Saturday, November 7, 2009

Day 7 - of 30 Day's of Happiness..

Day 7 - clean one area of clutter in my home

Today was a pretty easy one and a very necessary one! :) I am sort of an organized/unorganized person. I can be organized in areas that I need to be but if it is not absolutely necessary than those areas are in chaos. Places such as my drawers, closets, photos. I can get overwhelmed thinking about it. Today I chose a small task, but it is a start, and I find once I master a small area I feel more motivated to continue with the bigger ones. The areas of clutter in my home do make me feel stressed and out of control so I know this will be a good practice toward happiness for me.

As you can see from the pictures above, I unexpected had a little helper this morning as I cleaned out my clutter spot...she actually did a great job of helping! I feel better already!

So how is organizing clutter good for you? Well, here is some great information I found on a site called, www.solveyourproblem.com

3 Health Benefits Of Being Organized

Being disorganized can affect much more than your surroundings; it can have a large impact on your level of health and well-being also. Besides the obvious hazard of creating a higher likelihood of household injuries, clutter can also negatively impact the state of your mind and body in more subtle but equally damaging ways.

If you keep promising yourself you are going to clear out the clutter but never seem to get around to it, take a look at these three health benefits of organization and ask yourself if it might be worth the time and effort:

1. Being organized reduces stress.

Clutter and chaos automatically make us feel uneasy and overwhelmed. We struggle with not being able to find what we’re looking for, or feeling oppressed by so much clutter. When you clear out the clutter, not only do you feel more in control of your life right away, you also feel stronger and better able to handle the challenges that life throws your way on an ongoing basis. You no longer feel so overwhelmed by your surroundings that you are able to work more efficiently, rest more completely, and connect more deeply with the people you care about.

2. Being organized boosts your motivation.

Nothing makes a person feel as sluggish and unmotivated as oppressive surroundings! Besides feeling confused and scattered, clutter makes you feel like you’re carrying 100 pound weights on your back. When you clear out the clutter, suddenly you find yourself feeling much lighter and eager for more meaningful activities. You might find yourself feeling ready to tackle some new challenges either professionally or personally, or even set some exciting new goals.

3. Being organized frees up your time, energy and focus.

You may think that getting and staying organized takes up a lot of time, but quite the opposite is true. Being disorganized means you are constantly sorting through piles of stuff to find what you need, and wasting precious time feeling bogged down and mentally confused. When you get rid of the clutter you find yourself immediately able to focus better, but also having a lot more free time on your hands! In addition, you think more clearly, have more energy and more time in which to use it productively.

There are many more health benefits to being organized, but these three alone are the biggies. Conquer the clutter in your life and watch how it transforms your body, mind and spirit.

New Happiness Challenge List for Next Week!
Sunday - create or start a prayer journal
Monday - Do something you love to do!
Tuesday - Send someone a card just because you appreciate them or thinking of them
Wednesday - Dance to a song today. :) Yes I said dance.... you may want to be alone.. ;-)
Thursday - Do something different today - (something you haven't done in awhile or have never done)
Friday - Give people more than they expect today
Saturday - Have a laughter day - (watch a funny movie or just look for or talk about funny things) just laugh!

As I said if you want to join me this is what I will be doing but feel free to come up with your own list -- just do something everyday that will create and build a habit of joy and happiness in your life!

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (New Living Translation)

2 comments:

Juliette said...

I think I might have done better had I remembered that the task was ‘clean ONE area of clutter.’ I remembered it as a full room and that put me off. Every room in my house is a project in itself and I wanted to avoid them until I had finished with ‘remodeling’ of my front yard. I have done very well there. It is unfortunate that I cannot insert a before and after picture into this blog response area.

What I have always found in business is that a plan is necessary for an organized success. Without a plan you still might find your way eventually but with a structured action plan that identifies tasks with dependencies, you are more able to use your strengths wisely and get the results that you seek with guaranteed success. Project management has always been my strength for computer projects and today I am applying and seeing that value in the full revamping of our yard.

It is hard not to jump to the part that you want to work on (planting the flowers) and stick to the boring, laborious part of removing roots, stones, and then reconditioning the soil before any type of planting begins. We also had to plan out the micro-irrigation to make sure what we did choose to plant would live. Choosing the right plants for the exposure was also critical. There is some reuse of existing plants (because it’s wasteful to throw away and you hate to kill something that is still alive). There were also orphans that went into pots because they have no home at this time – no spot in the plan.

All of this made me think about God’s plan for our lives and clutter. Clutter complicates things and keeps us from seeing what is important. It also invites burden. Here are some thoughts –

1. Involve God in your plan -
Prov 16:3
3 Put GOD in charge of your work,
then what you've planned will take place. The MESSAGE
2. You need a foundation to build on that is good so take the time to prepare it. (building a house on rock - Mt 7:24-27)
3. Work the plan. If you avoid the hard stuff, you’ll never reach all that is available. (Hebrews 5:12-14 milk versus solid food)
4. If you work with God, it doesn’t have to be a burden.
Matt 11:29-30
29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." NLT
5. Put your trust in the Lord and He will take care of you and the orphans. Don’t think you can do it all on your own.

This last items brings to mind my favorite scripture verses – Proverbs 3:5-7. In looking at the various translations I can see where the Lord will direct your path, make it straight, and show you the direction to go. Different words with slightly different meanings. When taken all together they give you a greater comfort in that the Lord really gets involved in helping you succeed and that means getting past the clutter so you can see the road ahead.


Prov 3:5-7
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; NASB

Prov 3:6
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. KJV

Prov 3:6
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. NLT

Prov 3:5-7
5 Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
6 Listen for GOD 's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
7 Don't assume that you know it all. THE MESSAGE


Today I added to my list of words LISTEN.

CoachK said...

Juliette,
I wish I could see the before and after too. Did you take some pictures?

Your four points are great - I am writing them down for future life coaching clients. :)

Your word for today is perfect for where the Lord has been leading you!