The Never Ending "To Do" List

Well, I didn't finish my paper box project by the end of last week. I should've known I was being over ambitious! It is this week's priority, and I've already been working on it.
One thing that I've noticed is that when I write my "to do" lists in my planner, I'm much more motivated to accomplish things, and I feel such gratification every time I cross off an item. What I like to do is separate my "to do" lists into three categories; one huge one of all the things that need to get done, one for the things that need to get done during the week, and a list for each day. This is a suggestion also given by Jennifer Ford Berry in her book "Organize Now." What is most important is to be realistic in what you can accomplish and not list too many things to do on any given day. If you fill up your day, you leave no room for the things that just happen to come up that day, and you end up not accomplishing all the items. It feels so much more rewarding when you can cross off everything on your daily list. Well, that's one thing that I'm getting back to doing; writing my "to do" lists. This is a habit I have had in the past, but have lately stopped. Now that I'm getting back to it, I feel more positive that my "new normal" is just around the corner.

Paper Mania

Well, I didn't post this yesterday like I had hoped to. Life is very busy with four kids, go figure. I put this cute little box from IKEA, in my kitchen a couple years ago to serve as a catchall for all the random papers that show up; mail, fliers from school, and the sort. Yes, there is a box under all that paper! It's a great idea to keep paper clutter off the countertop and dining table, but when you stop going through it regularly to keep it from overflowing, this is what happens.  Being pregnant, and then having a newborn to care for, along with all other responsibilities, caused my little box to get horribly neglected, and the result is what you see. An overflowing box of papers, thus an overwhelmingly daunting task. My goal this week, is to finally go through this box, and put all papers in the respective places. The week is almost over, but I'm determined to get this one done. I'll work on it little bits at a time. Perhaps I'll work on it in about three or four chunks. That's more realistic for me. I can't just sit down for two hours straight (because that's how much time it would take, if not more) to complete this. My life just doesn't allow that kind of dedication right now.

I also thought it would be a good idea to expand on the idea, so I just purchased this cute box from IKEA, specifically for my very important, time-sensitive paperwork. This way, in case what you see above happens again, I'll at least have all the real important documents handy. This little box also fits my lap top and my planner very nicely. I usually keep these items on my dining room table, which we rarely use for dining. I'm okay with the dining room table being a multiuse desk for the family, but I'm tired of it looking so messy, so quickly. This box helps to alleviate that problem by at least keeping my important things contained. It looks nice, and when visitors come by, they don't need to see my business all over the place.
Well, as you can see in the background, my dining table is still cluttered, but that's an upcoming project. Baby steps, ya know!

"Organize Now"

Last week was a rough week that left me feeling overwhelmed with two weeks worth of laundry and dishes, along with "everything else." Thanks to my awesome husband and my kids, I received just enough help to give me the boost I needed, so today, I'm feeling a little more caught up. I started keeping my planner updated again, and I knocked a couple of things that were looming over me head, off my "to do" list.
 I bought a little used book from the library called Organize Now  by Jennifer Ford Berry. I don't know if she's a big name in organization, but I do know I like this book. A lot of her ideas are on par with the way I think, so I may draw inspiration from her every now and then, and post about it.
It's late and I'm tired, so soon (hopefully tomorrow) I'll post about my first organization project. Good night.

The Beginning

Today, I'm posting my first blog entry. I'm not sure where to start, so I decided to just start. My name is Dianalin and I'm a mother to four beautiful children, my youngest being just 3 months old. Now that she is here (meaning I'm no longer pregnant), I'm on a mission to getting my life in order. If you have children, you know that newborns turn your world upside down, until you find your "new normal." Well, that's what this blog is all about. Finding my new normal, and my journey to it. So, I have accomplished my first goal, which was to finally start a blog! We'll see how it goes. I'm initially striving to get better organized so I can gain more peace of mind and clarity. Right now, I feel like I'm just barely accomplishing what I have to do, and unable to accomplish what I need to do... if that makes any sense. I hope to post entries as my organization goals get accomplished. Wish me luck!