Maybe you like to live life on your terms and take pride in doing things your way. You've got your own system, even if you're the only one who understands it. Nobody is going to tell you that you need a schedule and "rules to follow". No way! After all, if you don't feel like doing something...it's just not going to happen.

Or maybe you're just the opposite. You live by a structured schedule and have become quite compulsive when your perfect life is upset by other people. Why can't your child or husband understand that there's a place for dirty laundry... and it's not on the floor?

Well, maybe you might consider another approach.

An approach that provides more balance and yet brings some organization to your life. And I might add...it's less stressful. But it involves some planning, discipline and cooperation from family members to succeed.

I was talking to a friend recently and she asked me how I had enough time to read so many blogs and books. She said that she's always doing laundry and cleaning and never seemed to have any extra time.

It prompted me to share a few secrets I've learned that have helped me:

• I have set days for specific tasks. Saturday is my day for cleaning the house, doing the laundry and ironing, food shopping and errands. That's a lot to do on Saturday but this way I'm not worrying about getting everything done during the week. My husband knows by now to put his clothes in the hamper...or else they don't get done. You may need to teach your kids that they don't need to change their clothes three times a day. Did I mention there is a learning curve for everybody involved? You may find it easier to break up your tasks during the week and focus on one area of your house each day instead of doing it all at once.


• I always clean out the kitchen sink every day. There's nothing like seeing a sink filled with dirty dishes. I learned about this from FlyLady. If you've not discovered her website you must check it out. She has great tips to get organized.


• I set out my exercise clothes and any equipment needed the night before. If your plan is to include exercise on a regular basis, taking this extra step the night before is essential to your success.
  
  Have a daily quiet time and organize your materials ahead of time. I find that spending some day alone each morning helps me tremendously. For me, this involves time to pray, read my Bible and be still. You may have other ways that you use to begin your day. I just know that for me, I am so much easier to be around and get stressed less quickly when I have my time alone.

I will focus on this topic for the next few posts because I believe it is so important to living a healthy life with less stress. I welcome your comments about ways you've found that are helpful for you.