An organizing journey that begins today

First let me apologize for being so absent. I have been busy with work and a family wedding. I had to prioritize and not everything could fit on my plate. One of those things happened to be this blog! It's not always fun to make those choices but they are necessary. Why would you seek me for advice if I can't do the same things in my own life?

The past 2 weeks have been very busy but they have also been very thought provoking. During this time I have been presented with some interesting business opportunities and decisions to make. I have to say I am under some pressure and stress trying to figure things out. Organizing doesn't always come in the form of household to dos. I am faced with some life organizing right now. My kids, my business, my goals, and well basically my life, all need a little re-organizing.

I wish I could tell you here's how I figured it all out but right now that's just not the case. I can tell you that this will be a journey that I will document and share with you. Maybe we can both learn something. By the end I can tell you for sure you will learn something; either how to do this or how to NOT do what I did!!

I rely heavily on prayer. Those who know me best know that during difficult times I ask God for billboards. I find that when I am stressed out I stop hearing the subtle hints from God. I lose ability to think as clearly as I should and I try to take over. That's when I ask God to shout it out and place it on a billboard so that I don't miss it. I know that my life runs a lot smoother with Him at the wheel instead of me. I guess that's my first step.

Last night before bed I prayed for God to speak to me through my dreams. This morning I couldn't remember what I dreamed! What's that suppose to mean!?

I have taken some time to get out a notebook and pen and write down the different areas I am trying to make decisions on. I then tackled the first one by writing and brainstorming different ideas on how to handle this situation. It seemed to work.

Anything is easier to handle if you break it down into smaller parts. For example, the first thing I need to deal with was my children. We have a nanny who helps out with the children. I call her a nanny because she is 25 and she does more than just babysit. She helps make my life easier by taking care of things so that I can spend more time with my girls. She gives me a great gift. The problem is I need her to be better with her time management and think of things that need to be taken care of without me always telling her. I need her to read my mind and act accordingly!! O.K. I am clear that is not a possibility but I can't think of another way to express what I want. Thoughts run through my mind all day at the pace of about 100 miles an hour. I forget one thought almost as soon as the next enters. It is difficult for me to tell someone everything I need them to do. Now I need to figure out what is reasonable for me to expect of someone and how to relay that to them. I sat down and wrote her a letter telling her what my goals were and how I thought she could help out. I made sure to tell her all of the things I appreciated that she did, namely giving me more time with my kids which is the biggest gift anyone could give me. Then I went on to explain some things that I had observed and how we could accomplish more. I also went on to explain how these things could enhance her skills and her resume, helping to prepare her for any future jobs she may hold. I will give this to her and see how things unfold. Ultimately since she can't read my mind and since my perfectionism makes it hard to please me (I'm working on that), it will be interesting to see how this works out.

I started with my highest priority: my kids. Now I can give this letter to her, discuss it, and hope that we can accomplish even more.

I also try during difficult times to remember what to be grateful for; my Faith, husband, kids, family, clients, and employees. All of whom make my life what it is and who without I just wouldn't be me.

Please remember what is good in your life. We all have difficult times and problems in our lives. But I have yet to meet a person who didn't have at least a little to be thankful for. It is a shame that we get bogged down with the bad and forget the good.

Stay tuned. I have so much to tell you. Tomorrow I have 2 very important meetings. One personal and one for business. Both should be good for a lesson or two.

Until then . . . keep it organized!!

Amanda