Prattville-Autauga Character Trait of the Month - Orderliness | Community Spirit

ORDERLINESS vs. Confusion…Arranging myself and my surroundings to achieve greater efficiency.

It’s that time again. Time to make New Year’s resolutions. You know, those things that you vow to follow through until next year. But most of us never do. In fact, if we keep our resolutions for a week or two, or even a month, many of us tend to slide back into our old ways, justifying our actions with a wide range of reasons and excuses.

The thing that usually holds us back in life is a lack of orderliness, which leads to chaos or confusion. This particular chaos for me usually begins when it’s time to take down the holiday tree and pack away all of the ornaments. How many of us have hurriedly tossed tangled strings of lights into a box so that that once again we face the arduous task of straightening them before they can be placed on the tree next Christmas? This one task can take the pleasure out of decorating.

REDUCE YOUR STRESS…START THE DAY OFF RIGHT

Does your day start with chaos?  your children late for the bus because one of their shoes was missing or their backpack couldn’t be found, much less the note the teacher sent home?  Which child goes to what after-school activities today?  Where are your car keys?  What are you going to wear today? Where is the grocery list and the folder you were working on last night?  These are just a few of the questions that can waste your time, your energy, cause tempers to flare and fray your nerves. Not a good way to start the day.

Becoming organized in your personal and life can reduce an enormous amount of stress.  The use of a family calendar is one of the most effective ways to save time and energy. Encourage family members to make their own calendars, and then transfer applicable information onto the family calendar. check frequently in time to make any necessary adjustments.

Create specific spaces for things such as backpacks, coats, purses and keys. Take time each evening to go over notes from teachers, assignments, projects and after school activities or appointments. Lay out clothes for the next day before going to bed. If you must prepare lunches, make them the night before and place in the refrigerator. Make sure you have lunch money available for those who don’t take their lunches, and that everything is in the proper place for the next morning.

Establish house rules which apply to children and adults alike. Alter them to fit your needs. Once these rules are in place and everyone abides by them, organization and orderliness becomes a daily habit.   The reward is less time wasted and less stress.           

DOES THE LACK OF ORDERLINESS

REALLY CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE WORKPLACE?

The answer is an emphatic “YES”!  Confusion costs time and money, particularly in the work place.

In 2010, a report entitled The Costs Associated with Disorganization by Brother International Corporation, estimated that time lost looking for out-of-place items in the office amounts to more than $89 billion among full-time professionals in the office, and jumps to a whopping $117 billion each year when time spent searching for misplaced computer files is added.

How much easier and faster it would be to retrieve necessary documents and tools that had been properly filed or put back in order for the next use. It becomes necessary to replace disorder in work spaces and work places with orderliness. Orderliness is basic to productivity, safety and success in the work arena as well as the home.

ORDERLINESS IS A PRIORITY WHEN MANAGING

PROJECTS OR ASSIGNMENTS

Information Source: Prattville-Autauga Character Coalition