Day 16

Tip of the day: You can't organize other people. You can go through their stuff with them and set them on the path to organization, but you just can't change them to make them organized.

The decision to become more organized has to come from them. I try to organize my family, but the reality is, they have to choose to organize themselves somewhere along the way. I teach the principles to my kids and help them set routines, but they have to do it themselves for the lasting effect.

I can't actually organize my husband. He is a man who can be very organized, but doesn't choose to be all the time. From what I understand, he is an amazing secretary...can one do that without being organized? He is really good at his job, but at home...he's kind of a mess. An awesome mess who does great things for his family...but I still pick up his socks from the living room floor daily.

The hardest lesson I've learned in my marriage is that my husband will change when God moves him or he decides to change on his own. I'm not going to change him. I could leave his socks in the floor, but that wouldn't do anything but create a pile. I could complain, but that only makes me angry when it doesn't work and he doesn't listen. The fact is, Tony will change when he decides to. Until then, I pick up the socks.

I say this not to make you stop from hiring a professional organizer, but to help you realize that hiring someone to clean up your mess is temporary, you have to change to make your life more organized. The professionals are here to teach you, but you have to decide to learn and do it.