“Simplicity will stand out while complexity will get lost
in the crowd.” ~ Kevin Barnett
Today I will find a way to do all I have to do without being overwhelmed by it or lost in it all. I will simplify things instead of making everything seem so complex. I realize the effectiveness of what I do is not determined by how complex it is, but how simple I ...make it. I will force myself to see the simplicity in each task I have instead of complaining about how difficult it is to get everything completed in a timely manner.
Today I will find a way to do all I have to do without being overwhelmed by it or lost in it all. I will simplify things instead of making everything seem so complex. I realize the effectiveness of what I do is not determined by how complex it is, but how simple I ...make it. I will force myself to see the simplicity in each task I have instead of complaining about how difficult it is to get everything completed in a timely manner.
Photo credit:
If you’re following my Keys to Excellence page on
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/keystoexcellence) you may recognize the words above. Each year for the past few years The
Lord has given me a word to use to better my life instead of me using New
Year’s resolutions. Well, a few years ago He gave me the word simplicity to
use. That was one of the best years of my life. I am a very detailed person,
and because of that I tend to focus on things a lot longer than I should and
make things bigger than they really are. Every since I began incorporating the
word simplicity into my life I’ve realized that I’m not as angry, I do a better
job of planning ahead, and I’m not as overwhelmed or anxious. For the record
there are days where I feel like I’m being pulled in one thousand different
directions; however, I choose not to move in every direction I’m being pulled
in. I pray and ask God for guidance and for Him to lead me in the direction He
wants me to go.
Today I have an assignment for you. The only thing you
will need is a sheet of paper or your journal, a pen/pencil, a quite space with
no distractions, and honesty. At the top of the paper write SIMPLICITY. Now,
take a look at your life, your home, your schedule/job, and your relationship
with others. What tasks seem to cause your head to hurt, your heart rate to
speed up, or your palms to become sweaty? Write those tasks down as quickly as
possible without thinking too much about it. Now, I would like for you to
organize this list from smallest to largest. The reason for this is because we
sometimes become so consumed with tackling the larger tasks that we forget
about the smaller ones. Those smaller tasks that we once forgot about will
eventually become bigger tasks. Next, write down your current plan of action
and how you actually get those things done at this very moment? This is where
the honesty really comes in. Don’t write down how you imagine or perceive
yourself to get these tasks done. Write down how you really get them done. If
you put them off then write that down. If they never get done, then write that
down. Draw two columns: 1) What works
for me? 2) What doesn’t work for me? Then list the things that work for you and
those that don’t work well for you. If you have to think about if it works
longer than 10-15 seconds then you need to write it down under the do not work
for me column. Each thing you have written down on your paper is an elephant
(tasks) you need to “eat one bite at a time.” Now, turn your paper over and
answer this question:
How can I break
things down into smaller task and still accomplish the same goal?
I haven’t made my list yet, but one thing I’ll definitely
have on my list will be laundry. I absolutely hate folding clothes. I’ve tried
telling myself I love it over and over again. I’ve tried reminding myself that
I have small children who will one day be adults, and that I need to make the
most of these moments while doing their laundry. Guess what? I still do not
like it. I do not mind washing, drying, and putting the laundry up, but I hate
folding it. Since we will be moving soon I need a better plan. The plan I had
before was that I would wash and dry everything, and my husband and the kids
would fold them. With my husband work schedule I can’t expect him to keep the
laundry folded for me weekly. My new plan is to:
~ Assess everything I have and see if we really need all of the clothes we
have moving forward. Do I really need as many “walk around the house” clothes?
Does the kids really need as many play clothes? I already know my answer will
be no. I will do this by going through one room at a time over a period of 3
weeks (3 bedrooms at 1 per week). So, I will get rid of even more clothes than
I did when we moved.
~ Also, I will do a better job of recycling clothes and see if we can wear them
again before washing them.
~ I will stick to a schedule of doing laundry 3 days per week with a minimum
of 2 loads of clothes per laundry day (I might not have to 6 loads per week,
but I want to set myself up for success).
~ I will fold and put away each load of laundry as soon as the drying cycle
is complete.
~ I will continue having the kids to help hang and fold their laundry. They
will only be allowed to get their laundry done on the weekends, so that means I
will have to make sure all of my husband and I clothes, the towels, and linens are washed on laundry days opposite of the kids.
~ Finally I will ask for help when needed. This is
one of my biggest struggles, but I’m determined to overcome it. We all need
each other.
Please
comment to let me know what’s one task you plan to work on “one bite at a time.” By the way, this blog post was created on August 11, 2014; however, I forgot to post it because of trying to make it "perfect". Today I decided to post it as it, so please do not focus on the mistakes more than the overall message.
In
His Love,
Tiffany
