Having goals is a good thing. Goals give us something to strive for and help us stay motivated. They give us direction. Having lots of goals, however, can actually backfire, causing us to accomplish far less than anticipated.

In helping a client with time management challenges, Jennifer had a long list of goals she wanted to work on...redecorating her home office, starting a new home business venture, assisting with wedding preparations (her daughter just got engaged), making a baby quilt for her new granddaughter (her other daughter just announced she and her husband are having a baby), getting her house cleaned (top to bottom) for guests who are visiting in a month, and (to top it off) learning conversational Spanish from an online program for a trip she is considering taking to Spain in a few years.

Now, if that isn't ambitious, I don't know what is.

Jennifer did have all of these goals written down. The problem is, she has had them all written in a notebook for weeks, and that notebook hasn't been opened once. She has not started on even a single goal.

From my experience as an organizing expert for so many years, I know what the issue is. There's too many BIG goals and Jennifer is overwhelmed. I suggested she a) think through her priorities and timelines with me, and b) set small goals with deadlines for the projects she is currently going to pursue. Let's look at the break-down:

1. Redecorating the home office (After hearing my recommendations, she agreed this is not as important as some of the other items and she put it on the backburner. Jennifer also agreed NOT to take on any more big goals right now, so, once the wedding is over/the quilt is made, she could fit in time for doing this.)

2. Starting a new home business (Jennifer has considered quitting her job and starting her own business for financial reasons. The problem is, most new businesses don't take off right from the get go, and some don't take off at all. Quitting her job right this second would not be a good decision. While she could and should certainly begin working on a new business, she's going to have to do so while continuing to work at her job...at least for now. So, I helped her with two things: a) cutting back on a few specific expenses to give her a little bit of financial breathing room and b) setting ONE mini goal to work on each week to help her, eventually, be able to support herself with her business alone. This week, her goal is coming up with descriptions of what exactly her business would provide. Next week, her goal is determining her best target audience. There is then ONE mini-goal each week to follow to get her closer to her goal.)

3. Assisting with wedding preparations (Her daughter is getting married in two years. She's an excited mom, which is a good thing, but it is important for her to step back and realize that she's not the 'official wedding planner,' but rather a helper and encourager. I told her to speak with her daughter and ask what ONE THING she could assist with first...perhaps beginning to write up the guest list.

4. Making a baby quilt (Her other daughter's baby is due in 7 1/2 months, so there is definitely time. We ended coming up with a plan to work on the quilt Sundays only, after church, for one hour. So, this coming Sunday, she is going to be looking through some ideas, next Sunday she'll finalize the ideas, the Sunday after that she'll shop for materials, and then, she'll begin quilting the next Sunday. You get the idea...a little bit at a time, and it will be getting done in plenty of time for the birth.)

5. Getting the house cleaned (First off, her house isn't a mess by any stretch. Because guests are coming, she's feeling she has to go on a cleaning frenzy. I told her to focus on a) the guest room and b) the guest bathroom. Her regular daily and weekly cleaning is keeping the house clean already and the guests aren't going to be looking under the refrigerator or behind the oven. Plus, it's really not 'cleaning' she has to do, but rather 'decluttering.' Her one goal this week is getting the guest room decluttered, next week will be decluttering the bathroom, and the following week will be cleaning both. She agreed to hire a housecleaning service to clean her entire home the day before her guests arrive so she could relax and take a breath.)

6. Learning conversational Spanish (Jennifer doesn't have definite plans yet, and really...even if she doesn't know any conversational Spanish when she eventually gets to Spain, it will still be OK. So, I suggested she spend 30 minutes, Mondays and Wednesdays, using the software to learn what she could in that allotted time.)

In the end, what seemed so overwhelming at first has resulted in:

* Putting one goal on the back-burner
* Working on one mini-goal per week for her business
* Working on one mini-goal for the wedding...two week deadline
* Working on the baby quilt one day a week for an hour
* Getting the guest room and guest bathroom decluttered and cleaned
* Learning a little bit of Spanish two days a week, 30 minutes at a time

Large goals, that seemed unreachable at first, when broken into small pieces, all of a sudden don't seem all that bad.

With a little bit of thought and planning, you can begin working on your priority goals, and little by little, you will start to see the fruits of your labor as well. Hope this thinking process helped to motivate you to, calmly, work on a goal or two of your own.

To fast-forward to My Oh-So-Organized Filing System Deluxe, visit:

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There is tons of paper pouring into our homes every day....bills, warranties, receipts, important documents, user manuals, bank statements, letters, promotions, insurance papers, employment and medical information, school papers, magazines, newspapers, etc. etc. etc. This never-ending paper monster grows on tables, countertops, desks, and dozens of other surfaces and drawers, until it's seemingly too overwhelming to conquer.

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The 3 main components of this system include the filing system itself and a full explanation of how to quickly get it in place, the 'Never Forget to Do Anything Ever Again' Tickler File System (to ensure you remember and handle everything you need or want to), and the Paid Bills Organizer System (which will keep bills due...and all paid bills...in one organized place.

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GON Did You Know? What is the biggest organizing challenge that people face? Find out
getorganizednow.com/didyouknow-biggest-challenge.html


In ADDITION, on my home page, you'll also find lots of NEW and featured STUFF including...

NEW Web Poll When someone asks you a favor that you really don't have time for, do you have trouble saying no? Vote in our web poll and let us know

Social Media Feature Need a 1-minute break? This made me smile!

Dignity is our featured theme of the week, and the two quotes on my home page reflect this theme. Be inspired.

Do you have trouble saying no? If so, you'll love our featured comic strip

June Checklist A productive summer with time to relax and enjoy? Yes, please! Follow our June Organizing Checklist, but don't look back. Start from today and go forward.

June Weekly Mini Challenges For each week of June, our challenges are focused on Home Projects. Focus on the mini challenge for WEEK THREE this week.


Access all of the above on my home page. Visit:
getorganizednow.com

'Overwhelm is, most often, a mindset. If you think about all the things you have to do, you'll be face down on the floor. It really helps to break it down into smaller pieces.' --Jen Sincero

I'd love to hear from you.

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And remember...Being organized creates a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!

getorganizednow.com

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