The Things You Hate Most

There have been a slew of changes in my little life in the past 6 months and with change comes new routines, new organizing styles, and new garbage that I HATE to do. Some of the things I abhor doing have been easy to eliminate from my life, but others are a necessary evil.

Let's look at the items that I banished from my very vocabulary. Yard Work. Ya, hate it. Don't do it. Not going to start now. When the kids and I moved earlier this year, I had the choice of renting a home or renting an apartment. Although my son would have loved a backyard to play in, I opted for the "Mom isn't going to mow the yard and neither will the kids" option. So, we moved into an apartment. Not only do I NOT have to do yard work, I don't have to change the A/C filter either! SCORE!

Of course, the same can not be said about my other little "chore" that I hate doing. Not that I was doing it before, but it was something that I needed to start doing. Working Out. YUCK!

I have been trying everything in the world possible to get myself motivated to work out and some of the solutions have been a bit excessive but the end result is quite impressive.

The basic recipe and ingredients of my little weight loss goal can be transformed into any organizational project or personal goal you may have.

1. First, I needed a motivator to work out. SCOTLAND
2. Second, I needed an accompaniment to get me into the habit of doing something religiously like working out, but something that would be completely easy. TANNING (I am just so pale and I rationalized that I would "look" thinner if I had a tan. I know, I need therapy!)
3. I got myself into a ROUTINE of going to the "Fake and Bake"
4. The instant RESULTS were encouraging and I was starting to feel better about myself.
5. I decided that I was too self-conscience to go to the gym so I borrowed my parents treadmill and I put it on the patio so I was overlooking the park and I started walking on the treadmill for a mile every morning while the weather was still cool. COMPROMISE
6. I GAVE UP Coca-Cola. (Ok fine, not if there is rum in it!!)
7. I have saved up money and scheduled a shopping date with my girlfriend for the weekend before I go to Scotland. REWARD

So far, I had a week of being cranky, depressed, and a full blown headache. BUT I have the beginnings of a great tan, I have lost 12 pounds, I am going to Scotland, and for the first time in 8 years I own a sundress!

How can this be transformed into turning a nightmare into organizational bliss? EASY!

Let's take laundry as an example of something you want to put into a routine and organize a bit better. You are tired of staying up until midnight on Sunday to make sure your clothes are dry for work/school on Monday morning. You would also like to actually have a Saturday that you can spend doing the things you WANT to do versus being up to your eyeballs in dirty underwear!

1. Find your motivator. Let's throw spending Saturday mornings at the park as your motivator.
2. Let's find a quick and easy accompaniment. Clean sheet Sunday! (Can you tell this is my favorite?) Start washing your bedding on Sunday's the habit will be easy and it doesn't take a lot of time.
3. Your routine is the Clean Sheet Sunday. Every Sunday morning, take off the sheets instead of making the bed. Throw them into the washer first thing and enjoy your morning.
4. The instant results will be the way your bed feels and smells on Sunday night when you crawl into your nice clean bed!
5. Instead of doing all of your laundry on Saturday morning, make specific times throughout the week to do it. Tuesday wash towels and fold them during Boston Legal. Wednesday do Whites. Thursday is Colors.
6. Your reward is going to the park on Saturday and not having a single article of clothing to wash, switch, or fold!

Finding YOUR perfect combination, solution, and reward will help you combat your organizational frustration and transform it into organizational perfection!

Happy Organizing!

Suzanne Babb