6 Body-Mind-Soul Ways to Get Organized
Jewel, a client of mine, came to see me because she was out of work and suffering from depression. “I just don’t have the energy go out looking for a new job. I feel like no one would hire me”, she told me. This type of conversation is typical of a depressed person. I sat there, listening to her, and was struck by her lack of grooming and frequent mentions of clutter and messiness in her home and life. I got a hunch, and asked her to go home and clean out her drawers and closets, one a day for a week, until her next appointment. She seemed confused, and I suggested to her that perhaps she was unable to move forward because she was hanging on to things, and blocking new opportunities to come into her life.
This seemed to make sense to her, and she agreed to do this homework. I also recommended another coping skill for depression. She came in a week later, smiling. “I feel better, she exclaimed. And, I’m getting my energy back and I even feel less depressed.”
Below, I share with you how getting organized relates to your body, mind and soul.
Six Tips to Get Organized
Following are some tips for organizing: Choose one or more to practice for today or for the week:
Principle #1: Use a single notebook to list six elements in your life that need to be put into order.
For Example:
- Closets and Drawers
- Paperwork/desk
- Budget
- Kitchen cupboards
- Car
- Knick knacks
Principle #2: Divide up a complex problem into manageable segments.
Example: Complex Problem: Paperwork/Desk
Week 1. Identify Different types of paperwork, ie: bills, receipts, payments, bank statements, healthcare claims, wills, etc.
Week 2: Make folders for each type. Label
Week 3: Identify if new file cabinets or systems are needed and purchase.
Week 4: Make a place for each area and label carefully. Put papers in files and into file cabinets or systems.
Week 5. Set up an incoming, in progress and done tray to sort as you receive mail, bills, receipts, etc.
Principle #3: Rank these 6 elements according to how aggravating they are to you, and tackle the most aggravating one first.
Principle #4: Make a choice about how to accomplish the task at hand:
Use the coaching rules:
a) Hire it done. This is hard for many people both because it costs money and because it is giving up some of the control of a project. A good place to start is researching qualified persons to interview for the job. When my private practice began to grow, I realized that the billing aspect of my business was taking up huge amounts of my time, leaving me tired, frustrated, and unable to find the time for marketing and other important aspects of running a private practice. The two biggest reasons I continued to sap my energy and resources were that a) I didn’t know where to find someone, and b) I didn’t feel comfortable about turning my billing over to someone else. What if they messed up and all of my claims get denied, what if I didn’t get paid on time—what ifs just kept getting in my way of ridding myself of something I’m neither very good at, nor enjoy, and it also prevented me from growing my practice as fast as I could have.
The first thing I did was to meditate and pray about it. This is my usual approach for resolving challenges in my life. First, I go to my source, which for me is God, and find the quiet space to visualize my problem or challenge being handled in the best way possible. Secondly, I create and state affirmations. I began to say to myself , “I find the perfect person to do my billing quickly and accurately. I trust this person completely.” I also asked all my colleagues who they recommended. No one had a good billing person. Shortly afterwards, I had a brainstorm that I should place an ad on Craig’s List and did so immediately. I had a huge response and found the perfect person to do the job, and I have been able to enjoy my work much more and to grow it much faster. I have more time and energy to do what I love. Today, try this formula for yourself and one of your challenges.
b) Get rid of it. In cleaning out clutter, it is both one of the easiest things to do and the hardest. If you’re like most people, it is hard to let go of things. Some items have sentimental value, cost a lot, or you are sure that if you get rid of it, you’ll need it and won’t have it. A good rule of thumb is: If you haven’t used it for a year, get rid of it. There are many charitable organizations that would love what you have to make it available to those of lesser means. There are people who love garage sales. If it is a higher ticket item, there is Ebay, Craig’s list, etc. Think about it this way—“Nature abhors a vacuum, and when you declutter, you make space for new things to come into your life. It is an abundant universe…give (away) and you shall receive.
c) Do it. This is perhaps the most difficult of all. You work a lot, are often tired and overwhelmed, and want to relax and enjoy whatever free time you have. The problem with this is that you may not be relaxing as much or as well, if all the “unfinished” and “undone” things are weighing heavy on your mind, and/or in your face. Chunking tasks down into manageable steps, as outlined above is one way to make this choice more palatable and doable. Using the formula of meditating/prayer, affirmations and visualizations is another solution.
Summary and Action Steps
Body: Clean out one drawer or closet today. Breathe deeply as your clear out the old and make room for the new. Smile while you work (you can hum or whistle as well.)
Mind: Notice if any of your disorganization and disorder is directly or indirectly related to an unconscious “guilty defiance” to a childhood authority. For example, did one or both of your parents constantly nag you to pick up your room? Or, were one or both of your parents poor housekeepers and/or disorganized themselves? Use the following affirmation or write you own:
Affirmation: The purpose of order in my life is my own ease and convenience.
Or: _________________________________________________________
Soul: Look around your home, car, and office to see where clutter and disorder are lurking, robbing you of precious energy. Next, get quiet and ask yourself this question, then record it in your journal:
If I didn’t have all this clutter and disorder in my life, I would be able to:
_________________________________________________________
I invite you to come over to my Facebook page and let me know how you’re doing with these tips to get organised. Let me know if they are helping, and how you’re using them. Your comments can help others by encouraging them to get started.
Have a blessed and peaceful week.
To Your Well-Being,
