For those of you who have no problem going through life flying by the seat of your pants, doing what you do as it comes to you, the topic of organization may be as strange sounding as a foreign language to you. Actually, I don't know anyone who manages to accomplish much without a plan of sorts. The question is really not whether or not you should be or get organized, the question is probably what level of organization is necessary for you to function well and accomplish your goals. I am including some tips and helps for organization in this section that I hope will help you regardless of the level of organization you need.

Getting started is probably the hardest, and yet most important step to getting organized. This is especially true for someone like I used to be (I call myself a reformed messy). My favorite joke is that I used to have to put "out of order" signs on the bathroom door when we had company so they wouldn't go in and see the mess. While that is NOT true, I did hide dirty dishes in the tub one time and close the shower curtain, and I have also burned Tupperware before because I turned on the oven to preheat it having forgotten the dirty dishes I hid in there the night before. Fortunately for my family, those days are long past, and I never want to go back! This is how I got started:

1. Take on projects one job at a time. Make a list with your husband of the things that are most demanding your attention and decide what the priorities are. I have found that if you can get your husband "on your side" in this effort, it will be much easier and faster! Set goals for completing the "top 5 list" and decide together a reward for their completion.
2. Make a list for the things you want to accomplish each day and prioritize it. First and foremost in this endeavor is to set reasonable goals. There is nothing more discouraging than setting goals too high and then not feeling any sense of accomplishment at all. Also, give yourself some "down time" each day too. The Christian Superwoman doesn't really exist except in our own imagination.
3. Find a person (besides your husband) with whom you can have an accountability relationship and share your goals, successes and failures with her. Ecc. 4:9-12 says that two are better than one because they help each other with their work and support each other. When you are discouraged at the job that you see still looming ahead of you, a good friend can help you remember where you started and what you have accomplished.

I call this section of the outline the "Nuts and Bolts" of organization. These are the basics that have enabled me to get and STAY organized. That doesn't mean that I always do them--just that they are always my goals. I have to start somewhere, right?

1. Ordering your day is the first place to start. Have you ever heard the saying, "A day that begins and ends well starts with prayer"? In this case, that is especially true. Phil. 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Begin each day with prayer, and ask God for the strength and vision you need to get everything done that HE wants you to accomplish. Next, on a practical note, make your bed, shower, do your hair, get dressed and put on your "work" shoes! Then you are really ready for action! Lastly, live by priorities, not pressure. What happens eventually to something that continues to have pressure build??? Remember the fantastic pictures of Mt. St. Helens after it exploded? Who wants that to happen to them?
2. Next, I encourage people to consider ordering their children's day. Now, this does not mean there can be no spontaneity to their day. In our home, I have a plan for each day. Without fail, every day it seems something happens to cause us to deviate from that plan. But at least with a plan I know what I or my children are missing. For instance, it is my goal every single day to have time just to play with my children. If an unexpected emergency or need arises, I can quickly decide what is most important to do and what can be ignored on our plan. That way, the things that are really most important--my family--don't get ignored on a consistent basis. At the same time, only so many days can go by with the bathrooms being ignored too. I don't want bathrooms that could be certified as a public health hazzard! Along the lines of planning your children's day, here are some thoughts to consider. Too many choices and freedoms will lead at some point to frustration for your child/ren. If you are saying "no" a lot or feeling very frustrated with the "mess" your child makes consider if you could provide greater security by providing smaller boundaries. Or perhaps you need to plan opportunities for acceptable messes and exploration. One of our favorite activities is our craft time. Also, choose activites that will help your child grow as Jesus did: in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man. Stimulate your child intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially (in my opinion this does NOT include a lot of television). Look at planning your children's day as as an opportunity for training (Prov. 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.") Besides craft time, Trevor's favorite activity times throughout the day include our circle time (we do finger plays and rhymes, do our weather chart, sing, and read), playtime when I am playing with him and his brother, and our reading time. In addition, he has time every day where he gets to play in his room alone. He loves this as it gives him a chance to play with some "big boy" things that his younger brother may damage. Plus--no one is trying to take anything away from him!! Oh, and last but not least--get outside with your kids when the weather is nice! It is a great opportunity to teach them all about God and His world.
3. As you have probably already guessed, organizing your home is the next step. First, clean left to right and top to bottom, placing anything out of order in the room in a box or laundry basket. Put the items away when you are done cleaning the room. In the beginning if you have lots of clutter you are cleaning, have a box for each room of the house. Do ONE THING AT A TIME! Next, Ask yourself if you have used an item anytime within the last six months. Will you have a future need for it? Have some boxes ready: Goodwill, Yard Sale, Throw Out, Seasonal, Things you will need at a later date (seasonal clothes for kids). Label the storage boxes with the category and tape a 4x6 card to the outside of the box with the specific contents that are in it. This is where a REALLY good friend comes in handy. If you are not up to parting with some uh... "treasures," a good friend can help you find courage to throw some things out. Once you do the first room, it gets easier to be practical. If you must, allow yourself one junk drawer--that always helps take the pressure off from everything having to be "perfect."
4. The topic of home organization is not really complete without addressing menu planning. Menu planning saves time, money, and for some reason, most men like it (kids too!).
5. Last in the list, but very important is ordering your budget. Budgeting must include your spouse, and enables you to be a wife that allows her husband to "trust safely in her" (Prov. 31:11).

Questions to ask yourself to get started:

1. What is one thing you would like to see change in the way you manage your household?
2. Name one thing you could do to help you accomplish that goal.
3. Proverbs 14:1 says, "Every wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." What are you doing to build your house?
4. What are some things you do to take time for yourself so you are a more spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically strong person as a wife and mother?

Resources
~Sing ‘N Do Songs. Sally Albrecht. Shawnee Press, 1985.
~Animal Piggyback Songs. Jean Warren. Warren Publishing House, 1990. ISBN 0-911019-294
~Mudpies To Magnets. Robert A. Williams, et. al. Gryphon House, 1987.
~Creative Family Times. Hadidian and Wilson. Moody Press, 1989. ISBN 0-8024-3979-9
~What Every Child Should Know Along the Way. Gail Martin. Growing Families Int., 1998. ISBN 1-883035-53-8
~The 15 Minute Organizer. Emilie Barnes. Harvest House Publishers, 1991. ISBN 0-89081-857-6
~Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips. Winston. Simon and Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-671-88643-6
~How To Get Organized When You Don't Have Time. Stephanie Culp. Writer's Digest Books, 1986. ISBN 0-89879-230-4
~How To Conquer Clutter. Stephanie Culp. Stephanie Culp. Writer's Digest Books, 1989.
~Clutter Control, Putting Your Home On A Diet. Jeff Campbell. Dell Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-440-50339-6
~Sidetracked Home Executives. Young and Jones. Warner Books, 1981. ISBN 0-44697884-1
~Managers Of Their Homes. Steve and Teri Maxwell. Communications Concepts, Inc., 1999. ISBN 0966910702. The ideas in this book are especially helpful for organization if you are homeschooling or have a large family. The breastfeeding advice in this book is not conducive, however, to long-term milk supply. Some moms will do fine following her advice to schedule, but most will do better trying to set up some sort of flexible routine instead. For more information on breastfeeding and the danger of schedules, see my page on routine.
~The Family Manager's Everyday Survival Guide. Kathy Peel. Ballantine Books, 1998. ISBN 0-345-41985-5
~The Tightwad Gazette (I, II, and III). Amy Dacyczyn. Villard Books, 1996. ISBN 0-679-77766-0
~Any books on finances by Larry Burkett or Ron Blue