Actions speak louder than words for an organized life

As we turn the corner into spring, I find myself naturally contemplating new beginnings.

Not one for New Year's resolutions, I allow myself to be less goal-driven during the winter and early spring months because, as we all know, sometimes it takes all we have to survive an Iowa winter.

This year I celebrate a milestone birthday … which one is for you to guess. That said, I sat down and created a list of actions I want to guide me on this journey through 2018. Since a great deal of the work I do with my clients involves accountability, what better way to hold myself accountable than to share these actions with all of you?

• Create beauty

• Seek peace

• Practice patience

• Write thoughtfully

• Explore nature

• Make mistakes

• Sit quietly

• Connect authentically

For those of you who know me personally, I suspect the 'sit quietly' made you laugh out loud. I'll admit wholeheartedly, it has been the most challenging action so far. I am pleased to report that I've successfully sat still … once or twice.

I suggest that you consider writing out a few of your desired actions with regard to your organizing goals for this year. As I teach all of my clients, organizing is behavior modification that results in dealing with the physical objects or mental weight we all have in our lives. If we begin with defining our desired actions, then the process of organizing truly is an easier process.

To help you get started, here are three action-written organizing goals to consider for 2018:

Reduce paper

• Sort mail near the recycling bin.

• Use 'one in, one out' with utility bills — one bill on hand is enough as it has your account information, previous and prior month totals.

Schedule laundry

• Assign each person in the house a day of the week to process his or her laundry, which reduces one of the biggest issues with the process — sorting.

• Use Shout Color Catchers to combine loads. They really do work.

Plan meals

• Pick seven to 14 meals that you know work well for your family and stick with them for a period of time. Makes grocery shopping and preparation much easier.

• Use allrecipes.com to find simple recipes or to find a recipe with the ingredients you have on hand in the house.

Growing up I remember being told often, 'actions speak louder than words.' If you begin by listing your organizing goals as actions, you can reduce your sense of being overwhelmed by defining what you need to do.

Maggie Jackson is a Certified Professional Organizer who dedicates her days to helping others reach their organizing goals by teaching the value of less. You can find her at www.organizedlife.us.