How’s that organizing project going?
I’m sure you’ve started at least one this year. If you’ve been getting organized and you feel successful, that’s great! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. If not, I’m here to assure you that it’s OK. These things happen. Maybe you need to tweak a system you created. Maybe a part of your life changed and what you’ve done so far is no longer in alignment with that change–it’s all part of the organizing process.
I don’t want you to give up, though. It’s easy to throw in the towel when processes like getting organized don’t work out the way we want them to.
I felt inspired to write this post after a few experiences I had over the last couple of weeks. One just led to the other which then circled back to writing this post. Below are a few examples of people that chose to not give up and give ‘it’ one more try. The first one is me…
In January of 2015, I self-published The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook through Amazon’s CreateSpace. Due to the decorative interior design, the book files were not translating well in ebook form and it was challenging to get it to function properly. At the same time, my husband and I were beginning a home renovation that had us purging and packing our entire home. Needless to say that between technical difficulties and time constraints, the ebook never got published. Life became hectic and I basically gave up on ever seeing my paperback book as an ebook.
Fast forward to September 2018. I received an email from Amazon saying CreateSpace was merging with another division of Amazon–KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). I transferred my book’s file to KDP and received an email about a helpful KDP 101 webinar. It fit into my schedule and would cover all I needed to know about KDP so I signed up for it. Little did I know that it would inspire me to give publishing my ebook ‘one more try.’
During the webinar’s Q&A time, another participant named Elaine asked the instructor a file-uploading question which made me think about the uploading issues I encountered almost four years ago. As crazy as it may sounds, I have a random stranger named Elaine to thank for being able to upload my ebook to Amazon/KDP. After the webinar, I revisited my ebook files and found that Amazon had added a new online feature that enabled me to check the formatting of my book and see how it would appear on a tablet or phone. It translated perfectly. I couldn’t believe it. I had given up over three years ago but decided to give it one more try–and it worked!
I saw Elaine as my ‘sign from the Universe’ to give it one more try.
If I had not been forced to move my book files from CreateSpace to KDP, the chain of events that followed would not have occurred and my ebook would still lie dormant on my desktop. Thank you, Amazon and Elaine wherever you are! My next task is to have a specific ebook file created that will upload onto Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble’s Nook–my goal for early 2019.
I was feeling inspired and motivated by this series of events so I decided to write about it in my October newsletter. I always start my newsletter with a quote and found this one from Thomas Edison:
As if I hadn’t received enough ‘signs from the universe, ‘ I took some time before writing my newsletter to walk on my treadmill and watch a TedTalk. Most are eighteen minutes in length–perfect for the approximately twenty minutes I’m on the treadmill. I was scrolling through YouTube when I came across a TedTalk called: Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Since it was about organizing, I thought I’d watch. Elizabeth Dulemba had given up on some dreams of hers and when the Universe ‘spoke’ to her, she decided to try one more time and make them her reality. Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Tedx University of Edinburgh. If you have twenty minutes, I’d recommend watching it. You Never know what it might inspire you to try one more time.
But, the ‘Don’t Give Up–Give it One More Try’ message didn’t stop there…
My family and I enjoy watching The Voice. Contestant Matt Johnson made it on to the show after auditioning fifteen times during a seven year period. Matt Johnson personifies the quote by Thomas Edison. This guy NEVER gave up. Perseverance is his middle name! He kept trying. And trying. And coming back for another try. And the most incredible part of it all is that he was the last contestant to audition and went on to win the last spot available on the show. Success at last!
Isn’t it amazing how giving something one more try can lead to incredible events occurring?
And then, as I’m writing this post, an email from (Chicken Soup for the Soul’s co-author) Jack Canfield’s newsletter lands in my inbox and what is one of the topics? ‘Don’t Ignore Signs form the Universe’.
I think the Universe is telling me that this was the perfect blog post to write this week!
Giving up is easy. Moving forward to reach your goal is not. Just ask Thomas Edison about his lightbulb journey. Here are some ideas for eliminating the need to shout, “I give up!”:
Break down the process
Getting organized isn’t an easy task. It takes time, physical, and emotional energy and it’s rare to have all three at the same time. Break down the process of organizing a space or your time into easy tasks and micro-goals–making reaching the finish line more manageable and attainable.
Be patient with yourself
Getting your file cabinet or your pantry organized can’t be accomplished if your exhausted, the kids are sick, or the hours in your day are not always your own. The time will come and you’ll be able to easily recognize it and use it to move forward.
Listen to the Universe
I know this sounds kind of ‘woo-woo’ but it’s important to be open to signs. Some will whisper to you and some will shout but please listen. Pay attention to and make note of recurring instances. I did that the past few weeks–signs of not giving up and trying one more time kept popping into view. I couldn’t ignore so many of them!
Reward yourself for hitting milestones
Remember those easy tasks and micro-goals I spoke about a few paragraphs ago? When you’ve completed one–celebrate! Honor your achievement however small. It’s a great motivator.
Remember why you’re doing this
Why are you getting organized? Do you want to be able to find papers easily? Get out the door with two kids without forgetting anything? Be able to get dressed effortlessly in the morning? If your ‘WHY’ is important to you, it will inspire you to not give up.
Thomas Edison and I are in agreement. Don’t give up–the way to success is to try one more time. Make that ‘one more time’ step a small one. Sometimes all it takes is a small change to reach your goal. You just may have a ‘lightbulb’ moment…
What have you given up on? Are you ready to give it another try? Has trying ‘one more time’ worked for you in the past? I’d love for you to join the discussion. 🙂
Stacey is a Professional Organizer, Virtual Organizer, and Author in Bergen County, New Jersey specializing in home organizing, time, and paper management. She is the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized.
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
I think that as you mentioned…breaking down the process is important. My philosophy is to simplify, and just by breaking tasks into smaller parts reduces the anxiety of getting started, and of course, to help keep you going. Great post filled with a lot of valuable tips!
Thanks so much, Shannon. I agree, breaking down the process is key to eliminating the feeling of overwhelm. The tiniest step will move us forward and a whole bunch of little steps can transform into a big leap!
What an inspiring post, Stacey! Most pursuits take time, patience, internal and external resources to accomplish. Focusing on the journey and seeing those “signs” to cheer you on along the way is essential. I also appreciate how you gave yourself the space to let the project go for a while. And then when you were ready, you opened yourself up again which led to getting past the challenge. Congratulations for turning your book into an e-book. I remember having that goal after publishing my book, but I was wiped out from all that went into making it happen. So I took a hiatus before making it an e-book. I delegated that one out and used Book Baby to help me do it. There are several projects on my desk now that I want to complete. I’m taking small steps to move them forward and hope to finish them before the end of the year. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the momentum going.
Thanks so much, Linda! I don’t think either of us knew how exhausting it would be to write and self-publish a book! You’re right–it can be tough to keep the momentum going–even for Professional Organizers. I know you will follow your own wise advice and reach the finish line by the end of the year. Small steps add up to big accomplishments! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your struggles and successes! This is a great post, very inspiring.
Thanks, Janet. I did not intend to write a blog post about this but then the ‘universe’ kept throwing all of these ‘don’t-give-up-give-it-one-more-try’ experiences at me. Too much coincidence to just keep it in my brain and not share. Hope it motivates at least one person to give their organizing project ‘one more try!’
I loved reading this, Stacey! I do believe that life has some natural ebbs and flows, and what seemed impossible in the past may now be very realistic! Sometimes we simply need a change in our situation, and other times we need to be finally “in the mood.” I’ve thought of writing a post entitled “In The Mood,” but I’m not sure if it would be wise:) I’m so happy you were able to resurrect your dream and get the ebook published. Next thing you know, you will be teaching a class on how to do all this stuff!
Thanks for your kind words, Seana. How about taking some notes (maybe in Evernote?) for your future ‘In the Mood’ post and letting them marinate for a while? You may come back to it with a new eye and new experiences. I always enjoy reading your creative posts–I look forward to reading ‘In the Mood’ someday!
I agree, listening to the universe is essential. For me, it is a way to know I am on the right path toward my goals and aspirations. When we achieve our goals, they are not resolved through one track, it can be made in several ways so being open to the opportunity to move forward in those ways is truly valuable. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I feel it’s about making connections between what is going on in our lives and what is happening around us. When the two meet, it’s that ‘sign from the universe.’ The more we recognize them, the more often they will appear. In a recent sermon, my clergy person called them ‘divine winks.’ Thanks for sharing, Sabrina.
This is such an awesome post and so inspirational. I love your e-book story. It can be so true that it is easy to give up but there is something to be said for perseverance and looking at things in a different way. Or just one little thing can cause things to change for the positive. One person who comments on your post or shares your info. Love this 🙂
Kim–thanks for stopping by and for your thoughtful comment. Isn’t it amazing how ‘one’ event, ‘one’ word, ‘one’ idea or ‘one’ step in the right direction could set a previously challenging occurence in motion?