Why do you want to get organized?
I want to get organized so that I will feel less chaotic in my life.
What does an organized life look like to you?
I see myself finding everything I need without having to tear my house apart. I see that I don't rebuy things because I forgot I had them. I see simplicity and warmth instead of clutter.
What is your vision for your life?
I picture having enough room to accomplish the things that I dream of, like baking and eating dinner as a family instead of in front of the television. I picture people walking in and feeling welcomed instead of overwhelmed. I picture being a gracious and exquisite hostess.
This week's goals:
Write out your vision of your life. Answer these questions to find inspiration. If you could do anything...
*Where would you live? I would live near the woods, but still in town. I would live close to my children's schools and my work. I would live in a community that was quirky, with many different types of people living in it.
*How would you earn an income? I would own a nonprofit bakery that was geared towards helping the homeless and less fortunate come in, sit, and have a pastry. I would help fund it by writing the books that I have floating around in my head.
*What would your days look like? I would wake up at 5am and go to the gym for one hour. Then, I would sit in my zen garden and chant Amitabha for an hour. At 7, I would get my kids ready for school and walk them there before heading to the bakery. I would work making cupcakes and pies for my customers and sit to talk with everyone and hear their stories. Then, I would go home, pick up my kids, and we would sit outside and play for an hour before going in to do homework and make dinner. We would sit and eat a healthy meal as a family and then have a treat that I created for dessert. We would give the kids their baths and maybe watch a tv show with them while drying their hair and putting on pajamas. Then, we would brush their teeth and put them to bed with a story, and also the Amitabha chant. After the kids were in bed, Aaron and I would watch a movie together while I worked on my writing and then I would chant before going to bed.
*What would you do for fun? Every week, we would have a get together at the bakery for our friends to stop by and visit. We would also go to the movies once a month with the kids and out for ice cream or a treat. We would make our backyard a wonderland with all sorts of outdoor things to do.
*What would you do more of? I would relax more. I would sit outside and play more. I would laugh more. I would have more visitors over on a regular basis.
*What would you do less of? I would watch less tv and play on the computer less. I would also sleep less (because right now, I'm sleeping about 10-12 hours a day).
Think about what you want to accomplish in the next 56 weeks.
*When you look back on this time in your life, what will you remember? I will remember being tired all of the time. I will remember my guilt. I will remember diagnosing my illness. I will hopefully remember the little things my son and daughter do.
*What will you be proud of? I will be proud that I started this project. I will be proud that I devoted myself to Buddhism and Amitabha.
Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.
I definitely do this one already. My goal should be more, "Try to limit yourself to 8 hours of sleep per day."
Start your day by jotting down a short To Do list of everything you want or need to do that day.
I used to do this every day but I stopped with the excuse that I needed to get organized first and get my stuff together BEFORE doing the list, when really, I just need to make the list and stick with it until it's done.
Start a journal.
I intend to use this blog as a journal to jot down my feelings. I don't know if I will remember to do it, but hopefully I will when I get into the office.
Limit the amount of television you watch, especially programs with negative images and messages.
This one will be hard to do because I enjoy things with a little drama. I know that I will be able to limit it though, because I do have times when I lose interest in something that I've been really into for weeks. One day, I just won't have the desire to watch it and won't do so for a few weeks.
Schedule a two-minute break two to three times to spend time alone and just be.
This one should be easy in the aspect that I really want to do it. I will just now have to set alarms to go off so that I can not let the day pass by without doing it.
Practice meditating.
This is so helpful to me because I am now becoming Buddhist and want to practice the Amitabha meditations.
Schedule times to exercise. Go to the gym, take a bike ride, walk the dog, hike in the woods, run around the yard with the kids.
I really need to focus on this. I'm hoping that I can start getting up early enough to go to the gym. I also want to start walking my dogs to get exercise. And of course I want to get outdoors with my kids.
Schedule more "me time." Turn all the phones off and plan something you love to do just for you.
I really want to start reading the dozens of books that I have bought that I have been unable to read thus far because of my busy schedule. Even 30 minutes to an hour a day would be wonderful.
Eliminate energy drainers in your life: clutter, unhealthy relationships, unfinished projects, items on your to do list that don't need to be done until other tasks are complete.
I especially need to do these things. I have started working the clutter out of my rooms. I need to work on saying no to relationships that I know drain me and make me feel guilty. I have decided to just delete numbers and friends from social sites, and stop putting myself in situations where arguments are inevitable. I need to focus on the projects that I truly want to finish and not buy any more objects until the projects are done. My to do list always needs to be streamlined.
Take control of your time. Set goals and then break them into achievable daily to do's. When goals are clear, you can control your time and make space for priorities.
I am going to start setting alarms on my phone so that I will not let time pass me by and start limiting the things that I do that are not productive.
Simplify your life and your thinking by cutting back on the amount of negative information and images you let penetrate your mind. Eliminate pessimistic news, advertising, newspapers, depressing books, and violent movies.
I somewhat disagree with this tip. Pessimistic news, although sad, is something that you need to objectify yourself to. It's necessary to know what's going on in the world. I also enjoy depressing books and violent movies, because they make me realize my life is better instead of focusing on more negativity.
When an intimate moment presents itself, grab it!
I need to stop trying to wait for Aaron to initiate affection and try to do things myself.
Check in with yourself before making decisions. Take a deep breath, relax, and listen to your inner voice. Then, make the decision best for you. Don't feel pressure to please other people.
This is very important for me. This step is essential to my happiness. I know when things are wrong for me, and rarely do they end up as happy endings when I go against what my inner voice says. This is an excellent tip that I need to follow.
Pay attention to your dreams. Sometimes our dreams provide us with helpful subconscious insight.
Yes, sometimes. Other times, I listen to them and they lead me to a negative relationship that I then have trouble getting out of. So I need to be selective and listen to that inner voice.
Stay Organized:
Once a month:
*Schedule a day just for you. Do something that makes you happy.
Two words: flea market.
*Spend a few minutes writing in your journal.
Or blogging. :)
Every 3-6 months:
*Spend an hour or two alone to take stock of your emotional state.
I will start by doing that now and answering the questions about my current state. No time like the present:
How do you feel most of the time?
I am usually pretty sad and overwhelmed.
How are your relationships?
With Aaron-a little strained. I'm trying to work things out and I know that I want to be with him forever, but I have to change some things about myself, which is stressful.
With my mom-Pretty good. She doesn't really know anything about me right now.
With my sister-same as my mom really. She doesn't know much about the person I am now.
With my stepdad-good. I don't keep promises like I should.
With my kids-good, but I need to treat them better and make them my number 1 priority (and show that).
With my friends-strained. Everyone lives in such a different world from me, and it's my fault for expecting them to come to mine.
If you're unhappy, honestly evaluate why, then have the courage to change the situation.
I honestly am unhappy due to my illness. It all stems from there. I'm tired all of the time. So lethargic that my body feels like bags of sand tied together. I don't feel human and it upsets me that people don't seem to understand that I have no control of my lethargy. So I think that once I get that handled, everything else will fall into place.
Once a year:
On your birthday, make an effort to reflect on the past year. What did you learn? How have you changed? What do you want to accomplish in the year to come? After you've reflected, honor this day you were born.
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