For Your Consideration: 7 Tips On Finding Your Groove

This past year things have really picked up for me in all aspects of life. More than ever, I feel a pressing need to figure out a solid system for keeping my life organized. It's something I think about more and more as 2012 rolls on so I thought I would share my thoughts. It doesn't matter what lifestyle you live, you might be a mom juggling family and work or you might be a single entrepreneur trying to maintain a social life without letting your dreams take a back seat. These tips apply to us all!

1. There is no one right way for everyone. It sure would be easier if there was though, right? While the sound advice and good examples of others provide useful guidance, it's important to take those principles and adapt them to your own life. 

2. Make sure todays plan will work tomorrow. Sustainability is key. Of course your schedule will evolve a bit from day to day, but set realistic expectations with some wiggle room for those unexpected situations that tend to throw our plans off balance.

3. Build in free time. Every single breathing person on this planet needs time to relax and unwind. The only kind of realistic schedule is one that includes time to do that. If that means staying up a little later each night so you can have one full uninterrupted day of rest on the weekend, then so be it.

4. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses. Adjust accordingly. I know myself well enough to know that by the time I get home from work and eat dinner, I am usually far too tired to sit down and blog for the day. So I have started the practice of carving out a few hours each weekend to blog for the entire upcoming week. I know daily blogging won't happen for me otherwise, so I work around it.

5. Hold to it! But also know when to step back. As I plan for this next year, setting goals and expectations for myself, I try to make sure they are reasonable and attainable because I intend to adhere to them as strictly as I can. For some personality types this is more important than others. But I know for me this is an absolute must.

6. Re-assess your action plan every 3-6 months. Things change, schedules vary. So going back every few months and making adjustments to your lifestyle plan is totally okay and a really great thing to do. Maybe you will have found that you have more free time than you thought you would. Or perhaps one of your goals was always just a little out of reach for you. Make changes so those goals can be met and you don't get too frustrated and overwhelmed.

7. In the face of failure, just breathe. This one is particularly hard for me. I often find myself hyper-focusing on what isn't getting done instead of giving myself credit for the things that are. Life is life. Failure is inevitable. Learn from it and move on.