The Organized Attitude

You Are What You Think

Do you say, “I want to get organized?” “Organized” is not something we “get.” Organized is something we become.

Getting organized, rather than becoming an organized person, gives a temporary or optional feel to organization as if it were something you do or not do, depending on your mood. If it’s something you can “get,” it’s also something you can lose. Your organizing efforts will go up and down, like a yo-yo.

Finding your reasons to organize is important to your success. Possibilities?

• To make better use of your time. By the time you find the supplies you need, do you run outof time to do what you wanted to do in the first place?
• To find things when you need them. Do you waste time looking for things? Is your emotionalwell being compromised by the frustration of looking?

Adjust Your Attitude

Olympic gold medal champion ice skater Scott Hamilton says that the only disability in life is a bad attitude!

If you’re think you need to get organized, you suffer from a “bad” attitude. Without a “become organized” attitude, you’ll not complete organizing tasks over the long haul.

Organized people recognize the importance of organizing actions in everyday life. Organizing tasks are an integral part of their lives. They always have enough time to organize.

If your attitude is “I don’t have time to organize,” your attitude needs adjusting because you think organizing is something you can get.

Teeth Brushing Attitude

Give organizing the same respect as brushing your teeth – it’s not fun, but it’s necessary so there is always time for it. We know the importance of brushing and understand the benefits and preventive nature of brushing our teeth. Therefore:

• We Never Skip it – we take no vacation days or weeks or leave all of our brushing untilSaturday, when we’ll have more time.
• We brush at least twice a day, three times a day, as necessary, but it only takes a few minutes.
• We make no excuses or try to talk ourselves out of brushing our teeth.
• Brushing doesn’t take long each time we do it. We make it a habit and practice daily.

Apply the same thinking to becoming organized – it’s not fun, but it’s necessary. Always make time for it.

• Never Skip the Opportunity to Organize – no vacation weeks and don’t leave all of your daily organizing until Saturday. You won’t have “more” time.
• Organize at least twice a day, three times a day, as necessary. It may take only a few minutes.
• Make no excuses. Don’t try to talk yourself out of it or let any one else talk you out of it.
• Make it a habit. From the daily practice, comes the organizing skill.

More Motivation to Change

Lifestyle changes require that we become the acts that constitute the change.

Quitting smoking. Losing weight. Eliminating sugar from your diet. Exercising everyday. Playing with your children regularly. Writing a book.

These goals require the attitude of becoming the person who does the necessary actions.

We become non-smokers. We become healthy and fit. We become playmates. We become authors.

The non-smoking, weight loss, health, play or writing become a part of who we are and how we operate in the world.

RESULT: We Become Organized Persons. Organizing becomes a part of who we are. We adjuste our attitude from getting to becoming organized.

© 1992 Helen D. Volk All Rights Reserved

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