Welcome to Weekly Topic Saturdays!
Hello all, I pray that your week was filled with joy and love. Welcome back to those who have been with me here at A Golden Dream. For my first-timers, a great big hello there, if you haven't already please check out my previous posts when you get a chance.
Please don't hesitate to join the conversation, there are no right or wrong answers or questions. I'm not proclaiming to know everything, I am simply just discussing and picking topics on things that I personally have gone through and that I know would help someone.
But all things should be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40
When I started this blog one of the very first posts that I wrote was Get To Work and The Action To Start...Somewhere. We discussed the importance of getting started on that vision that you have been putting off whether it be starting a book, a business, a blog, school, and so on. Getting started is just half of the battle. You have to be S.M.A.R.T., have motivation, and get organized.
Getting organized can really be a pain but it can also be beneficial and motivating too. I am a very organized person. When things are not organized it can really cause me to have a lot of anxiety and potentially a lack of motivation and inspiration.
Are you an organized person?
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.
Luke 14:28-30
Being organized is one of the most crucial elements needed to maintain longevity for whatever project you are working on. Without organization, it can become very easy to lose track of inventory, progress, and materials. Disorganization can cause a decrease in your productivity, cause you to feel overwhelmed, and miss deadlines. One thing that I love about this scripture above is that it explains to us what happens if we don’t take the time to set everything up and have a structured plan. Without a stable or sturdy foundation the vision that you are working so hard on will fall, this means you will spend more time constantly rebuilding rather than watching the vision build itself. Building a sturdy foundation takes time, effort, and diligence but it is worth it in the long run.
Just this week I have been feeling a bit out of place and have been feeling like my brain has been pulling me in every direction. How to describe it, it’s like having too many tabs open on your internet browser. I love using this analogy because it's so true. My mind is always on and always thinking and sometimes it feels like I can't keep up. So I keep opening new ideas after ideas until I get confused and get frustrated altogether.
When this happens I have to stop and check-in with myself because I’m only one person, and I can’t do it all.
How do I get organized?
Do I take on more than I need to?
What are some steps that I can take to move more efficiently?
Let’s dive in! Don’t worry I got you!
1. Gather Everything Together to Create a List
This is step one when getting organized. Gathering all of the materials that are important for your project is a MUST. If you are anything like me, you probably have a bunch of paper, sticky notes, notebooks, materials, side notes, inventory, receipts, and so on. Collect all of these items in one central location. This may be overwhelming at first because it may seem like a lot but trust me we got this. Just Breathe!!!
Once you have gathered all your materials you can now create a handy dandy…….List. Throughout the run of a day, we process a lot of information. We have to remember our social security numbers, our phone number, computer passwords, birthdays, holidays, and even directions. It’s a lot. So writing or jotting things down is beneficial.
I encourage you to write out a list of all the things you want to accomplish. Whether it be a ministry, exercise, a blog, a business plan, or running errands. Make a list and check it twice.
2. Create a Schedule and Due Date
There’s nothing worse than creating a list and not initiating a proper plan to get things scratched off it. There’s nothing like the satisfying moment when a highlighter runs across a task that was successfully completed.
This is a two-step process. Make a schedule that works for you and establish a due date. Just by writing this blog post, I already see where my error was this week. I didn’t have a proper schedule that corresponded with an efficient due date.
So, create your list and make the SMART goals to establish a schedule that fits your due date.
3. Declutter. Everything Has A Home!
Remember what I said earlier about how building a sturdy and stable foundation will take time, this is what I meant. This step will be the longest because it will require you to sort all of the items you have and label them into various categories like importance, need, quantity, and type.
While you are sorting and organizing you may come across items that are no longer of need for you. Toss it. Donate it, or simply give it away. I can’t tell you how many times I have come across pieces of paper that were either no longer useful or items that were empty. Declutter, the less items that you have lying around, the easier it will be for you to both get and stay organized.
Know the difference between a need and a want. A need is something that is essential or important for one to survive in some cases. A want is something a person desires or wishes for. Ask yourselves this question: Does this serve me anymore? Do I see myself using it anytime soon? If the answer is no, then get it out of your vision.
4. Enlist Help
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Matthew 18:20
Who said that you had to do it all by yourself. I surely didn’t! Grab a few friends that are willing to help you get the steps above done. It will be a great chance for you to catch up with them and it will make the time go by faster. Sometimes two heads are better than one and having that extra set of hands can truly be a blessing. You never know, your friends may have a more effective and efficient way of sorting and categorizing that makes it easier to maintain later.
Are you still breathing? Just checking! I know that is a lot but you got this. Pause here, put on some tunes (I recommend Vickie Winans or Kierra Sheard myself), and come back once you have finished the steps above!
Whew!! All done! I know it was time-consuming but know that it will all be worth it in the end! Let’s keep going!
5. Check-In on a Weekly Basis
The hard part is over. This step is all about maintaining. Check on things on a weekly basis. I highly recommend creating a calendar and choosing a day where you check in on your projects. Dedicate that day specifically for organizing, sorting, processing, labeling, and decluttering any new things that have appeared over the week. Doing this will allow you to stay organized and even get ahead. Keeping things up-to-date and current will prevent you from falling behind and by doing it weekly you will begin to form habits that will set you up for success.
This is a good idea if you have secondary projects or tasks that were less of a priority that you would like to revisit. Checking in on or back to your list can be helpful as well.
6. Pause, Rewind, Play, Repeat!
Yes, you heard it right! Keep the process going and when you start on the next project it will be that much easier to keep the whole operation organized because you will already have all of the necessary tools needed. Don’t forget to give yourself credit, I know that it may seem like things are not moving forward or things are slow going but give it time. Remember nothing is built overnight and it takes time.
Questions To Consider:
1. Are you getting organized?
2. Have you ever lost your motivation because it was too overwhelming to get organized?
3. Are you organizing S.M.A.R.T.?
4. How did use these steps work out for you?
5. Do your organization skills need work?
With Love, it’s always frustrating to get and keep the system of organizing at the forefront of everything we do. Don’t get discouraged just remember what I told you. Make S.M.A.R.T choices and take things one thing at a time. Take the time out of your day to gathering your materials to make your list, create your schedule and due date, declutter, and check in weekly on your progress. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and always give yourself time and credit.
Go in Peace, Not in Pieces!
~Just Breathe...A Golden Dream~
Amen