What do you think of when you hear the word organize? Does it conjure up images of impeccable closets in a perfectly clean house? Or maybe you’d feel organized if you could make meal planning stick. Perhaps you imagine a to-do list with the items neatly checked off. Maybe your idea of organization is just getting that pile of mail off the kitchen counter. Learn how to organize your thoughts, which will lead to organized words, actions and habits, and, ultimately, an organized character.
As we begin the series Organize Your Life, you will learn how to organize your thoughts so the rest of your life will follow. To see the rest of the posts in the series, scroll to the bottom of the page for links.
Disorganization is not the same as messiness
Messiness is one of the results of disorganization, but it’s not the cause of it. I’m a messy person by nature. Just ask my mom. Growing up, my bedroom was a hot mess most of the time and I had a hard time finding anything. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the root of my messiness was my lack of organization. Once I figured that out, the road to conquering my messiness got a lot easier
There’s an old saying that goes: “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” This quote is applicable to so many aspects of life, including organization. During this series, we are going to learn how to organize all these areas: thoughts, words, actions, habits, character, and destiny.
Organization starts in your mind
Organization is a state of mind, and I’m going to show you how you can transform your thinking into that of an organized wife and mom. If your thought life isn’t organized, there’s no way the rest of your life will be either. You must train yourself to organize your thoughts.
Organize your thoughts by doing a brain dump
As women, we are super great at multitasking, but it’s really a double-edged sword. We have so many things going through our heads at once, and it’s easy for some of them to get lost in the sauce.
A brain dump is essentially what it sounds like: it’s an opportunity for you to dump out all the extra stuff in your brain so you can focus on the things you need to concentrate on. It’s helpful to do a brain dump at least once a week. I like to do mine on Friday afternoons so I can get all my random thoughts out of my head before relaxing on the weekend.
You can do your brain dump in several ways. I like to type my thoughts out on my computer because I’m a lot faster at typing than I am at writing. Speed is good in this case, because you want to get as many thoughts out of your head as fast as you can. Some people even record their voices with a recorder or phone app.
Start with a blank page (physical or digital). Set the timer for fifteen minutes and just start writing everything you’re thinking about. I mean everything: family stuff, work stuff, church stuff, marriage stuff, pet stuff, house stuff, financial stuff, etc. Get all the stuff out of your head.
Your brain dump list should include (1) ideas you have about things, (2) stuff you’re worrying about, and (3) things you need to remember. After you finish your dump (lol), try to organize the items into those three categories. Then, you can revisit those thoughts when you need them, instead of trying to keep track of them in your brain. It’s amazing how much it helps!
Organize your thoughts in the morning and start the day off right
I’m the first to admit that I am not a morning person. In fact, I really hate mornings. Some people love to watch the sunrise and enjoy the quiet, but I’d much rather be in bed, thank you very much. I’m really more productive in the afternoon or at night.
But there is something to be said for starting the day off right. Even though I’m not a morning person and usually get up with just enough time to get ready, I always take a few minutes to get my thoughts in order for the day. If you take a few minutes (fifteen at most) after your quiet time each morning to take a quick peek at your planner and see what’s going on for the day, you’ll be so much more organized.
During this morning organization mini-sesh, think about what you want to accomplish that day. It really helps to write these things down, so use the notes section in your planner if you have one. Make a list of everything you want to get done and then circle the three things that you absolutely have to accomplish.
Make it your goal to tackle those three things and then work on the rest of the list if you have time. This kind of prioritization will help you stay on track all day. You can even write your three daily goals on a whiteboard on your refrigerator or command center so you’re sure to stay on track.
Don’t get overwhelmed, mama. Yes, you should do your best to stay organized, but stop running yourself ragged trying to create the perfect little life. Start with organizing your thoughts and before you know it, you will be living an organized life you love. I hope you will implement the tools we discussed today. Check out the other posts in our Organize Your Life series below.
- How to Organize Your Words (Organize Your Life – Part 2)
- How to Organize Your Actions & Habits (Organize Your Life – Part 3)
- The Importance of an Organized Character (Organize Your Life – Part 4)
