Notes from this episode:

What is the biggest complaint that most women have?

They are overwhelmed

And many of those feelings of overwhelm come from the fact that their home is in constant chaos with clutter, things not put away, no delegated cleaning schedule, their daily schedule is in urgent mode that they feel they must constantly satisfy, and their children are undisciplined.

The overwhelm is what stops us, causes us to procrastinate, and creates stress

The key to less stress is order.

External Order / Interior Order – each are dependent on the other

Order Motivation

Before we buy into schedules, routines, and habits to keep order, we have to consider WHY.

If we don’t understand the profound effect of order on our homes, our children, and ourselves we won’t be motivated to stick with the actions required to keep order.

Right motives – not encouraging an order obsessive personality – where the order supersedes the dignity of the people

To create a balanced harmonious home – free of stress and chaos – a home that serves us, rather than a home we serve because of disorder

Our home must be our sanctuary –

From the stresses of work

Societal pressures and confrontations

A place where children can relax and be at peace – school is hard.  Peers are hard to deal with.

Order helps your daily life run smoother with less stress and overwhelm.Our home needs to be that warmth that nurtures the mind, body, and soul

Do you want less stress, overwhelm, and better disciplined children?  Then commit to that outcome  – write it down and look at it every day so you know your WHY  and you’ll be more motivated to do the work required on a daily basis to keep order. And with anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes until it is second nature.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you don’t have enough time to put order into your day.

• It isn’t that we don’t have enough time it is that we lack order and don’t use your time well.

• Or we think something simple will take too much time so we don’t do it at all when in fact if we timed how quickly if we timed how long it took to clean and shine your sink would realize it’s less than a minute

                          eg. Clean sink before going to bed, make bed when you first get up

It may also be that we’re just trying to do too much

Order in the Home

• Everything has a place and everything in it’s place  –  progress not perfection  –  daily struggle

• A daily, weekly, monthly schedule that keeps the home clean, neat, and free of clutter
• Respect for the furnishings of your home. 
• Toys played with appropriately – to keep your furniture looking nice – the kids don’t care where they play, they just want to play.  Teach them to respect the furniture and home out of a good sense of order of the family’s possessions.

Using Your Time Well

• Setting a firm but adaptable schedule for the day helps us keep the important the priority, rather than giving in to our whims of what we WANT to do

• A schedule also teaches the children that their whims don’t trump the important.  They may want to watch TV after breakfast or read a book.
  • But then that makes them late for school
• Having that clearly articulated schedule when they are young begins the habit that they need as they grow and become more independent.

• If you’re still telling your teenager to get off playstation or tv or the phone because they have homework to do, it’s because when they were young you didn’t teach them clear habits of ordering their time. 

It’s never too late and in fact, our obligation to instill good habits in our children requires us to intervene and train them

“The state of your closet is a reflection of the state of your soul” St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria Escriva

Exterior Order Depends on Interior Order

What prevents interior order?

       pride, guilt, worry, fear, overwhelm

Steps to Achieve Interior Order

• Have a daily plan of life where you write down the ways you are going to connect with The Life Source – God
• Say a morning offering – offering up the joys and sorrows of your day to God
• Spend 10-15 minutes every day (at least) in prayer/conversation with God
• Spend 5 minutes reading the New Testament and reflecting on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
• Pray the rosary to accompany Jesus’ life through and with Mary
• Say the Angelus and noon
• Have “presence of God” where you think of God right there with you, accompanying you and depend on His help.