Hello readers.  There were over 33,000 of you when I last published this newsletter, and the more time that has passed since I last published, the harder it has been for me to do it.  Knowing that once I start I must keep going as promised has fuelled my procrastination.

I have been wondering whether to offer an explanation, and if so, how much to say.  Well, there comes a time where you just have to make a decision and get on with something, whether or not you are going to do it right, in order to be able to move on, so here goes.  I'm here and my fingers are moving on the keyboard.

I have, as so many of us have, struggled on and off with depression and anxiety since I was quite young, and had a major flare up, breakdown, overload, or whatever I should call it a while ago.  That's it, that's the truth, and whilst I have no intention of

giving up on this project, this little business, this writing endeavour that I embarked upon over 2 years ago, I did hit a rather large hump, and as many of you will understand, the longer I left it, the harder it has been to get back into my routine.  

Time has not been the issue, as is the case with so many things we avoid doing.  Nor has it been a lack of desire to continue with something I enjoy immensely.  Just the usual human weakness of finding it harder the longer I left it.  I have to get my confidence back, begin whether or not I can find the motivation, despite the fear.

Being a newsletter about organization, I have been writing little bits and pieces on the various topics on my long list, but distracted and put off by the obvious current disorganization of my own life.  Perhaps it is because my washing and dishes are currently all done that I feel able to write at this moment.

Whilst I have been struggling to get myself well again, the descriptions of disorganization on the sales page for my e-book have become all too familiar to me.  Late school notices, missed appointments, lots of pizza dinners, looking through the washing basket for clean socks, sliding things off the bed in a jumble to make a place to sleep.......

These are the things I like to write about - overcoming these things through organization, building our own self-esteem, looking after ourselves, prioritising, time management and so on.

So now, instead of feeling inadequate to continue to write about organization, I will simply use my experiences to illustrate my thoughts about living an organized life.  We are on the same journey, all in our own way.

Despite my recent struggles, the house has not fallen down and the children are all fed and clothed and happy and safe.  Dishes and washing, dishes and washing, food shopping, cooking when I can.

One of the most significant things to have slipped is my desk.  My feelings about my desk, my control over my desk, the amount of stuff piling up on my desk, maintenance of my computer, my website, budgeting and bills, paperwork...

So, for me it's back to basics, back to following my own basic tips and advice, and re-establishing habits and routines a little bit at a time. 

I remind myself that being organized is about establishing habits.  So for me at the moment, I need to concentrate on working at my desk, for short periods of time, not too long, but every day.  And this time needs to be spent in a focussed way, one thing at a time.  Right now I'm concentrating on what I'm writing, and trying not to be distracted by looking at personal email, or worrying about the website upgrade going on, or the scary amount of mess on my desk. 

I tend to be one of those people who can't cook unless I clean the kitchen first, and can't work if my desk is messy.  But sometimes, it really is better and necessary to ignore the mess and get on with the task. This is one of those times.

So, this is the first article to be published after my absence.  I will finish off a few half finished ones before I publish this, so that I have some in advance.  My plan is then to complete one article each week as a minimum, which will allow me to gradually get ahead again as I publish them fortnightly. 

In addition to this, I will do the same for the general articles on Yvettewrites.com.  This website allows me to write about anything, so I will be talking about my experiences lately in other ways, such as self-esteem, motivation, time management and health, including mental health I suppose.  I'm coming to accept the fact that my writing style is quite personal. 

One of my fears about getting things going again with GetMyselfOrganized.com is that any activity generates email I need to deal with, and I hate being late to reply to emails.  So, guess what the next newsletter topic is?  Yes, the one I promised long ago about being organized with emails.  It was half written long ago, but obviously I needed some kind of a come-back/re-introduction newsletter.  I am hopeful that finishing that article will help me overcome my fear of emails coming in.

If this newsletter does generate a lot of email, please understand if my replies are brief or generic.

I expect to have lost a lot of subscribers by my absence, but will just forge ahead and carry out my plans.  Worrying about it won't get anything done, just like worrying about anything is time better spent taking one small positive action towards improvement of the situation.

Back to basics:  take all the dishes to the kitchen, gather a load of washing, put all your mail in one place, open it all, put all the bills in one folder, put all the school notices in one folder, clear the table, clear and make your bed, follow your routines - not necessarily on a perfect and detailed level, but on a basic level.  Bedtime:  get a drink, brush your teeth, take any medications you need, check your diary/calendar for tomorrow.  Morning:  Shower and dress, make your bed, have your tea/coffee, take your medications/vitamins, eat something, check your diary/calendar, feed the pets....

Thank you to those of you still reading.  Your feedback and comments are still always welcome.  The new look website is very close to being completed, and I hope you agree the new look is much better.

So, here I am, back on the horse.

Organize Your Life – Get the Ultimate Guide here

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment Preview