Organize Your Life

Have you ever wondered how your neighbor always has a: clean house, perfect yard, nice body, shiny car, brilliant children, happy husband, trained dog, and a nice savings account, and you feel a little less than up to par and very overwhelmed? Well I can't tell you what their tricks are, but I can help you to develop a few of your own.

Let me help you break it down. Your time that is. The best way to accomplish your day to day chores is to make a plan and stick to it as closely as possible. For starters lets start with your life plan. Lets say you want to have your house paid off in 30 years, have your student loans paid off in 15 years, have your vehicle paid off in 5 years, have that new camera by next year. Your want to lose 50 pounds in 6 months, have your house completely deep cleaned by the end of the month and have the house clean in the next few hours, and have your husbands dinner ready by the end of the day. Those are a few examples, but I hear ya. Everyone has a huge list of to-dos that seem impossible to ever accomplish. So make your life sketch.

Organize your life. Where do you see yourself in 20, 10, 5 or even next year. What do you want to have accomplished, and how can you make it possible. If you are thinking of things that will cost money start a savings account for each goal. A college fund for your child, a vacation fund for Cancun, a Christmas fund. If your ideas are more along the lines of getting in shape, work out a daily exercise routine and set goals that are realistic and will help you loose that 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 pounds. The key to setting goals is being realistic. I'm going to give you an example of a routine that will help anyone become a stay organized.

Organize your week:

Monday- Mop Day. Things that need accomplished: sweep, mop and vacuum all floors in the house. Dinner will be slow cooked roast with vegetables.

Tonight is family night, we will play games and read stories before bed.

I will do 15 minutes of cardio and work my abs and upper body.

Tuesday- Trash Day. Things that need accomplished: change out all trash bags, haul trash to dump if need be. Pull weeds (because they make your yard look trashy.)

Tonight my daughter has a piano recital.

Dinner will be ham fried rice and Mandarin chicken.

I will do 15 min of cardio and work my abs and lower body.

Wednesday- Wash Day. Things that need accomplished: wash and fold laundry.

Tonight my son has karate lessons.

Dinner will be steak and mashed potatoes.

I will do 15 min. of cardio.

Thursday- Toilet Day. Things to accomplish: clean all tubs and toilets.

Tonight I will play with my kids outside.

Dinner will be Tacos.

I will do 15 min. of cardio, work my abs and upper body.

Friday- Finishing Touches. Things to accomplish: dust, wash windows and mirrors, clean baseboards and any other small details that need attention.

Tonight I will do something for me (scrapbook, sew, watch a movie, read a book, ect.)

Dinner will be pork chops and mashed potatoes.

I will do 15 min. or cardio, work my abs and lower body.

Saturday- Spouse Day. Things to accomplish: something that will please my spouse (wash his truck, clean his shop, make his favorite dessert, take him fishing, ect.)

Tonight is date night. I will need dinner for the kids and a babysitter. (Remember to ask her to tend again next weekend.)

I will do 15 min. or cardio.

Sunday- The Sabbath. Things to accomplish: family scripture study.

Tonight we will have family prayer.

Dinner will be chicken noodle soup.

I will not work out today.

Feel free to add or subtract any other things you wish to accomplish each day. You can also organize your months.

January- lose 8 pounds

read my favorite book

save $5 for each child

save $50 for Cancun

save $50 for Disneyland

Happy New Year

February- lose 8 pounds

save$5 for each child

save $50 for Cancun

save $50 for Disneyland

Happy Valentines Day

March-lose 8 pounds

save$5 for each child

save $50 for Cancun

save $50 for Disneyland

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Host Book Club

April- lose 8 pounds

save$5 for each child

save $50 for Cancun

save $50 for Disneyland

Happy Easter

May-lose 8 pounds

save$5 for each child

save $50 for Cancun

Go to Disneyland

You get the picture. Add any information that needs accomplished that month. The same idea can be used for years.

2011: Disneyland

2012: Daughter getting married

2013: Son in College

2014: Cancun

2015: New Car

So on and so forth. The number one thing to remember when following this method of organization is that you should try to stick as closely as possible to the goals you set, but don't be disappointed if you aren't perfect. We are meant to be happy and enjoy our precious moments here, not overwhelmed, not good enough, depressed, or frustrated. So live a little. Cheat a few times on that diet for your favorite soda or dessert. Skip vacuuming for a girls lunch. Play hide and seek instead of pushing homework once in a while. Take that spontaneous drive, vacation, or date. Let life happen. Sit back and Smile.