“…I feel left behind.”
Wow. That does NOT describe me lately. I’ve been sick. Not just a cold. Nope, I couldn’t just be satisfied with some sinus issues. I’ve had the full on flu. That feel-like-a-truck-hit-you kinda illness. You know, the one where you have a fever pretty much for the first time in your adult life, you’re so achy your hair hurts and the wheezing…Oh, the wheezing.
I bet you’re dousing yourself with hand sanitizer as you wonder what the heck this has to do with organizing, aren’t you? Well, you know how on a good day, you’re able to tackle those mundane tasks that never end? Making the bed, taking out the trash, unloading the dishwasher, maybe talking to your kid, etc, etc. On a really good day, you might even be able to knock out some tasks that fall into the “When I Get Around To It” category. Emptying the shredder. Cleaning the bathroom. Updating your IPod? On a FABULOUS day, you may even be able to delve into the “When Pigs Fly” category of your life. You know, this is where your hobbies live. Oh, and maybe your ironing. And cleaning out your attic. And coffee with friends.
But man, when you have a crappy day or- Lord have mercy- several crappy days in a row, your life pretty much explodes. Your house is a wreck, you’re behind in every single area of your life and you feel terrible for whatever reason….( FYI, crappy days can be caused by illness, drama, laziness, stubbornness…Anyway, you get the picture.)
So what are you supposed to do when you’re finally coming up for air after a string of crappy days? Your head bursts through the water, your lungs fill with glorious oxygen and just as you’re about to proclaim how wonderful life is, you see the sharks circling you. Skinny sharks. Sharks with an ax to grind. Kinda makes you want to crawl back into bed, down more NyQuil and hide under the covers until you can afford a personal assistant, doesn’t it?
The thing that I’ve realized as I’m coming out of the fog of cold medicines, no sleep, not showering for two days and realizing that I really COULD just live in one suit of clothes (Yep, Dad, I said it.) is this- If your life is COMPLTELY overwhelming, and you have NO idea what a good day, not even a really good or fabulous day, looks like, no wonder people just give up. How are you supposed to ‘get things under control’ when you have no idea what that looks like? What if all of your days just kind of stretch into one big bogged down mess? How in the hell are you supposed to get that under control? The answer is, well, you really can’t.
If you’re like me and you’re coming out of a bad stretch, know that by this time next week, you’ll be caught up. Yeah, your purse will probably still be messy and I doubt your sheets will be changed but life will pretty much get back on track.
If, however, you have no freakin’ idea where to even start, you need to know that you can change that. Today. Right this minute. Fish out a pen and a piece of paper from the quicksand around you and figure out what your life would look like if you really WERE so ahead of the game you felt left behind. It starts with a decision and vague notion of where you want to be next month this time, next year this time and you CAN do it. You WILL do it. Hell, I’d love to help you do it.
I promise to be germ free by then. I can bring the pen and paper and some snacks and probably even play the song that inspired the title for this post. We’ll definitely laugh, probably cry and, by the time we’re finished, you’ll have a plan for getting life under control. I’m thinking you’ll even be nodding your head to that song I mentioned before. It may be a smidge inappropriate so we’ll need to monitor who else is in the room.