Getting Organized

I love January! It’s an opportunity to reset and get focused.

The excitement of Christmas has ended and the lull of winter has a tendency to take over. Do you usually feel stuck in that time, or do you thoroughly enjoy the winter season and activities it offers?

My birthday is in January, so I always had that to look forward to after Christmas, but once that ended, there wasn’t much to get excited about until Easter, so I used to fall into the dreariness of the winter months.

Something changed a few years ago though. I think it started with rearranging the furniture in our house.

Michael and I have to move the living room furniture around to fit the Christmas tree in every year. This ends up inspiring me to make changes after we take the tree down as well. I’m someone who enjoys variety, so I get tired of the house being the same all the time. When the post-Christmas opportunity to move furniture approaches, I can’t seem to resist!

We rearranged the entire main floor last year. I thought it would remain that way for quite some time, but I’m feeling the excitement brew to do something new again. Hmm…we’ll have to see which rooms it’ll be this time. Poor Michael!

Rearranging furniture is part of what helps me to get organized for the year. By moving things around, it forces me to tidy the house and throw away or donate items we no longer want. It makes the house feel fresh.

This organizing mode transfers into the rest of the house, our clothing, and work as well. Typically January and February are a little quieter for extra activities, so I like to use the calmer months to plan ahead. Spring cleaning commences early. Planning for the year happens including vacations and events.

When it comes to work, I actually start planning the new year in the beginning of November the previous year. I’m a big-picture, future-forward thinker, so I like to map out all of my blog posts, guest writers, and writing/product projects ahead of time. Then when January hits, I’m already off to a strong start.

I do also like to reset my nutrition and exercise goals at the beginning of the year as well. I know it’s a bit risky with the whole failing resolution statistics, but I change my mindset to think of it differently. They are goals, not resolutions. Goals are achievable if you set a date and then break down the steps into smaller daily or weekly tasks to make that larger goal possible. There’s nothing to really grab hold of with a resolution. The other thing that helps with goals is accountability; sharing it with someone who you know will challenge you to stick to it is a game changer.

All of us need accountability. Even the greatest athletes have a coach pushing them forward. The greatest business leaders have a mentor, or at least read and watch a lot of content to constantly help them grow. Most importantly, the Lord created discipleship because He knows we’re so prone to wander/get off track. Mentorship is the modern word for discipleship, without the spiritual emphasis. When Jesus first sent His disciples out to share the gospel with the neighbouring villages, He sent them out in pairs. Discipleship and accountability are extremely important.

As I plan out my year, I think about what I want to achieve and then I share those things with my accountability partners. I choose people who I know will follow-up with me and ask how it is going. Knowing they’re going to ask challenges me to follow through.

January is a great time for you to pause and plan. What has been on your heart and mind a lot? Is there something you regretted not doing last year that you could make a possibility this year? What are some areas of your life you can organize now to help you stay focused throughout the year? It could be meal planning, financial goals, strengthening your marriage, saving for fertility options, organizing your house and work life, etc.

How about your spiritual life? This is the most important area to organize. What are you willing to change in order to actively grow in your relationship with Jesus? What area of your spiritual life needs help? Who is going to disciple you and who are you going to disciple? Who is your accountability partner?

Enjoy January and the process of getting organized to start your year off well!