365 Small Things

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." - Hal Borland

I tweeted this quote the other day.  It resonates with me, because I have never been a big fan of the whole New Year's resolution thing.  We all know that resolutions made on January 1 often fall short or become forgotten in the busyness of regular life, and then where are we? Many times, we're left to feel defeated and discouraged because we didn't live up to ourselves.  Where's the inspiration in that?  The slightly shifted idea that the end of the year is really a "going on", a continuance, an opportunity to keep learning, is very comforting to me. 

And what's magic about January 1?  Who says we can't wake up on say, April 18, and make a promise to ourselves to finally get the garage cleaned out?  Goal-setting is a worthy activity any time of year.

January is National Get Organized (or "GO") Month, and I'm all for promoting it and spreading the gospel of de-cluttering and systematizing.  But for my friends out there struggling with extreme situational or chronic disorganization, making a huge commitment to changing everything about their organizational systems (or lack thereof) can be overwhelming.  Where to start?  How to finish?  How to keep from backsliding when we're tired, stressed, or just plain confused? 
 
So here's a thought:  don't make the resolution to "get organized".  It's too big, and too vague. Instead, how about a commitment to One Small Thing, every day?   One Small Thing that gets you closer to maintaining control over your surroundings.  One Small Thing is just that...small.  But imagine 365 of them all in a row.  Here are some examples to get you started:

• Return the item that didn't fit
• Clear your work desk at the end of the day
• Sort the mail
• Take 3 items to Goodwill (or another favorite charity)
  
• Unsubscribe from one email newsletter you never read
• Recycle all magazines and catalogs over 2 months old
• Clear out and dust one shelf
  
• Say NO to an impulse buy
  
• File 3 key pieces of paper

Tick the " One Small Things " off on a white board or piece of paper each day, and watch how they add up.  You may miss a day here and there, or you may do 3 or 4 on a less-busy day.  You might do the same One Small Thing several times.  Flexibility is key.  Some may become new habits, and others may inspire you to progress to that One Big Thing.  Either way, you're better off than you were before, and that's something worth celebrating...whether on January 1, or April 18, or next December 31.

Wishing a very Happy and Healthy New Year to you all...

January is National Get Organized Month.