Days 5 &6: Planning and organizing Not only for the Holidays but all year long

(c) 2015 P. Lynne Designs

Day 5:  planning

Happy Blogmas to you.

Are you a planner?  If you are, shame on you.  No, I am just kidding, for I am also a planner, and I would be lost if I was not planning something.   In actually, it is good to be a planner.  My personal life is about planning, as well as my business life.  I used to be the one who needs things to go by the letter.  Now, I am the same way, except there is a catch, I am a flexible planner.  What is the difference?  Well, I will tell you.

When I was a “by the rules” planner, I cried every time there was a change of plans.  I would get angry every time I would write out my little schedule for the week, and I dared any family member, boss, or financial crisis to come up and change it.  I would go inside that thing called my head, and internalize that “no one wants me to do anything that is on my schedule”.

Well, God has a plan and it seems a sense of humor as well.

The reason is when I became a “flexible” planner, I was less rigid with my plans and with my schedule.  Instead of saying, “Why won’t anyone (or anything) let me do what I want and need to do”, I say “OK, Lord, I was not meant to do it at that moment.”  The difference is also God says, “You do not know the plans I have for you.” 

Now that does not mean throw caution to the wind, and do what you please either.  In this season of giving and receiving, be prepared to give in to the little things that may happen, and they will happen, like going to the store for that toy your child wanted, and find out that there was a $100 deducted out of your account for a bill you forgot you put on automatic payments.  You have a party on the 6^th, and your hubby has one on the same day, a mandatory office party.  These are the minor ones.  Last one, you wanted to be an actress your whole life as a child, and you end up, several years later running your own company, a designer making scrapbooks, stationary items, and freelance writing.  Complicating the notion of several other careers in between.   That last one is not knowing what plans God has for you.

So plan your parties, your year, and your life, but be sure to stop and do several evaluations along the way.  Who knows, it could be God laughing and changing your course along the way.  Just accept it

, because it is a good thing.

Day 6:  Organizing

I never mean to write what I just wrote for day 4, but like I said God laughed, changed my thoughts, and that is how my planning post turned out.  I will keep it.

I am a mess, a big mess.  Part of my Simply Organized Crafts blog is supposed to be about organizing, and I am not organized for the season, but that is OK.  We all are allowed a little down time ever now and then. 

Ever since my accident at the end of July, I have been moving slowly towards myself, and I have made some choices that I believe will be beneficial for me, but before I can implement them, I had to do a little soul searching and prayer.  I actually was a little out of sorts before the accident.  This accident came at a time when I had just finished a sort of a depressed time during the latter half of 2014, starting anew in January, and just when I found my rhythm again, the accident happened.  This is the very reason why I am a flexible planner, other than what I explained to you in Day 4’s post.  I am done, it is time to take back my life, and part of it is to organize this space I live in.

I live in a condo, a townhome.  My plan is to finally graduate to a single family home, because I may have a new occupant coming with me, a daughter.  Even though this condo is big enough for the two of us, with me running my business out of this home, my personal stuff, and then adding her and the stuff I may be getting for her to be comfortable (I am sure one day she would want some kind of pet-more stuff).  It does not matter if she is 6 months, 2 years, or 12 years, I am adopting and even adopted children have stuff their parents want to get them.

So the first thing I need to do is declutter the stuff I have, place remaining stuff in the proper spots with their like stuff, and be able to move freely throughout the condo.  My plan is to tackle a room or two a week.  Sell off things that I am not using or I have not use in years, and create a home manual.

Well that is it.

Day 4: December 4, 2015- Joy at Christmas

(c) 2015 P.Lynne Designs

I have been told on several occasions throughout my life to find joy and happiness, but what are these things that people talk about?  Sure, I know the meaning of the two, but these definitions to me vary between person to person.  Some find it in things.  Others find it in money.  But I want to talk about the last part, finding it within yourself.  I know it is hard to find it in yourself, especially with all of these shootings, such as the most recent happening in San Bernardino, CA.  I have often talked about that city

because I spent ages 3-9 living there.  I do not want to focus on that right now.

My focus is finding happiness and joy, especially during this time of the year.  Christmas can do two things to a person.  It can either get you in the mood of giving or in the mood of receiving.  One of the ways of finding happiness and joy is the first way, giving.  It does not mean busting the piggy bank wide open and buying out the store.  Time is another way of giving.  When you focus on a person that has less than you, it should make you feel better in knowing that made a difference in a person’s life.

A person could have less than you in things, care, and love.  I want to focus more on something that does not require me to opening up my wallet.  I want to take the time out to show a person that I care and that I want to show love to that person.  I will be doing that for the long haul hopefully soon by adopting a child. For now, for the month of December, I can do that by helping with food baskets at my church, show more patience with the people who work in retail or driving, or simply spending time with someone who needs it. 

Today, I actually put change in to help feed the hungry while paying for my drink at Whole Foods.  I am not saying it to brag, that is not the point to finding joy and happiness.  I feel blessed in knowing that my little $.80 will go towards the food banks, and it could have easily gone into my piggy bank for my Disney trip next year.  I also feel blessed that I can take trips, adopt, or simply warm my feet in a warm home when many do not have that luxury.  In case you are wondering on what gives me joy and happiness, let me give you a little sample of what I mean:

·         My family

·         My friends

·         Breathing

·         Moving around

·         Being independent

·         My business

·         My creativity

·         The ability of putting a smile on someone’s face

·         Knowing that I am God’s child and that He loves me.

See, not one of them mentions things, except my business.  This is the top of my long list of things I am happy about and I find joy in.  Others include my love for dance and music, Disney, paper crafting, reading, cooking, computing, Christmas, Easter, writing, animals, children, movies, clothes and shoes.

I challenge you to find what makes you happy and gives you joy this Christmas season, and then care it throughout 2016.  Who knows, that joy and happiness will get so embedded in you until you hardly notice why you are happy all the time.