When Life is Chaotic, Do This...

Can you believe we’re already in week four of living under a global pandemic?

Four weeks of complete disruption to the lives we were used to. This pause has allowed some of us the opportunity to turn our “always wanted” fantasies into “I finally get to” realities. But the shift has also stripped many of us away from the work, activities, and people we love. Whether you’re in the former group, the latter, or experiencing a little of both, it’s safe to say that our lives right now feel messy, uncertain, and chaotic.

When your life is in chaos, get organized.

Right now you may feel hopeless. You may grieve your life as you knew it. You may be afraid for yourself or for those you love. Maybe your coping mechanism is to binge watch Netflix, day drink, and eat way more than you used to. Maybe your method is to stay up to date on the news all day. If you’re a parent to age-school children, overnight you’ve added the teacher hat to the many hats you already wore before coronavirus. Shuffling between homeschooling, working, and staying human is no easy feat. If you’re a front line warrior, you’re too busy to even read this email. In this moment, getting organized might be the furthest thing from your mind.

But regardless of where or how you find yourself, getting organized will help you gain mental clarity and have more peace of mind.

C.O.R.E

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared with you my personal formula for success. I will reiterate the words that my friend, the elite athlete Iron Man competitor, shared with me one early morning at the track:

“When you’re tired, when you’re down and out, when you’re running on empty—what keeps you going is the strength of your core.”

You may be tired right now. You may be down and out. You may feel you’re running on empty. And that’s why this is the time to strengthen your C.O.R.E.

The C in CORE stands for communication. Click here to read about communication.

By now, you’ve probably figured out that the O in CORE stands for organization. But I don’t want you to just get organized…I want you to organize your life based on your desired outcomes.

Define your outcomes

What is your purpose? Why do you have the goals you have? What are the principles and values do you stand for? What kind of person do you want to be? What outcomes are you striving to achieve?

We often go through life without knowing the answers to these questions. That makes it easier to drift away from our goals or climb the wrong ladder of success. Like Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.”

But once you analyze these questions and know your answers—then getting organized and creating a successful life is a lot easier.

My desired outcomes

At the very beginning of this pandemic, I spent some time reflecting and identified what my desired outcomes were during this time. I wanted to stay healthy, stay afloat, be of service to others, and savor family time with my husband and kids.

Even though our world circumstances are changing daily, my desired outcomes remain the same.

Staying healthy

Because staying healthy is a top priority for me, I’ve always eaten healthy and exercised. But controlling our eating habits is so hard when we’re stuck at home! We often eat when we’re anxious or bored rather than when we’re hungry. This was happening to my kids and me. It got to the point that my kids were asking for food every fifteen minutes! To help them, I created a food schedule for the family and posted it on the pantry and refrigerator doors.

Now, even if we’re hungry, we wait until our scheduled time to eat. As for exercising, I used to work out between 5:30 and 6:30am, but lately I go to bed a lot later and find it difficult to wake up so early. For a few days, I skipped my workout altogether because I slept through the alarm. I decided to get organized according to this alternative lifestyle, even if it’s for the short-term. Now I run at 6:45 p.m. This wasn’t easy at first. One issue I faced was I’d get stomach cramps because I’d eaten too soon before my run. I was used to running on an empty stomach. After testing and tweaking, I realized that to run well at 6:45pm, I could not eat after 3:00 pm. That solved the issue. Because my desired outcomes are clear and I’ve organized my eating times, I don’t overeat.

Staying afloat

If staying afloat right now is the desired outcome for you like it is for us, then you will have to make sure your finances are in order. How can you conserve cash? Can you reduce unnecessary expenses? Have you analyzed how much your monthly costs are? Are there any government programs you can take advantage of during this time? Have you reached out to your service providers to see if they are offering any help?

Other areas to get organized

This may be a time to organize areas of your life that you’ve always wanted to organize but always pushed aside. Have you ever wanted to declutter your home or adopt a more minimalist lifestyle? Has prioritizing family time been something you’ve ignored in the past? Scheduling family dinners, carving out time to read together or establishing game nights are a great way to create special family memories despite all the negative stuff going on around you. Picking a date and time to phone or Facetime your mom, grandma, siblings, or extended family lets you be there even when you can’t be there.

If you’re a business owner, you can organize your business to create a more consistent and cohesive brand. You could also organize your content to help you pivot and create new products to offer your clients. If your goal is to write a book, start organizing your chapters, or schedule a quiet time to write each day.

The benefits of getting organized

When you focus on getting organized based on your desired outcomes, you are being proactive toward creating the life you want. You are focusing on that which is within your control instead of worrying about all the unknowns. Day after day, you focus on your schedule, your habits, and your dreams — tackling one task after another. This approach will make you feel more accomplished and successful despite the chaotic times we are living in.

A Moment of Clarity

There are so many things right now out of our control — but one thing within our control is our power to choose. We can choose what we think about, what we focus on, and what steps we take every day. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, fearful, or scattered, organize your life according to your desired outcomes.
When you don’t know where to start, start with CORE.