Chaos and clutter, order and wonder

It's incredible the feeling of freedom and empowerment a person can feel from a calendar. About two years ago my organization consultant turned me on to an old-fashioned concept. Little did I know the changes it would bring and how the trickle-down effect would help two other people in the process.

Prior to enlisting the help of Geralin (who by the way is one of my besties although she doesn't really know it), I was a cluttered mess. I suppose in utero, as the Lord was knitting me carefully in my mother's womb, He gave me an overabundant love of words and virtually no innate gift of organization. 

For years, I have survived without a calendar. I'd make an appointment at a doctor's office, get the little card detailing the date and time and then promptly lose the business card. This meant, either

1. hoping I had the date tucked securely (yeah, right) in my brain or 

2. calling the office to get the information every.single.time. This is a picture of chaos. 

Then, upon getting the information, I would go to my computer, log on and enter it into the calendar program. Maybe. If I were in an especially organized mood, I might even print out the calendar sheets and then stuff them into my purse/plastic bag/whatever. The process failed miserably. 

But somehow, miraculously, I plodded along assuming my life was doomed to chaos.

Enter Geralin...I truly believe the Lord put her in my life because she gave me the impetus to transform many aspects of my harried life...like my home office went from this

to this...

As I allowed her to investigate other aspects of my life, she asked me how I kept track of appointments and important dates. With a shameful gulp, I attempted to explain my paltry system which she quickly poo-pooed (sp?). Instead of my completely unreliable technique, Geralin told /urged /forced /suggested /recommended these guys and their products.

I consider myself to be a fairly technologically savvy person but she urged me to employ a time-honored tradition...a paper calendar (I really like this style) and, get this, a pencil!

Since I devote a lot of my professional life to speaking, I can't tell you how much easier it is for me to see when/where/if I can speak by simply leafing through my calendar. And it's equally exciting to use a pencil because I can effortlessly changes dates without leaving inky scribble marks all over the place.

My co-worker now uses the same method. I love it when we are together and we can check our schedules with a mere turn of a page.

But the really exciting person for me to introduce this method to is my mom. She had several doctor appointments today and the physical therapist commented to her, "Wow, you are really organized!" Now I have her set up with a calendar and a binder to store all her important paperwork. And at the risk of sounding braggadocious, I even scrap booked the front and back of her binder with some treasured photos I had around the house. 

Yes, having a calendar and being aware of one's life, the comings and the goings has brought freedom and control into my scattered brain. I highly recommend it - Hail to the Calendar and the Pencil!