Exclusive Insights: From My Heart to Yours

Donna Weston, Founder and Executive Director

January 2017

I love being organized. Okay. The reality is… I love the idea of being organized!  A place for everything and everything in its place. Great concept, right? Execution?  Uhhh… not so good. I put items down on my desk intending to get to them soon. Then, I get frustrated with not being able to see my desktop, so I put things all in one big pile. The result? I lose things!

My good friend and co-worker looks at our company’s electronic folders and gets overwhelmed at the mess that it‘s in - “Where is that document?” Or, my son does his homework, but doesn’t turn it in because he can’t find it. I think you get the picture!

So, what is the big deal? Why am I concerned about this lack of organization? It’s just a factor in our busy lives, right?

The truth is - It all circles back to relationships.

I can hear you now, “I thought we were focusing on tasks and stuff? What do people have to do with it?” In reality – everything! When I can’t find what I need, or even remember that the needed item already exists and doesn’t need to be re-created, I am being inefficient. When tasks take me longer than they should, I don’t have the time to relax with my husband or play a game with my boys. If I am responsible for a project being completed by a certain time, I am stressed out and those depending on me become stressed.

And the not-turned-in-homework? My son feels embarrassment, shame…oftentimes due to my reaction to his lack of organizational skills. I am upset with him. He gets upset with me. He withdraws from spending time with me. Communication shuts down. No time for relaxing or playing together.

I’m sure you can probably think of other examples of how lack of organization gets in the way of your relationships – including your work relationships. Tensions rise and affect those we care for the most. But should our lack of planning or organization create a crisis or stress for ourselves or someone else?

I have been reading a wonderful resource: Smart but Scattered Guide to Success, the adult version. One of my biggest takeaways is how to make a very small goal and work on mastering that one goal before setting another. You’ve probably heard the old saying: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”  It has also been said: “So instead of trying to eat what’s in the room [the elephant]—start feeding it. One bite at a time.”*

One small goal at a time. It works! I am not saying that I am the master organizer now - like I said, I love the idea of being organized- but I am growing and making progress. And that is success.

My family thanks me.