"Organizing the Business of Life"

Month #3, Week #1 of "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds

"The journey is the reward."

-- Anonymous


This month will be all about "Organizing the Business of Life" and that means getting control over "the paper bogeyman", as Regina calls it. She says, "For some reason, paper seems to strike fear into the heart of most adults."

I read the introduction and chapter one and started thinking about just why I find controlling paper clutter so difficult. I totally agree with Regina when she says, "...getting organized is about making decisions and piles are merely stacks of unmade decisions made visible..." So true! I think that is a really big reason for my paper clutter. I simply put off making decisions and eventually it becomes so daunting that it just increases my tendency to procrastinate. So, this month will be a really big challenge for me.

I would love to tell you how I started to get a system going and was working toward this month's goals. But instead I will be honest. Unfortunately, reading and thinking are all I've been able to do this week.

Last Monday and Tuesday evenings I had to be away from home, and then on Wednesday I started to become ill with a terribly sore and swollen throat and glands, fever, headache, dizziness, and a total lack of energy. I wanted to go to a clinic but wasn't up to driving. I was hoping to be much better on the weekend, but it didn't work out that way.

This really was unfortunate because my 'bedroom sanctuary' is still very far from completion. All of my bedroom's contents are still in the living/dining room and it is really starting to affect our ability to keep the rest of the house tidy. On Saturday we managed to do a little painting of the trim, but I just wasn't up to it. Mark would have done more painting, but he had more repair work than he anticipated. Plus, he got the grass cut, and at least that looks tidy.

On Friday our back door lock broke; we should have tried to fix it or replace it on Saturday, but with my sickness and Mark's busyness, it just slipped by us.

This morning we started on the painting and then suddenly remembered the lock. We thought we could take it apart and fix the problem, but we just couldn't. We ended up driving to the hardware store, returning it and buying another (more expensive) one. We tried for hours to try to install it but just couldn't. So, we took that one back and bought yet another. A few more hours later and we were both feeling extremely frustrated at our failure to install this new lock. We just couldn't tell what we were doing wrong.

In the end our entire day was taken up with this futile project and Mark had to get going as he had his motorcycle and the temperature had dropped quite a bit in the evening. I am still not feeling well, unfortunately, and am just exhausted after this wasted day. Sigh.

So, sadly, here it is Sunday night and I feel tired, and sick, and frustrated. Everything is upside down and I can't do anything about it right now. I know that this sickness is frustrating me as well, and no doubt that is one reason I am feeling discouraged.

However, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind and not let it get to me. I believe it will ultimately all come together, we've just got to hang in there. By next weekend, I'm really hoping the bedroom will be back together - and beautiful.

And as for the wretched door lock, tomorrow I will ask my friend, Dan, if he could find it in his heart to help me out. He's a very kind person, Dan is. And, fortunately for me, he knows everything. A good friend to have!

Cheers!


Diane