Recently, I’ve had a lot on my plate. I have two businesses that are in full swing, we moved in September so I had to pack, unpack and try and get settled in our new space, I went home to help my sister with her newborn (who is the most adorable baby on the planet – no bias of course) and I’ve been trying to carve out a little time for myself and my husband John.
So a few weeks ago I would say I had a melt down. It came after three straight weeks of 7am – 9pm days, I had not worked out or seen friends and had very little time with John. I was really struggling and just found myself frustrated by so much to do.
As organizers, we teach people how to manage their time, but it’s an ongoing process. Sometimes, I feel as if I am supposed to be perfect and not have a bad day or make a mistake. Well, I am here to say even organized people make mistakes – we are only human. Even though my life is pretty balanced; I dedicate evenings and weekends to myself, my family and frieds; things recently got a little out of control with so many outside forces. When that happens it’s important to re-assess the situation and figure out what’s working and what’s not working and fix it right away. Click here to read my plan of attack:
- I blocked out time in my calendar for myself. This is in addition to evenings and weekends because that’s not usually just for me. I have had a tough time getting to the gym and that’s really important to me. Exercising is now on the calendar as an appointment with myself.
- I asked John if he could cook one night a week. I love to cook; its my release from the day and we make dinner nearly every night. I use my Meal Planning Made Easy System to plan meals for the week making dinnertime and grocery shopping simpler. That said, it would be so helpful for John to get dinner on the table once per week – he picked Thursdays!
- I more clearly defined when I will work on each business. Having two businesses, I have two of everything. Two websites, two newsletters, two blogs. I now have dedicated time in my calendar to work on Savvy SOlutions and A Red Bench seperately so I don’t feel as if I am working on both all of the time.
- I let go of a few responsibilities and activities that were not necessary or bringing value to my life. I am a busy person and I want to contribute and be involved with as many things as I can. But sometimes, I get involved with too much and I found myself not enjoying a few groups and associations. I’ve let those go, guilt free!
Sure as organizers we are organized, but that’s doesn’t mean I don’t have to manage our time just like everyone else. The difference is, I actually took the time to figure out what wasn’t working and fixed it. Something to think about for you and your clients.
So if you feel stressed out much of the time and can’t remember when you had a minute for yourself attend our next business class called Reclaim Your Life with Life and Business Coach Cathy Clark or purchase our audios called Time Management is Broken and Do More With Less Time. Both will help you prioritize and use your time wisely.
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Tags: A Red Bench, Business Training, Christa Wagner, Professional Organizer Courses, Professional Organizer Education, Professional Organizing Classes, Professional Organizing Training, Red Bench Program
It really resonated for me when you said that just because we are professional organizers doesn’t mean we are perfect or that we never have a bad day or make a mistake. As a professional organizer and a life coach, expectations are set high, not just by others but also by me. I’m a recovering perfectionist, but sometimes I still catch myself being too hard on myself (don’t most women?). That’s when I stop and get off the treadmill. I give myself permission to have an extreme self-care day, where I do nothing but pamper myself guilt-free. This always seems to shift my perspective and clear my mind so I get more grounded in what’s truly important. My mood improves and, when I feel better, I find I have so much more to give to my clients, my friends and my family.
Great post Christa! Yes, we organizers are human too, and sometimes have to take a step back and assess our own balance, or lack thereof. Thanks for the reminder, and glad you were able to put some great ideas into action. (I love that exercise will now be an appointment on your calendar — I do the same thing, and it works!).
- Lisa