaos automatically make us feel overwhelmed...when you clear the clutter you feel more in control.

This is SO true in my life. I feel incredibly anxious and out of control when I know my daughter's book order is due the next day, but that it is one of three possibly locations; buried in a basket in our messy mudroom, under the mound of random papers and mail that seems to find a permanent spot on our countertop or possibly one of the many papers in an "organized" pile on the floor of my office.

Wouldn't I feel SO much less stressed if I had ONE place I put said papers and I was consistent about doing it?!


2. It boosts your motivation. When you are confused and scattered your motivation tends to decrease because you don't know where to start or what to do.

Again...I can't tell you how often this rings true in my day to day at home shenanigans with the girls! When we finally have a weekend or even a day to get on top of some of the mess and clutter I am so much more peaceful and ready to go the next day!

3. It clears up your time and energy to focus.

Amen to that! I've joked on the several occasions that my mother in law has taken my girls for a few days that I actually feel like I rediscover my ability to think. Clearly! In a focused way!


So what are us disorganized mommas with small kids at home supposed to do?! (I suppose this is geared more to those of us who are home with them during the day...You mommas who work out of the house necessitate a whole other level of organization that I cannot speak to!)

Well, I must tell you, first and foremost, that once you have at least one child go to school full time during the day things get significantly easier! My daughter has only been in kindergarten for two weeks and already my husband said tonight, "Wow, the house feels...clean and organized."

"That's because there are not two very busy monkeys here all day long to trash it! Just one...and she is FAR less destructive on her own...or at least I can keep up with it!"

Ha! See...I'm not that far lost...I just get VERY distracted when both of my children are around!

That said, children in school or not, the only way to work your way towards being a more organized person is one small task at a time.

For me, it has been a VERY slow process...like one victory a month sometimes (with what feel like LOTS of defeats in between), but slowly and surely things in my house are finding their place. As as I find sensible places for our stuff (particularly papers!)  I find that I am much more consistent about putting things back in those very places!

Here is this month's victory...mind you, it's not Pinterest worthy at ALL...I actually avoid Pinterest because I can't live up to it's standards, but that's another story for another day!!!

This is my very simple, but very effective school organization "command center" so to speak...

We had bare wall space in the hallway leading down to our basement. The benefit of this is that when the basement door is closed it is out of sight, but also easily accessible when I need to file or reference something. 

All school handouts that I need to reference in the near future are in labeled folders in the file bin...I have several for Ava and one for Ella for preschool. On the bulletin board above are any calendars (general school calendar, lunch menu, etc.). So far so good! All of the important papers are at least making their way into one spot and I'm going through the folders a couple of times a week to make sure I'm not missing anything...

Here's to more time and energy for...well, who knows?! This blog post for now!