So I’ve been taking 31 Days to Becoming an Organized Mom right? And then I have to go and read this and it shakes me up and makes me think {a lot!}. What are we organizing?  Is organizing just well planned hoarding like they are saying? Why yes, it just might be.

I believe that organizing has it’s place but I spend too much time and too much energy trying to get and stay organized. There’s so much stuff to stay on top of and too many things that I will “get to one day.”  Even with Flylady and organizational methods I follow {aka getting rid of things that weigh you down} I still have stuff that I feel like I am hoarding and just trying to organize it so that it looks good.

The blog post I mentioned above has my brain spinning.  All I want to do right now is get rid of stuff.  I didn’t realize that I wasn’t free but I really want to be free.  Free of stuff that weighs me down like a boulder on my shoulders.  Free of guilt for not getting something done that is sitting in an {organized or not} space waiting for me to touch it {“one day…”}.  I want my kids to be free to play more and clean up crazy toy messes less. I want what we have to be manageable not all consuming.

If you haven’t yet stopped to read the post I mentioned above go read it now {I’ll be here when you’re done}.  I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts! Does it shake up your way of thinking?  Should we make our organizing journey about getting rid of our hoards {organized or not}? I’m thinking yes for me.  I’m off to get rid of some stuff today.  See you tomorrow…

So how are you doing on our journey of 31 Days to Becoming an Organized Mom? Are you challenging yourself to put your family first {before others}?  Today I wanted to remind you to take care of yourself and take time to rest in all of the organizing.

You need to be an important part of your to do list as well so that you can keep going strong for your family.  Take breaks, take time off and rest.  Sundays are a good day to let your mind, body and soul rest and be refreshed.  The work will all still be there tomorrow and you will feel all the stronger to tackle it when you have rested.

Enjoy your day of rest and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with some really deep thoughts about getting organized!

We are moving along in our 31 Days to Becoming an Organized Mom series and I thought today would be a good day to share some resources that I have found helpful in my organizing journey.

Websites:

Flylady.net– If you follow Flylady’s methods they will work!  She will teach you how to take baby steps towards your organizing goals.

i heart organizing– prepare to drool a little when you scroll through her organized home pictures.  She is on top of it and organizes thing I would never think of organizing! Her blog is fun and motivational too, not overwhelming and scary.

Some of my favorite motivational books are:

Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World and Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Will Work for You by Sandra Felton- These books are so good! They really helped me to change my mindsets about how to get organized and stay organized.  There are so many practical tips in them coming from a woman with many years of experience in changing from a naturally unorganized person into an organized person.  I think you will find these books really helpful. Sandra Felton also has several other books on organization as well.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living– Tsh Oxenreider teaches you how to live simply and get organized.  I love her ideas and methods and think you will find this helpful too!

31 Days to Clean – Having a Martha House the Mary Way– Sarah Mae openly shares that she doesn’t love to clean but feels it is necessary to bless her family.  She will take you on a 31 day journey toward examining your heart and motivation as well as practical steps towards getting your home clean.

I am sure there are many other great organizing resources.  What are some of your favorites?

How good are you at planning ahead? I used to be good at this but not so much lately. I long for the day when the birthday presents are mailed on time and I am prepared for when we will run out of toilet paper.

In thinking about these things I am attempting to come up with solutions that will allow me to plan in advance and therefore allow me to live a less last minute and stressful life.

{calendar by 4th Letter Studio on Etsy}

I mentioned that I have a big calendar in my kitchen and this helps me to see what it coming up for the month but I really need to sit down and plan out the next year.  For me this means that I am thinking about when I need to make doctors and dentist appointment so that my kids actually get in at the right time.  I also need to have a list of birthdays the month before so that I can be shopping, wrapping, and mailing them on time.  I also need to think ahead to home projects or seasonal crafts that I want to do for the year.  Really anything that needs thoughts and preparation I should be planning well ahead for. Even shopping for the next size or season for my kids could be planned for.

So today I am thinking ahead and filling in my calendar for the next year.  I will set reminders so that I have fare warning that things are coming up. Oh, and I’ll eat the frog when I see them come up.

How about you? Anything else you can think of that needs to be planned out ahead of time? How do you stay ahead of the game?