Self Discipline

Organization has always been a hobby of mine -- that is not to say that I'm even moderately organized, it's just something that I have enjoyed doing when I have free time (before kids), and now wish I had more time to do. Recently I have despaired at how unorganized I am, while all this time I've been telling myself that I must be reasonably organized because I *just like* organizing so much. But I have come to the conclusion that this area of life is no different than any other in that necessity is the mother of invention. Over the years and with reading emails from FlyLady off and on over the last year and a half I have established three habits. Now if I had known that it would take me so long to actually make these things habits I would have been mortified. This was my pride. Guilty of thinking myself above such a lack of self discipline. Me??? I've always been highly motivated. But isn't it easy to be motivated to do those things you like to do? Isn't it convenient to put off things that we dont enjoy till tomorrow or next week or next ... ? Can we change the subject?

As I was saying, necessity is the mother of invention. And that is how I am establishing these habits amidst the chaos of daily life. I believe that these sorts of things have to be mostly figured out on your own. I mean obviously I have benefitted from some help - namely from FlyLady and also Peter Walsh - and there are the Buried Alive types who need more help than the average person. BUT. There is no system out there that is going to fit your lifestyle to a T. Everybody's personality is different, everybody's situation is different. The constant(s) are philosophy and principles. "I always put my things away that I may find them another day." You cannot expect a random system to know how often your children will run out of clean underwear, or can take into account the homeschooling aspect. At least nothing I have seen can. And nothing I have seen claims to be able to do so. But I see so often people (at times myself included) just wanting to be told "how to do it". Here we live in the United States of America, where we are free to live our lives and we just want someone to tell us what to do. I'm sorry, but I think it's pathetic. I can't imagine Susanna Wesley or Harriet Tubman or Laura Ingalls Wilder's Ma or William Wallace or Queen Victoria asking someone, "just tell me what to do, just tell me how". How does anyone figure it out? They try. They fail. They try and they try and they try again. They take responsibility for their lives and face it head on. I think so many times we ask for help because it's easier to blame someone else when we fail or things don't work out the way we thought it would.

Maybe soon I'll post about my established habits. Sorry to rant. Kinda.