Baby Steps to A Simple Life

My new job is going awesomely! Some days are a little chaotic, and the disorganization of the business makes me want to scream. It's really bad, and I don't know how they have functioned as a company. Most of the mess is caused from simple laziness by former employees; it could have been avoided. Some of the original organizational systems could have been better, but it seems like they got buried under poor organization and now it's all I can do to try to dig them back out again. Much less, get our organization back on track.

All of the messes and crisis at work have taught me something about myself. I have it within me to be a master of organization. I'm very good at it! I've been too lazy to keep up with my own messes at home, and now I'm realizing how much time, money, and peace of mind I've lost by letting it get away from me. I've had it!

How much time could I have invested in my husband, family, and friends if I wasn't trying to find our home under the piles of clutter... or even taking me time to find peace of mind in the midst of all the stress I've created for myself? If my home was organized, I managed my time and money well, and didn't become a slave to my possessions, how much joy could I get out of life?

I bought a book titled Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider. It's wonderful! I'm halfway through it already, and I only started reading it last night. I'm so excited to implement her ideas. You can visit her blog for some downloadable forms to help with home management. I've also been creating a budget and a grocery inventory on Excel for us to follow. Today, I discovered Google Calendar! I've been looking for a free online calendar that I could print off when I needed it rather than carrying around a bulky day planner.

My weekend project is cleaning out the file cabinet and filing the things I've let pile up. My hope is to have a garage sale and use the proceeds to refurnish our office. It's a mismatched mess right now, and I'd love to have a single desk where both of us could sit side by side with our computers.

I'm building a home management notebook to help keep our schedules, finances, and home life organized so that we can live intentionally and simply, saving time for the things that truly matter.

I will keep you posted on my adventure in turning our life upside down.