Do you do things out of habit even if the end result isn't getting you what you want? I am sure we all do this. My daughter shared with me the following experiences which all occurred to her within the last three weeks.
She has a favorite chain restaurant where she likes to eat. The food is good, the service is tops and it has a fun atmosphere. Once a week she takes her two year old to activities close to one of these restaurants and they pop in for lunch after the activity. This last week something happened that has caused her to evaluate if eating here works for her anymore.
The first problem with the food was a long black hair sticking out from the bun of her chicken sandwich. She called the waitress over and the waitress apologized and got her a new sandwich and didn't charge her for that meal.
The next week she ordered a rice bowl and as she was eating she saw a curly black hair in the rice. The waitress again apologized and said they are really careful and this was very unusual. My daughter asked her if they are required to wear hair nets. Instead of nets they are required to wear ball caps. As they turned to look at the people cooking she saw one man without the required cap. By now she has lost her appetite and they again comp her meal. What she really wants is a meal without hair in her food.
Third week, same restaurant she ordered a chicken sandwich with cheese. She lifts up the bun and in her cheese is a piece of salmon. (And actually salmon makes her sick). The manager happens to be coming to her table to ask how things taste. She shows him the fish in her sandwich and he is apologetic and offers no excuses as he has no idea how this happened.
She starts thinking, "This is not working for me, this is three times in the same restaurant that something has been wrong with my meal". Even though she has liked this place in the past something has to change. She either needs to stop going to this particular place, eat at home or eat at a different place.
How many times in our lives do we do the same thing over and over and expect different results while not changing? If you have ever been on a diet or know someone who is and they have struggled to lose weight only to realize weight isn't coming off because their eating patterns have stayed the same.
It is no different with organizing. If you have made up your mind that your drawers and closets are going to be organized and stay that way but you don't change anything chances are they won't be organized. Perhaps something as simple as getting rid of the extras that are never used or using a container is all it would take to accomplish your goal.
If the family room is always a mess and you want it to be organized it may only require a family meeting and letting everyone know what your goal is and enlist their support for it to happen.
Time management may be a struggle as you race around in the morning looking for keys, shoes and the children's backpacks. Adding a hook inside the cupboard for keys, putting shoes back on the shoe rack (buying a shoe rack) every night, having a designated place for the kids to toss or hang their back packs could make all the difference from having a stressful morning to turning it into a peaceful one.
Office organization may mean changing your filing system to a color coded system, alphabetized files or a vertical filing system to get you where you want to be.
If something isn't working for you, then change it, get others to support you and encourage you in your decision to get what you want with just a few simple adjustments.
Marilyn's bio
Marilyn is a creative organizer who helps women, seniors and their families create space and end clutter in their homes and offices by setting up custom made systems. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find solutions to your organizing needs. She offers free tips in her blogs, articles and videos for your home and office organizing solutions.
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