So I cleaned out those 14 file drawers, exported my contacts, expressed my gratitude to co-workers, collected my personal belongings, and closed a chapter.  It is official:  it is “day two” of being a full-time organizer.   As I transition into a new chapter I am reminded that in order to be successful I will have to take care of myself.  There are many activities going on when you start a new business.   Just because I am doing something new, doesn’t mean my other responsibilities stop, or my hobbies disappear, or that the rest of my life comes to a halt.   To be successful with my business, the first step is organizing my priorities.  And since I have identified “self care” as a priority, how will I make self care a top priority?  Well, first I have to keep in the forefront of my mind that if I don’t take care of myself, no one else will and if I don’t take care of myself none of these other activities will matter.

1)       Ask yourself:  “What does self care mean to me?”

For me it means:  exercise, eating the best I can, drinking H20, getting enough sleep, staying connected to friends and family, laughing, and being productive.

2)      Next:  Get out your planner and schedule the activities that = self care.   Make your “self care” activities priorities then schedule everything else.

 

3)      Schedule check in’s or what I like to call “re-grouping” time with yourself and evaluate how you are doing and feeling.  What needs adjusting?  Look at your next week and see where you can pull back on one activity and increase effort in another area.

I tend to do this on Sundays, I take out my planner- look at what I did over the last week, what didn’t I get to, what needs attention in the coming week, where will I fit in exercise, what meals will we cook, is there fun in the plans?  Then I plug things in my planner.  Lower priority items may wait until the following week.

Part of my philosophy and practice of providing organizing services will more often than not include discussions around how my client is taking care of themselves.  Taking care of you is part of being organized.  To be “wholly” organized, I will offer assessments and exercises to individuals who are battling extreme disorganization, which will help clients go a little deeper into the issues surrounding the disorganization in their lives and hopefully improve their quality of life.

I want to hear from you.  Am I off base?  Do you agree that taking care of you is part of being organized?