Every January, people talk about making resolutions. Milestones can be a great way to benchmark where we have been over the course of time. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s as a source of resolutions. If you feel that January 1st is a great motivator, that’s wonderful. More often than not I hear about how people have fallen off the wagon. Here are my thoughts on how to broach your own resolve, particularly in the area of getting more organized.
A friend of mine mentioned that it had been a number of years since he quit smoking. I asked him how he did it. His answer “I only committed myself to the current day. If I can get through today without smoking then I am a success. Tomorrow I will review my resolve”. I thought that was very profound. So often what haunts us is the idea of doing or not doing something FOREVER. That can make a new habit seem overwhelming before we even start. Strictly speaking – all any of us ever have is today, which is a gift (I guess that’s why they call it the present – feel free to groan at the lame joke).
What habit do you feel you could conquer if only for today? How would doing that one thing make you feel? Would it motivate you to do more? Would you feel like you got a jump start on the next day? Would you be able to give yourself that pat on the back? Small things can really add up. Let’s say you committed to yourself when you took items out of the dryer that you would fold the entire load of clothing and put it away before you went to sleep. How would that improve your day and your environment?
Often people discuss a goal or resolution in terms of x amount over y period of time (eg lose 25 pounds by the end of March). This can be very helpful in something quantitative as weight loss but is much more difficult to define when it comes to creating a more organized environment. How do I measure what does or doesn’t have a home or why something didn’t get put away?
I would encourage you to create a realistic vision or resolution in your mind about how you want a space to look and feel. By envisioning the space that way, it will help you to create the resolve today to start toward the organizing processes that will get you there.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and chances are that an area that is disorganized took some time to get that way. Remember to be kind to yourself. Small steps have a way of building onto themselves and create momentum. Focus on your vision every day. Each day that you are able to, you are a success.
