Saturday Scribbles Vol 2

Happy Saturday morning my friends. Is it snowing where you are? For me, it's cold. Well cold in Houston means temperatures 60 or lower. But perhaps you can enjoy a nice hot cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate while you read my rambling thoughts this morning.

By nature, I'm not an organized person. At all. Just ask my mother. Or roommates I've had in the past. I see all of the various organized tricks and tips on Pinterest, and I think "Oooh! I like that!" Or "I could do that!" But I don't. Some of the ones I've seen are things like using tension rods in a cabinet to contain all of the lids. Or using hooks/command strips to conceal electronic cords. Here is one such pin I've pinned on Pinterest.

Even my bookshelves and movie collection are unorganized. Or at least would appear so to others. Take my movies for example. I've got one entire small shelf of nothing but Disney Animated. Then I've got a shelf with Stargate, Stargate SG 1 (all 10 Seasons), Stargate Atlantis (all 5 seasons), NCIS (all 10 or 11 seasons that I own), and then next to the series are things like Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, Les Miserables. My books are just about like that too. I'll have all 7 hardcover copies of Harry Potter sitting next to Robin Jones Gunn's Glenbrooke series. Or something like that. I don't group by genre or author. But I do make sure that all of the series stays together. Of course, that's when the books/dvds actually find their way onto the shelf. Most times they don't.

Even my business has hurt because of my lack of organization. But I'm learning there. So many sales directors and sister consultants say try this. Or do this. But I've actually managed to figure out something that works for me. My skin care class supplies remain in the bag I use to take them to classes. I've got everything I need there - profile cards, cotton balls, applicators, sales tickets, foundations, and paperwork. Then in a roll up bag, I keep the full-sized product demos I use in the class. My actual physical inventory lives on three bookshelves in my room. And then when it comes to all the paperwork (sales receipts, order lists, etc), I've finally gotten a notebook. A simple three ring binder with 12 dividers. Each divider is a different month. A new order comes in, the packing slip gets pulled out and placed into the notebook. I buy office supplies or mail something. Those receipts go into the notebook. It works for me. But my problem with that is that come tax time, I'm a HORRIBLE procrastinator and wait til the deadlines to send things in.

But I've learned through all of my unorganization-ness that I can improve. I may not be organized by nature, but I can work hard and make a conscious effort to be so. Take AWANA at my church for instance. I am the secretary, the one who checks in each child, the one who handles the money, as well as being a listener. Our wonderful Commander is a dear friend of mine. But neither of us are great at record keeping. But this year, I've made the effort. I've created an Excel spreadsheet that has all the contact info for each child, the amount due on the accounts, etc. I've had to work hard to keep up with it and I don't get to be a listener as often as I'd like to, but it has totally helped this year. I know exactly which parents still owe and where to find their information.

But not just that. Obviously organization is not a strength of mine. I have other strengths/gifts - hospitality, making gifts for people (blankets, scrapbooks, toys, baby shower things, etc), etc. And that's the way God made me. My weaknesses compliment someone else's strengths. And my strengths help with someone else's weaknesses. I find that so cool. That even though I am not strong in one area, someone else is. And together we can work in God's Kingdom.

So where do you find yourself weak in? How do you overcome it? I'd love to hear your thoughts and encourage you in your struggles.