Eliminating Chaos In Your Life

Does anyone else out there get excited about getting organized? I'm a self-declared organization nerd.  I love drawer organizers, shelving systems, and the like. You might not be able to tell by looking at my garage or closet (or work desk) at the moment, but I drool at the closet organizing systems when I'm in home improvement stores. I can also get a little anal when my pantry gets out of sorts.

With the start of the new year, the organizing bug has kicked in. I'm all gung-ho about getting my house organized. First project,  . . .  the garage. I've been eyeing some shelving at Lowes's for a couple of months now, but knew I had to wait until football season concluded before I could get my husband on board with the project. (He doesn't get nearly as excited about home improvement projects as me.) I get pure giddy at the thought of getting the plastic tubs organized, labeled and placed neatly on the shelving unit. (Please note I already admitted earlier I'm a nerd.)

Because I know my fetish with organizing is not normal, I began thinking about exactly what it is about organization that brings me such joy. The answer, quite simply, is organization eliminates chaos. Think about it. When your closet is in order and you need that particular pair of cream pants, you can find them easily and it makes getting dressed for work a sinch. On the other hand, ever woke up late and scrambled to get ready when you have a closet of chaos? You find the pants and shirt you need, but you can't find the belt and you can only locate the right shoe of the pair that goes with the outfit. By the time you get to work, you are just daring someone to greet you with a cheerful "good morning".

So as a busy wife, mother, and professional, are there areas in your life where chaos elimination is long overdue? With the new year just getting started, now is the perfect time to conduct a chaos analysis.

My Personal Chaos Elimination
Since the birth of my daughter almost 18 months ago, I have found that I have to regularly do a chaos analysis. One area in particular that I've given a great deal of attention to has been my schedule. Because it is very important to me to spend as much time possible with my daughter in the evenings and on the weekends, I've had to take measures to eliminate some extracurricular activities that took my time and attention away from my family. As a result, I've learned it is okay to tell people "no" and found exercising the word is essential to keeping my stress level and mommy guilt to a minimum.

Eliminating chaos in my schedule has also required me to redefine my own expectations. I've learned that it is not the end of the world if the sink overflows with dishes from time to time. I've also found that when company comes over, it is okay to simply close the door to a room that is a little unkempt rather than kill myself to clean the house from top to bottom and lose the valuable play time I have with Aubrey.

What Chaos Can You Eliminate?
So with the the start of the new year, what steps can you take to eliminate the chaos and stress from your life? Is it as simple as picking out and ironing your clothes the night before to make your morning routine go a little smoother? Or will eliminating chaos require you to redefine the expectations you have for yourself or the expectations others have for you?

I'd love to hear how you've eliminated chaos in your life or what your goals are for stress elimination in 2011.

Happy New Year!