I’m pretty sure that what you are about to read is something you’ve likely never heard before- at least I couldn’t find anything that was at all similar to what I’m about to say.
The number of times that I have been called “so organized” is pretty ridiculous to me. I would never look at myself and classify who I am as being the slightest bit organized. Know why?
Here’s a list of things I don’t do that highly organized people do-
- Make to-do lists
- Put together schedules
- Have a house cleaning plan
- Use a grocery list
- Cook from recipes
- Make goals
- Get up early so they can get more done
- Pay attention to details
- Work efficiently
- Use planners or task managers
I do none of these things. So, you can see as to why I wouldn’t call myself organized. Although, at one time or another, I’ve tried to do all of those things, but not with longevity.
I made it my mission to really try and figure out why people think that I’m an organized person. Austin and I have determined it is because I get things done each day.
The bigger question I had to answer was “How do I get things done?”. I would certainly say that I’m productive, but I’m not organized. I can create orders, but I do not have a system in which I do that.
If you are looking for step by step instructions of how to clean your house, cook dinner, get more done in a day- you will not find that here. Instead, I will share with you the basic principles that I use to feel inspired to get things accomplished every day.
Life is Hard- Hard is Good
People have this idea that if they see someone else being successful at something, that it must be easy for them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Life is hard- hard is good. Successful people do hard things.
When you develop a mindset that there is a simple way to get things done every day, then you are going to throw yourself into a crisis mode.
Marketing Tells Us That Things Are Easy
Can I be honest for a minute? I hate the marketing of today. We pitch everything as being easy. Life is not always easy- and it’s not supposed to be!
How many headlines do you read that say something like:
5 Simple Ways to Keep Your House Straight
The Secret Tip to Staying Organized
Never Get Behind in Life Again With These 3 Easy Steps
10 Tricks to Lose Weight Today!
A Step By Step Plan to Get The Marriage You Want
Be a Rockstar in Your Industry With This Secret
Yeah…those seem like amazing titles right? I would click on just about every one of those to see the simple tricks and tips of how I can be super successful.
Oh sure, the people who write those articles probably have a lot of valuable things to say. The problem is, that implementing the steps you need to take to be more productive requires hard work. It wasn’t pitched to you that you would actually have to put in any real effort.
The Problem With Easy Systems
If you just make this list, the work will do itself. Download this app, and the app fairy will come along and handle the issue for you. Do these three tricks and the pounds will melt off without you having to do anything at all.
I, for one, am tired of us pitching that all things in life are easy, because I think it leads way to laziness. Why would anyone want to put in a great deal of effort to get something accomplished if there was an easier way to do it?
Don’t get me wrong here, we can make some things in life much harder than what it has to be. I’ll address that later on. For right this minute, however, I want you to accept that life is hard and that’s ok.
You Should Expect Things to Be Hard
Regularly, I tell my boys that anything that is worth doing won’t be easy. I don’t want them to buy this lie that if it’s hard, then there is something wrong. Honestly, I think that is what so many people believe.
For example, I homeschooled my boys longer than I haven’t. Do you know the kind of comments I’ve received in regards to my decision to do this?
I’ve had people say-
Oh, I could never homeschool, because my child would never listen to me. (I don’t have angels for kids, either.)
I couldn’t bring my kids home, because we would fight all the time. (I’ve had 4 screaming matches with my kids already, and it’s not even 10 am.)
I’m not organized enough to do that. (Do I have a homeschool day plan? What’s that?)
My kids are too social. (Mine too, which is why I have to threaten to take away all of their joy to get them to stop talking at the table while they work.)
Homeschooling is not easy for you as a parent or as a kid. Take it from me. I was a homeschool graduate. It wasn’t easy to be homeschooled. It’s not supposed to be easy- it’s school.
People think that since I educated my kids at the house, that I possessed some magical skills. Nope. Actually, all my kids have gone to public school, because I was losing my mind.
Raising kids is hard. Educating kids is hard. Life is hard. Stop believing that everything has an easy button.
It is Good That Things Are Hard
Want to know something? I never ever….not in a million years, wanted to run my business. Why? Because I knew it would be hard and I didn’t want the responsibility. I’ve been in business for myself for 4 years.
I hate technology. I don’t want anything to do with computers. Guess what? I run several websites for myself and my clients. I stink at technology and every single thing that I have learned to do on websites has been extremely difficult.
Also, I said I would never write a book. Why? Because I don’t have a long enough attention span to read a book. I couldn’t imagine being able to muscle through writing one. Welp…I’ve written 4 books for myself, and several books for my clients.
Why did I go back on these things that I said I never wanted to do, because they were hard? Because things that are worth it, are hard.
It’s worth it to me now to work for myself. It has been highly beneficial for me to learn how to work on websites and do techy things. Writing books has helped me be a better writer, establish my authority, and help my clients.
What it’s Like For a Non-Techy Person to Build a Website
Get ready, because I’m about to paint a terrifying picture. Imagine me…a girl, that to this date, does not know how to perform basic functions on my cell phone, has decided to build her own website. *audible gasp
I hear people tell me all the time that they can’t do _______, because they do not possess the skills. I’m here to tell you that you can most certainly do anything that you put your mind to. This tech stupid girl built not only one website, but several websites, in fact.
Do I know how to do everything there is to do on websites? No. Could I figure out how to give enough time? Maybe. Will it be easy to learn new skills? Not on your life. Is it worth it? You betcha.
The number of “Come to Jesus” talks I have had with my computer over the years is embarrassing. Simply. Embarrassing.
You don’t know what a “Come to Jesus” talk is do you? That’s when you let the other party know they better to “Come to Jesus” or you’re going to send them to Him.
Not a pretty picture, that’s for sure. I’ve yelled at my computer, threatened to throw it outside, shook my fist in frustration…
Getting Love Hope Adventure, the first website I ever built, up and running, took a lot of effort. I watched YouTube video after YouTube video. I’d click so many buttons on the backend just to see what they would do. I’ve even figured out how to change basic coding.
When I would hit a wall, I’d go on my knees to any programmer that I was working for at the time and swapped out an absurd amount of writing for a small task. But, it was worth it because I’ve never taken on debt to build my business.
The Benefit of Doing Hard Things
Why didn’t I just wait until I had the money to pay someone who knew what they were doing? Because I know that there is a great deal of benefits of learning how to do things on your own. That, and there was a fat chance that I wouldn’t have been able to save up enough to get a web developer to help me in this decade. It was better for me to just do it, than to wait for ideal situations to happen.
It’s Not Always Efficient To Find a More Efficient Way
That easy peasy system that someone is pitching to you will not get the work done for you. It’s ok if you have to do something in a way that isn’t as efficient. At the end of it, you will have accomplished the task.
We think done-for-you systems mean you don’t have to do anything. Wrong. What’s done for you is that the researched information you need is put together. Or, someone that knows what’s up can answer your questions. They aren’t going to actually do it all for you.
Don’t sit around and wait for the right system to come along or ideal situation. Just commit to chipping away at the task a little at a time. Faster systems don’t get it done- just doing it does.
In The End, Do What Works For You
Just because a process may take you longer than you expect, doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with what you are doing. It is better to do what works for you than to do it the “right way”.
Instead of always looking for new ways of doing things, you might be better off putting that energy in just doing it. Finding easier, more efficient ways to get something done, shouldn’t keep you from getting it done. Otherwise, it just turns into another excuse as to why you weren’t productive.
Find what works for you. Even if there are better ways of doing something, just find what works for you and do it.
