Article Summary:
The first step to being organized is adjusting your mind and attitude toward organization.
We all have areas of our lives we'd like to be more organized. Your area of disorganization might be something as small as wanting your pantry to be easier to navigate or craving order in your email inbox… or it might be as large as every room in your home needing an overhaul. No matter what your organizing challenge, one of the most important steps in conquering it is the your attitude and the thoughts you produce.
James Allen, author of the timeless classic, As A Man Thinketh, wrote that as human beings, we are the product of our thoughts. He said we literally become what we think about. If you're feeling stuck and disorganized in any area of your life, if you're feeling like a slave to destructive habits such as procrastination or self-sabotage, consider that changing your thoughts can change your life for the better.
The beliefs you hold about yourself are based in the past and in the present; you believe what you have seen and you act in accordance with those beliefs. You believe you're disorganized, and so you are. However, if you can change your beliefs you can change your results. Whether you want to lose fifty pounds or change your disorganized ways, taking control of your thoughts and words will change what you believe to be true about yourself and your life.
The first step is to choose one area of your life that you'd like to change and become more organized. Let's say you want to eliminate the habit of procrastinating. Each morning when you wake up, and before you go to bed each night, say aloud to yourself, "I am an organized person. I handle every task right away and I enjoy doing each one in a timely manner. I accomplish great things because I meet every challenge head on."
The second step is to change the self-talk -- that's the endless tapes that run in your head. You may not even be aware of them, but try to tune in to them. They'll tell you what they're saying if you just pay attention. When you notice yourself procrastinating, stop and immediately think a positive thought to combat the old negative tape playing in your head that says, "I'll do that later." You must stop it mid-sentence and replace that destructive thought with your affirmation of, "I'm an organized person and I handle every task right away." It's not enough to stop a negative thought -- you must replace it with a positive thought, and preferably two! Your thoughts are immensely powerful, so try this exercise for one week and see if you don't begin to feel, think, and most importantly act differently.
Monica Ricci has been an organizing and productivity specialist since 1999. She offers onsite consulting, as well as motivational seminars and workshops, which teach effective organizing and simplifying and effectiveness strategies for home and work. Reach Monica at www.Catalyst Organizing.com or ph: 770-569-2642.
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