Does the first part of the title of this post resonate with you? If so, then consider organizing your life to douse those flames as stated in the second part of the title. By eliminating your constant ‘hair on fire’ scenarios, you will live a less stressful, more productive and peaceful life. But first, determine what areas of your life cause the ‘hair on fire’ scenario the most.
Are you constantly looking for your keys, making you late to work, appointments, or school? Are you buying multiples of items because you didn’t know you already had one or more of said item? Are you turning in work or school projects late on a regular basis? Organizing your belongings and scheduling your time more efficiently are two important components when organizing your life.
Organizing your life sounds simple, doesn’t it? Ok, maybe not to everyone. Not everyone is born into this world with the executive functioning skills to implement behaviors such as organization. That’s not to say that those individuals can’t learn the necessary skills.
Looking at the two important components of organizing your life as mentioned above, will guide you on your journey to eliminate those ‘hair on fire’ scenarios. However, these two important components work hand in hand – your time and your belongings. For example, when you have a home for your keys, you won’t spend time looking for them, you will quickly find them right in their home to grab and go as you’re walking out the door.
Organizing your belongings
Your approach should begin with the first step in the organizing process which is to put like items together. Click on the links in each step of the organizing process for additional information on how to complete each step.
Step 2 – Eliminate excess
Step 3 – Assign homes
Step 4 – Containment
Step 5 – Evaluate
Scheduling your time
Schedule. Everything.
This is the best advice I can provide to optimize your time to accomplish goals. In this context, your goal is organizing your life. You know what you need to do – go to work, get the kids to school, shop for supplies, doctor’s appointments, lunch with a friend, date night, getting that proposal turned in, etc. How will you get all these things done if you don’t have a schedule?
These are just some examples that may or may not fit your life but I think you get the gist. If you don’t have a schedule, maybe that’s the reason your hair is always on fire. You could be running in a reactive mode instead of being proactive.
Scheduling your time means that you know exactly what you need to do and when to do it. Make a list on paper, use a paper planner, or use an electronic device such as your smart phone to create a schedule. Whichever option works for you, make sure that you keep your schedule with you at all times, and refer to it frequently.
In organizing your life, as you’re organizing your belongings, or scheduling your time, the end result is always increased productivity, less stress and peace of mind.
