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Blog: Easy Organizing For Active Kids And Busy Parents
 Confessions of a Reformed Perfectionist
And How I Learned to Let the Little Things Slide While Still Being an Organized Mom
Since my first daughter was born just over 10 years ago, I've learned two things throughout my countless interactions with other Moms. First, we all, at one time or another, feel like complete and utter failures (Remember when you couldn't even find enough free time in your day to manage a shower, let alone organize the pantry and baby's closet a la Ms. Stewart?!?). Any Mom who doesn't own up to this feeling either is fooling herself or too embarrassed to admit it.
Second, all Moms hold themselves up to a ridiculously higher standard than we expect from anyone else in our lives. Hence, the reason for occasionally feeling less than perfect. Pre-children, I remember my plans to be the "perfect" Mom. I'd have the laundry washed and sorted by colors daily. Homemade baby food and wonderful meals for my husband that I'd shopped for with my itemized grocery list. I'd have a place for everything, and everything in its place and I'd maintain a very organized household if it was the last thing I did! I had always thrived on precise and complete organization in my work-world, and now I wanted to apply that to my new career as a stay-at-home/telecommuting Mom. Any Mom who's ever had similar thoughts knows where this story goes next.
Before I knew it reality set in and I was overwhelmed, under-organized, and pretty darn cranky. I continued on this path of expecting perfection but always getting less than I expected for several years. I wanted to have everything instantly organized and have it stay that way, despite kids, pets, hectic schedules, and a generally full and busy life.
Then one day I had an epiphany. Actually, I had breast cancer, at the "young" age of 35. Suddenly my outlook on life was a bit different from my earlier views. I still strive to be organized, and I get a rush from clearing away clutter and restoring order, but perfection is no longer the name of the game. The stress it causes isn't worth it. Now my goal is simplicity. Saving time on the daily grind of keeping a household together so that there is more time to spend on the things I enjoy. And hopefully I'm passing this on to my daughters so that they strive for simplicity in their young lives, today and well into the future.
Organization is a Process, Not a Project
To quote a widely over-used, but completely accurate cliché, "Rome wasn't built in a day." And truly organizing your life and household will not be accomplished in a day, weekend, or even a month. Even now, after becoming a Professional Organizer, I still need to remind myself, "Baby steps, baby steps." When you look around your house, you may see several organizing projects you would desperately like to complete. Don't overwhelm yourself with trying to tackle them all at once, because in the end you'll just end up overwhelmed and equally unorganized. First things first, prioritize a list of all the projects you'd ideally like to conquer. However, DON'T give yourself a deadline for completion, because ultimately soccer practices, sleepovers, and long-nights with a teething infant will get in the way and you'll be back to feeling less than perfect for not meeting the deadlines.
You can implement systems in the span of a weekend project, but to truly have your system work long-term and not fall out of use, it has to constantly evolve and adapt to your busy lifestyle. So try the ideas I suggest through this blog, adapt them to your own household, but don't ever be afraid to modify and re-think how it's working. Eventually your system will be complete, your household will run more efficiently, and your life will be simplified. That may be a far cry from perfect, but that's OK! We'll save perfection for Ms. Stewart.
Coming Next Week: Helping your kids to be organized is something we teach through modeling. So to get the ball rolling, and to get the school year off to a well-organized start, we'll discuss setting up the Ultimate Family Command Center. Better than just a home office, the Command Center will become the go-to place in your household for each and every member of your family. Until then, have a great week!
Simply yours,
Debbie
posted on: 10/12/2007 9:00:00 AM by Debbie Jordan Kravitz
category: Family
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Easy Organizing For Active Kids And Busy Parents
by Debbie Jordan Kravitz
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About Debbie:
Debbie Jordan Kravitz is a Professional Organizer, Author, and Owner of Virtually Organized by Debbie LLC. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). Debbie's goal is to help her clients customize, organize and simplify their lives so they can spend less time searching for their things and more time doing the things they love.
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Visit my blog, "Virtually Organized," and be sure to leave me a comment to let me know you found me through www.OnlineOrganizing.com. "Virtually Organized" includes even MORE tips, ideas, and inspiration, as well as "Steals & Deals" (links to cool products at GREAT discounts, or even FREE!"
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