Never Say, 'Go Clean Your Room!'

Marcia Ramsland is one of the most organized women I know. But those organization skills aren't just for grown-ups. In this Organization UPGRADE, Marcia explains how we can teach our children good habits too.

Marcia asks, "Did your mother ever tell you 'Go Clean Your Room'? If your Mom was like mine, probably 'Yes.'"

Oh, Marcia. Where were you when I (Dawn) needed you years ago with my little boys? I never practiced organization skills as a young mom myself, so it was almost impossible to teach my youngsters.

Marcia continues . . .

Today ia good time to take Mom up on it . . . no matter what your age is!

And after you clean up your own room, it's a good idea to organize your child or grandchild's room with them.

You see, training children is 50% by example and 50% by teaching them how to do everyday chores so they become habits leading to life success. 

Your daily training leads to the goal in Proverbs 31:28: “Her children arise and call her blessed.” That comes by consistent modeling and patient teaching as they grow up in the only world they can can control – their room.

5 Steps to Clean Any Room —   

For Yourself and Your Child

Practice these five steps consistently and eventually it will become a consistent habit. You always get to start over on the weekend with children if they have a particularly busy week.

Step 1: Make the bed first.

Since this is the largest visible surface, the room is now 60-70% clean! Choose a comforter that is easy to pull up without showing wrinkles.

Step 2: Put everything away on the floor.

Start at the doorway and work toward the bed and nightstand until everything is put away.

Step 3: Clean up everything by three categories:

• Clothes – Put dirty clothes in a hamper or clothes bag in the closet. A trek to a bathroom hamper is too distracting to stay on task.
• Papers – Start by cleaning up the nightstand and dresser. Arrange books neatly on a bookshelf and organize papers into binders and folders.
• Collections and Toys: Display collections or toys on shelves, take a picture before changing it to make room for their next interest, and declutter often.

Step 4: Focus on one extra cleaning area.

Organize the desktop, dresser, nightstand, or closet on a weekend or vacation day. The front 2/3 of every surface should be clear.

Step 5: Empty the wastebasket often.

Keep a medium size one near their desk and have the child empty it weekly.

Final Steps:

See their room as they do by laying down on their bed and looking around. Is it a pleasant place including their personality and interests, or does it reflect neglect and disorganization that you can improve?

Put up inspiring pictures of your child doing a favorite activity, and add a recent family picture so your child will always know they are special and belong in the family.

Then walk down the hallway to your room and look at what your child sees you model. A child will live like you do, so make your bed, organize your dressers, and put away laundry and other clutter before you start on their room.

A wise woman does build her home — starting with her own bedroom. (Proverbs 14:1)

Now you never have to tell your child, “Go clean your room.” Instead give your child one of the five steps above to do before their favorite TV show or computer game and it will get done.

What a great way to help your child succeed in life by having an inspiring, clean room as their “home base.”

Which of the three points under Step 3 is the biggest clutter area in your child's room? In your room? What can you do right now to get that clutter under control?

Marcia Ramsland is the leading Online Organizing Coach for Business and Life Success. A former teacher and parent herself, she is the author of the booklet and online course “Ages and Stages of Getting Children Organized.” She was intereviewed on Martha Stewart radio for this topic and believes any family can get more organized to create harmony at home. Details at www.organizingpro.com/agesandstages.

Become Productive in 2016

Pam Farrel is one of the most productive people I know. I'm always amazed by what she has accomplished in her personal life, family and writing/speaking ministry. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she encourages us to consider how we're using our time, because it can have a lasting impact.

"Each day we live the legacy we want to leave!" Pam says. "Because of the ticking clock, we need creative ways to squeeze the most out of each day."

Building a legacy is important to me (Dawn) too. I don't want to fritter away my time. Pam's insights into becoming more productive can help all of us use our time more intentionally.

Pam continues . . .

Eph. 5:15-16 reminds each of us: the time we have to create and leave a legacy is short.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

People have often asked me, “How did you write 40 books, serve your church, keep a happy marriage, and raise sons who have also become healthy leaders with happy marriages and families too?”

So in 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman book, I share my 7 Simple Steps for creating time to P-R-O-D-U-C-E:

P - Plan Out the Future.

Plan each year, each month, each week, each day, and each hour. Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

I like to use Outlook. (I color–code my Outlook so I can find items for family, work, social life quickly on my schedule, and I can input all important details.) I also plan who to delegate task to, or I schedule into my planner the time it will take for me to achieve the goal.  

R - Respond instead of React.  

 I don’t waste time on negative emotions.

Worry, self-doubt, frustration over delays or plans going awry are time wasters.

If I hit a really hard emotional hurdle, I will cry for a few minutes, then plan in time to better deal with the emotional fallout later.

To keep a positive disposition, I also plan in nourishing time off for favorite activities, dates with my husband, my kids, friends, ministry colleagues and days off for solitude. Time for self-care transforms into more time.

O - Optimize Multi-tasking.

I try to link easier tasks: Walk and listen to podcasts or audio books; fold laundry and watch the news; stretch while I listen to scripture songs; walk and pray through priorities or post to social media; dust or do dishes while memorizing scripture. 

D - Deliberately Group Tasks for Efficiency.

If I have to get dressed up for a meeting or speaking, then that is the day I also do other meetings, or filming for our ministry. I also link all my errands on one day.

By grouping similar tasks, I can also enjoy full days at home to be creative and comfy in my sweats!

U - Use every minute.

If I have an extra few minutes I check email, read newsletters, a magazine article or a book that can help me improve an area of my life.

I also handle small household tasks in those random five-to-ten-minute slots: clean out a drawer, wipe down the kitchen, empty the dishwasher or make a quick phone call.

C - Calendar Priorities.

I carve out and mark down time with God, family vacations, marriage getaways and date nights, our kids’ major responsibilities, activities and celebrations. These all get placed on the calendar as far out as possible.

E - Elevate My Vision.

I pray to get God’s viewpoint on my life, my marriage, my family, my ministry, my business, my friendships, my health—on all my life.

I have found it saves me time to do life God’s way.

God has great things for you to do. Enjoy seeing Him PRODUCE wonderful things through you!

Which one of these ideas will help you PRODUCE more in the next year? Or which will help you PRODUCE with a better attitude?

Pam Farrel is an international speaker and author of 40 books including her newest: 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman: Success in Keeping It All Together.   She and her husband Bill are relationship specialists who help people become "Love-Wise."

Graphic adapted, image courtesy of pixabay.com.

3 Habits to Help Us STAY Organized

Marcia Ramsland, the Organizing Pro, helps people organize their home, office, files, holidays—just about everything! In this Organization UPGRADE, she shares about three habits that can make anything more organized.

“As I speak on organizing,” Marcia says, “the comment often arises, ‘I get organized but then it all falls apart. How can I stay organized?’ Good question.”

I (Dawn) am a pretty organized person. The Lord is a God of peace, order and harmony—not "disorder" and confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33); and I think He wants us to reflect that in our lives. That said, I have one area in my home that always disintegrates into disorder, so I was eager to read Marcia’s wisdom for organizing.

Marcia continues . . .

Here are three habits that can take you from frustrated to fantastic. Anyone can practice them. It takes one new action at a time and persistence.

1. Practice the “Two Minute Pickup” All Day. 

This means before leaving in the morning clean up the kitchen for two minutes, before lunch spend 2 minutes clearing out emails, before dinner spend 2 minutes organizing desk papers into a To Do list.

You’ll always come back to “order.”

2. Set up a Weekly Schedule. 

A simple 3 x 5 card posted near your computer will remind you: 

• Monday - send staff email
• Tuesday - clean out one file
• Wednesday - send your blog post ... etc. 

Or at home, post it in the kitchen:

• Monday - wash clothes
• Tuesday - get groceries
• Wednesday - vacuum ... etc.    

If you want to improve any aspect of your life, set up a weekly schedule. Test and adjust it until it works.

3. Use an Email or Phone Reminder to Create a New Habit. 

If you want to be on time for work and your drive is 20 minutes, set a reminder to ring 30 minutes before arrival. That gives you a 10 minute cushion to leave.

If you want to remember to exercise more, set a reminder 45 minutes before you need to be at the gym.

Why does a Two-Minute Pickup, Weekly Schedule and email/phone Reminder
work? 

Because they create regular habits to accomplish things you need to do daily.

These aren’t “To Do” list items. They are routine habits that will build a successful day!

A Personal Application: 

The retirement home in Florida wondered how I could remember to call my mother Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 pm every week. Simple – My phone rang 15 minutes before the time in California and I called my 88-year-old Mom.

When she passed away I had no regrets and lots of good memories. It was a good time habit.

What would be the best thing to set a Time Reminder for yourself?

Marcia Ramsland is The Virtual Organizing Coach for Business and Life Success. Her books on simplifying the holiday season have encouraged many. "Turn Seasonal Stress into Holiday Success," she says. 

For helpful holiday resources, or to download your FREE Holiday Calendar and get your Holiday Book Planner, go to www.organizingpro.com.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Be On Purpose!

Last year, Kathy Carlton Willis shared how to set true D.R.E.A.M. goals. She continues in that theme with this encouraging New Year UPGRADE.

“Most of us set goals for 2015 at the start of the year,” Kathy says. “How many of you are already struggling to stick with the plan? Or was there even a true plan to begin with? It’s possible you had more of a wish list of destinations rather than a roadmap for how to get there!”

Do you have a roadmap for 2015? I (Dawn) think we all need one. Otherwise, how will we know when we’ve arrived at our destination?

Kathy continues . . .

January is National “Be On Purpose” Month. What a terrific time for us to evaluate where we were, where we are, and where God wants us to be, operating in the purpose He has for planting us on earth.

We’ve all heard how important it is to place ourselves in the passenger’s seat and allow God to be in the driver’s seat. (Remember calling out “shotgun” as kids, when we ran to the car at the beginning of a road trip? It was the best seat in the vehicle!)

The next best thing so we can get to our destination is to have that roadmap I mentioned earlier.

Live life on purpose, not random accidents.

Today, someone from out of town called asking for directions to our home. She was quite directionally challenged. I told her to go west and she asked if that was left or right. We realized she worked better with landmarks (such as Dairy Queen) rather than measuring blocks, or watching for street names.

Jean’s problem was, she didn’t have a step-by-step GPS to direct her. She had a map that took her to a dot on the map for our town. She had our street address. But she had nothing to connect the dots from the city limits sign to our home.

Life coaches teach the principle of intentionality.

Setting specific intentions allows life travelers to measure progress.

This is the opposite of the guy on the old donut commercial who arose from bed, still half asleep, and said, “Time to make the donuts.” He went from one task to another, with no extra effort or thought, zero passion, and nothing new to show for his work than the day before.

Donuts.

Intentionality allows you to fulfill God’s passions in your life. It puts steps to your goals.

 God’s blessings don’t rely on our work. But He is pleased when we acknowledge His purpose in our lives.

Think of each intentional choice as a step of obedience. Another mile marker on our journeys.

We don’t get to our destination by accident. It’s living life on purpose.

What Living Life on Purpose Isn’t:

• You can’t wish it here.
• You can’t fake it ‘til you make it.
• You can’t procrastinate it into existence.
• You can’t hope someone else takes care of your business for you.
• You can’t skip some of the steps to try to speed up the process.

Your upgraded life requires intention. It takes plans. It works best when you operate within your strengths and giftings. It takes strategy. It requires setting up some steps between departure and destination to act as landmarks so you know you’re going in the right direction.

“Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came” (Jeremiah 31:21 NLT).

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What does God want me to accomplish in 2015? What is God’s big picture for my five-year plan, my ten-year plan, my life-plan?
• How does God lead me to use my natural and spiritual gifts, strengths and personality type to best fulfill these end results?
• What are the biggest challenges and obstacles in getting to the destination? What detours can I pre-plan to avoid the roadblocks?

Define Your Landmarks:

1. Think of the steps to get from departure spot to destination. Seek God’s wisdom, allowing Him to be a Vision-Caster in your life.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open” James 1:5 (MSG).

2. Write down your plan.

“Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.’” (Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV).

3. Get to work! A dream can’t come true without putting effort into it—not just talk.

“For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool’s voice with many words” (Ecclesiastes 5:3 AMP).

 Follow the directions, step by step.

What will you do today to live life on purpose, rather than simply going through the motions of making the donuts?

Kathy Carlton Willis writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. She shines the light on issues that hold women back and inspires their own lightbulb moments. Almost a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books releasing over the next three years, including Grin with Grace (release date 3/20/15) with AMG Publishers, CBD and Amazon. She and her husband/pastor, Russ, live in Texas. Learn more at: www.kathycarltonwillis.com/.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

One Bite at a Time

"I wish I’d known, as a small child, the value of time," says Dawn Wilson. "From the very beginning of our days, we have countless daily opportunities to use time efficiently … or waste it, sometimes with incalculable loss. Most of us could use a Time UPGRADE."

The philosopher and American colonist William Penn said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

Some people are time management experts, but others are “experts” in the haphazard use of time! And even if time is not thrown away, it might not be used wisely or well.

Former UCLA Coach John Wooden explained the value of time and excellence when he said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

I’ve been focusing lately on “recapturing” time that I often let slip through my fingers by redeeming snippets of time for simple tasks, even for things I’ve put off. Sometimes we procrastinate tackling big projects, not realizing how they might be accomplished with bite-size tasks.

The timer has become my new friend.

I set my timer for 10 minutes and tackle timed tasks (lots of “Ts” there!). Some days, I tackle lots of these tasks. In fact, I set aside a chunk of time on Tuesdays to accomplish lots of things—my Tuesday Timer Tasks.

What can you do in 10 minutes?

• Make an appointment on the phone.
• Write a thank you note… or encouragement note.
• Water your garden (unless it’s huge).
• Sew on a button.
• Make a grocery or shopping list.
• Brush your dog’s fur.
• Vacuum under the beds.
• Fold a basket of laundry.
• Clean the bathtub.
• Read a “Golden Book” to a child.

What helps is to make a Tuesday Timer Task list! Think of all the things you can do in 10 minutes and list them – maybe in categories (cleaning, correspondence, personal care, pets, yard/garden, etc.)

The Bible talks about redeeming time (buying up each opportunity), “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Verse 15 talks about living in a purposeful, wise way.

The “days are evil” part should remind us to watch our step and use our head because these are desperate times. Some things just aren’t as important or as valuable now as they used to be, in light of all we have to deal with in our culture.

It goes back to priorities, doesn’t it? What is important?

For the Christian, our priorities are: (1) God and our relationship with Him; (2) Family needs and responsibilities; (3) Career and ministry (Kingdom work) – especially in (4) outreach to others, telling them about Jesus.

Try thinking about all the “tasks” in your day and see how they fit in with your God-given priorities. Let some things go that don’t fit in, but plan more time for things that are truly important.

God things. Family things. Ministry things. Eternal things!

What are some Tuesday Timer Tasks you could list?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the President of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in MInistry (NEWIM San Diego). Dawn is the co-author of LOL with God and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.