 Take Home That Vacation Feeling!
(Excerpt from Simplify Your Life, by Marcia Ramsland)
Ah, I hear the sound of waves gently rolling into the shore. The sun warms my
face, and my toes wiggle in the sand. For now my novel lies on my lap. And all I
have to do is occupy myself until dinner is served. I can do whatever I want. I
am living the simplified life . . . I’m on vacation.
Is vacation the only place to enjoy a simplified life? Yes and no. To
simplify life the rest of the year is to create that same vacation
feeling—relaxation, enjoyment, and ease. But not every vacation turns out to be
that relaxing, as you know. It takes dreaming, planning, and action. And so does
simplifying your life.
What Is Getting Organized and Simplifying Your Life?
People know that “getting organized” is a great way to save time and stress.
But a desire to get there is often hindered by pressing duties and deadlines.
Who really has time to get organized? After all, if we stopped everything we’re
doing to get organized, wouldn’t that put us further behind? Not if you include
simplifying your life as part of your daily plans.
Getting organized is like swatting mosquitoes on a summer day.
You know the little creatures are bothering you, but their buzzing around
never gets so bad that you have to stop what you are doing. When I hear someone
say, “I’ve got to get organized,” however, I know she is stressed and serious
about changing. It’s like a mass of annoying mosquitoes have finally gotten to
her, and she is ready to do something about it.
If too many "flies" are buzzing around your ears, you can get organized in one
of two ways:
1. Organize and simplify “as you go” each day. For instance, straighten up
the kitchen each night plus clean out one refrigerator shelf. In less than a
week the whole refrigerator will be done.
2. Set aside time to accomplish a bigger project. When something like
reorganizing a closet means you have to pull things apart, schedule a half-day
to get the whole project done.
Will My Changes Make a Difference?
Whenever one person changes, other people around her should benefit. Some
real life client examples may help illustrate how your changes may make a
difference:
• After being married for four years with clutter everywhere, Lisa decided to
change and wrote out a weekly chart just to get her laundry and cleaning done.
When her house got cleaned up, her relatives began to praise her for the
changes, and she began to enjoy her life at home for the first time.
• Dee Dee, a busy secretary in a large company, felt pulled in so many
directions that she had chronic headaches. When she made one small change and
consistently listed three priorities to accomplish at work each day, she started
to get more things done. Her headaches subsided.
• When Chris, an experienced Bible study coordinator got a planner, she began to
follow up on details and suggestions that came her way. In less than one year,
the program doubled from 125 ladies to 250 because one person got a planner,
started to plan ahead, and began to run her team like a leader.
Three Key Questions before Making Any Change
Once you determine what it is that you want to change, it’s easy to move
that area into the limelight of your life and really begin to tackle it. Ask
yourself three questions:
1. What is the desired outcome or goal in that area?
2. What are the next steps?
3. What is your motivation to change?
Once you have answers to the above three questions, you’re ready to simplify
your life. The basis of determining what to change is really quite simple: keep
what is working; decide to change what is frustrating. Start today.
This excerpt from Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay
that Way! is full of strategies and step by step systems to simplify the
tough areas of life: time pressures, kids, clutter, and paper pileups. To get
your autographed copy of Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay that Way!
go to
www.OrganizingPro.com.
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