Order and Organization

"Let all things be done decently and in order." I Corinthians 14:40

That was part of the passage our pastor preached on this morning.  I am a total failure at doing things decently and in order.  I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, frustrated and constantly upset that I can't seem to find time for the things to do, and when I do make time to do them, I can't find the things I need in order to get them done.  I've decided it's high time to do something about that.

Today, I decided I was going to sew after lunch, when everyone else typically takes a Sunday afternoon nap.  Not that I couldn't use a nap myself, but I'm very frustrated that I've spent so much time on a simple project like making new bibs.  So after feeding the baby, I put him in the living room in the swing, so he could nap there instead of his crib, which I recently moved my sewing machine next to.  And I was sewing along just fine, until all these thoughts came to me and I had to stop and get them down where I would remember them.  Anyway, I got to thinking that I not only need a place for everything, but also a time for everything.  I recently read a great piece of advise on a blog somewhere (sorry I can't remember where) that advised having a place for everything.  Okay, I've heard that before.  But then she said, if there's something you want to keep, but can't find a place for it, get rid of something else so it will have a place.  Duh.  Why didn't I ever think of that?  My problem is that I have too many things I'm trying to keep, and not enough space for the things I actually want or need.  Okay so that's the plan for the organization.  Now for the orderliness.

It occurred to me as I was sewing, that I ought to set aside Sunday afternoons to do all my sewing.  I can cut things out and prep them during the week, especially while supervising napping daycare kids, and then if I get a chance in the evening to sew a bit, that's great.  If not, I'll have everything ready for Sunday afternoon.  Then I got to thinking, I just need a routine time for each thing I need to do during the week - homeschool prep, preschool prep, doing the finances, processing the mail, etc.  I don't do well with an hour-by-hour schedule, but a simple routine of "Monday morning I'm going to___" might work.  Or maybe I'll give the hourly schedule another try.  It would probably greatly reduce the chaos of the daycare.  We'll see.  I have to think about that some more.  But for now, I need to get back to my sewing before everyone wakes up from their naps!