Many years ago, I used to be one of those people that would walk around looking for my keys, umbrella, phone, etc. before I could walk out the door. Always rushing to get where I was going and being stressed when I got there because I was rushing to get there. Angry, hollering in the car, at the person in front of me, who by the way, was driving the speed limit. Short tempered with many who crossed my path. I had serious anger issues. I was a mess.
Here are some of the things I do to help organize my life in those areas. I hope it helps you too if you have similar issues.
Determine how much time you need in the morning before heading out of the house for work or etc. so that you have plenty of time to complete your task and give yourself an extra 15 or 20 minutes for your drive to work. Use that time to prepare yourself for your workday. Talk to the Holy Spirit and listen, praise and worship God and/or listen to something motivational/inspirational, or sometimes just drive silently to see if the Holy Spirit wants to talk with you.
Write down what you want to accomplish the next morning before lying down for the night or at least know what you need to get done in the morning. How long will that take, time wise?
Spend quality time with God in the morning before your feet hit the floor. Read your bible or some sort of devotional to meditate on throughout the day. Of course, this may not always work for parents with small children. However, it’s important to give God priority. Not just a part of your life when it’s convenient.
Decide what you’re wearing the night before. Iron your clothes at night before going to bed. If not, allow time for it in the morning. This also allows you the opportunity to make sure everything you need in the morning is clean. Ex. You open your drawer in the morning and realize you don’t have a clean camisole, t-shirt, bra, socks, panties, slip, etc. – now this will rob you of your peace in the morning.
Give your items (keys, umbrella, phone, glasses, etc.), what I like to call — a home, put them in the same place every time, this avoids you having to search for them. This saves time.
Plan and prepare your weekly meals. (This works well – I’m not always consistent). It really does free up time in the evenings after work. I am my mother’s caregiver and it’s great to come home, warm up our food, eat, wash dishes and have time available for other things.
I set a reminder for myself that it’s time to leave work in the evenings. If not, I’ll look up and it’s well after 7pm or later. (I do sometimes ignore the reminder – but I’ve gotten a lot better.)
If you have a smart watch, Fitbit, or other devices, choose which day you will charge it and charge it the same day(s) every week. You may need to set yourself a reminder. This way your battery will never run out when you need it. After receiving my Fitbit as a gift from my daughter, the 1st time it indicated the battery was low was a Thursday – so every Thursday night before I go to bed, I plug it to charge and I’ve had it for 2 years.
When you find yourself quick to anger, ask the Holy Spirit what the root of your anger is. Consistently seek God about this area until He gives you the answer. I discovered once He gave me the root cause, the answer caused my anger to subside or I had to practice discipline in that area to gain control. I used to get irritated very easily about certain things. I sought God for the root cause – He revealed to me that I didn’t like being inconvenienced. In that area, once I knew the root cause of my irritation it subsided when I was faced with those situations.
Take time for God and His Word at night before bedtime. This may mean you giving up one of your favorite TV programs at night to spend time with Him. This is also a good reason to plan and prepare your meals ahead of time, you can use that time as well.
I hope you can take some or all of these tools and apply them to your life to bring organization to the areas of your life where you’re falling short or being frustrated.
You can do all things through Christ who strength you. Philippians 4:13
Excellent advice, Sherry, that can be useful for anyone.
Time Management, it is one of those skill sets that we all need to keep down stress. I found your suggestions to be very positive and beneficial. I look forward to your next blog. Thanks