8 Steps to Oranizing Your Life & Business

Copyright 2002 Terri Seymour

Your life is a mess!
Your business is going nowhere!
Your house looks like a tornado hit it!

Does this sound familiar? Are you overwhelmed? Do
you feel like your life and business are out of control
and going nowhere?

Well, if you do, you are not alone. Believe me, we all
get this feeling at one time or another - maybe more
often. There ARE ways of taking control and getting
organized!!

Step 1

STOP!! This is a very important step so do not take
it lightly. You must stop and step back. Take some
time and figure out exactly what you want and need
to do to organize your life.

*Step 2

Go to "your place" and bring a notebook and pen.
We all have a place where we like to go to ponder,
think, figure things out. If you do not have such a
place, find one. Whether it be the beach, the bathtub,
a quiet spot in the woods or at the park. We all need
a place to clear our minds and sort things out once
in awhile. You must be able to be alone for this task!

*Step 3

Take a little time to clear your mind and free yourself
from all the "stuff" of life. Then you can think clearly
and objectively. When your mind is cleared, start
thinking about what you want your life and your business
to be. Write these thoughts down. These are your
goals. In order to organize your life, you must know
what your goals are.

*Step 4

After you have determined your goals, you need to
write down the steps to achieving these goals. Each
major goal should be broken down into several smaller
goals.

For example: If your goal is to build your
business into a success, break this down into smaller
more attainable goals such as:

Make website more effective.
Streamline ezine.
Research sales and target market.

Achieving one step at a time will build your confidence,
which in turn will help you become more successful.
After you get your plans written down, type them, print
them and refer to them often. Do not let setbacks deter
you. We all have them. Use them as a learning tool
and a strength builder.

*Step 5

Recruit your family! Yes, you can get your family to
help in organizing your house which will also help in
organizing the rest of your life. Hold a meeting and
explain to your family what you AND them need to do.
Assign each member certain chores and duties. Make
sure they understand the importance of the task they
are undertaking. This might take some time, but it will
be very advantageous in the long run.

*Step 6

Get started! The plans are made, the army is recruited,
now is the time to put the plan into action! Each step
will take time. Do not rush it or get discouraged if it
doesn't happen overnight.

*Step 7

Get rid of the clutter! If you have saved everything
you ever got from emails to report cards - get rid of
it. Keep only what you need to keep. Cleaning out
the clutter will give you a feeling of control so you
can take on the remaining steps more easily. It is
a major step in getting organized!

*Step 8

Do it again! Each day is another chance to get a
little more organized and a step closer to achieving
those goals! If you start feeling out of control and
overwhelmed again, refer back to Step 1. Then get
back into action! As each little step is accomplished,
you will feel more in control and more confident. But
even those of us who are in total control and meticulously
organized, ( is there such a person) will feel over-
whelmed sometime. Consistency is the key. Once
you get organized, stay organized.

Make organization and planning a daily habit. I don't
think any of us are or can be completely organized all
the time. But if we learn to take each step and day at
a time, the times we are not organized or in control
will be fewer are much farther between!!