"If Your Compassion Does Not Include Yourself it is Incomplete."

Often we judge ourselves right into a state of inactivity.  Set your goals at an attainable level, and do something every day to create the organization and productivity in your life that creates balance and joy.

Confessions Of An Organizer: "I Was Running On Empty."

For the first time in my life...I ran out of gas in my vehicle. It was a Monday, cold and long.  I was on my way to a NAPO-WDC meeting and was stopping at the gas station after letting the gas indicator light in my SUV to glare at me for just about two days (it was icy and cold okay, don't judge me).

I pulled into the gas station about a 5 minute walk from my apartment.  As I parked next to a pump I went to reach for my wallet in my purse.  It wasn't there.  I remembered I had left it at my desk because I had just purchased something online.  Probably distracted and in a slight rush to beat the traffic on the way to Bethesda I had inadvertently left it there.

I turn the ignition again and pulled off, annoyed but determined.  I get a couple feet from a parking space near my apartment building and suddenly it happened.  For the first time ever in my driving life it happened. I ran out of gas. It was embarrassing and frustrating.  At first I laughed and turned to problem solving mode. I call my husband and soon we are off to walk to the nearby gas station to get gas.  The container we purchased and the only one they sold could contain just a gallon.

The first attempted gallon didn't start the car.  Soon I went from laughing to crying.  Bitterly sobbing actually. I remembered thinking: How stupid could I be? If I didn't leave my wallet on my desk I wouldn't be in this situation!  I wouldn't be wasting my time, my husband's time, my dad's time (who gave solutions to get the car started over the phone) and our brother's time (who took my husband back to the gas station for gas canister fill up number 2).

It surely was a Monday night for the books.

The next day my physically running out of gas was like a slap in the face!  It was a physical representation of what I going through on a deeper level.

A few weeks prior, I had pretty much bottomed out in my desire to continue with my business.

I had been so busy getting clients, serving clients, and following up with clients, going to networking events, following up with people I've networked with, having meetings with them, seeking (often costly) help in my business, going to conferences, going to trainings, sending out marketing messages, outlining marketing messages, finding time to write marketing messages, emails, spreadsheets, reconciling, receipts, files...the lists and the to-dos seemed endless and when I looked up I was dealing with client cancellations, revenue instability, and not enough prospects in my queue. I was exhausted, and I wasn't seeing what I thought was the fruit of my labor. I almost gave up. I was deeply depressed for several weeks, and I didn't know what to do. Did I still love professional organizing?  Did I want to be in business anymore?  If I was making more money would I have these feelings?

I prayed and meditated a lot. Then during my cross-roads moment, I had a few clients that all but hugged and kissed me after our sessions.  They were in desperate need of help and I used my love of organization, helping people, and skill of conveying thoughts and ideas to transfer these skills to my clients to help improve their lives hopefully then and gradually in the future. It was then I realized I love what I do!

So what gives? Why was I in such a bad place?

After deep thought, I realized I had my life and priorities upside down.  The main reason I wanted and still want in my business is flexibility of my schedule so I could pursue the more important things in my life.  So I don't have to go to a boss and ask for time off to spend doing things that add more value to my life than making money.  But I also realized that I was working way too hard and not getting the results I would imagine I would get.  I was running on empty.  It was then I decided that I would do as the world says "let go, and let God." Slowly but surely, once I re-prioritized my life and shut down this endless rat-race in my business a weird and wonderful thing happened; I had the BEST Spring and Summer quarters in my business to date. Coincidence? Probably not.

Time and time again, I see with my clients a similarity.  They want peace, tranquility, simplicity, and consistent organization in their lives but rarely do the hardest part first. Prioritizing what's really important. What is priority in your life, you will take action to protect, pursue, and procure. One of the wisest men to walk the earth said "Where your treasure is, your heart will be also."  What do you really treasure?  Before you answer, think about where you spend your time, what dictates your thoughts, what motivates you?  When you really come to grips with those things you can start to align your priorities.  When your priorities are properly aligned; peace, tranquility, simplicity, and consistent organization follow.

Fill your tank. That should always be a priority. You'll never reach your destination otherwise.

30 Things You Can Do in 1 Hour Each Week to Stay Organized!

I challenge you to find one day a week, one hour in that day to do something organizing related.  Below are a list of things you can accomplish in one hour.  If you consistently give yourself just this one hour you'll be surprised how much you can "catch up" on. What will 52 hours a year net you? An organized closet? Donation boxes out the door? A cleared space to do crafting, exercise, or a room you can rent for income? A relief from the guilty feeling of "I need to {fill in the blank}" in the pit of your stomach?

I challenge you to put a "Dexterous HOUR" in your week, a time that you feel your best energy wise, that you can consistently do something.  To make it easier you can break it out into 30 minutes in two days or 15 minutes in four days. But do it, be consistent and put yourself back in your life.

1. Sort through mail - putting active items close by on board or on fridge until they are complete, active items on a tabletop file, and archive items in a file cabinet or scan them into your digital system.
2. Going through the pantry and cabinets and throwing out expired food and spices, then planning a menu for items that are near expired to be used.
3. Going through clothes and making repairs and sewing on buttons
4. Switching out seasonal clothing
5. Taking shoes that need repair to the cleaners for repair
6. Taking out worn out hangers and wire hangers from the cleaners out of the closet because they take up space.
7. Going through old files and shredding out dated information
8. Clearing your email inbox
9. Donating unread magazines to waiting rooms or homeless shelters
10. Ripping CD music onto computer making a MP3 file and load up in the cloud, then throwing away CDs
11. Getting rid cleaning product bottles that are almost empty and pouring into like bottles
12. Going through old greeting cards and getting rid of ones that have no sentiment or message inside it. Going through old photos and getting rid of duplicates, filing pictures into categories for scrap booking or photo albums
13. Take electronic cords and match them up with the electronic device; then label the cord and put away neatly to be found again.
14. Get rid of duplicate tools and keep tools in places that are handy (i.e. garage, in car trunk, in utility room, etc.) Go through gardening chemicals and make sure none are leaking or are not expired. 
15. Call bulk trash and schedule a pick up of items that need to be taken away.
16. Go through toys with kids (or make the decision for them) of toys they don't play with or have outgrown to be donated or discarded.
17. Call local charity to schedule a pick up and purge items in all closets.
18. Give not-yet-given gifts to people they were intended for
19. Go through home and look for things that belong to other people and arrange for them to pick it up or get delivered.
20. Get clothes or other items off of surfaces not intended for clothes - chairs, exercise equipment, floor, tabletops, etc.
21. Take inventory and photos/videos of items in your home for insurance purposes
22. Read about a new organizing tip or trick you can inculcate in your life 
23. Go through books on a bookshelf and get rid of books you've outgrown or don't intend on reading again
24. Move your DVDs or CDs from the jewel cases to a compact disc holder (throw out jewel cases)
25. Get rid of boxes of items you purchased (you probably don't need them).
26. Schedule your week and check for double-bookings or things you are over-extending yourself and make calls to reschedule
27. Learn how to use a productivity app like Evernote.
28. Schedule your doctor's appointments for the next two months for the whole family
29. Look at calendar for celebrations coming up and order gifts online to be sent to celebrator directly or put a reminder in your calendar to shop for a gift.
30. Schedule vet visit for your furry friend's yearly shots