No matter how organized you are, there are always going to be times when your life is thrown off a bit by external forces that are out of your control.

 

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A few years ago, I had to fly back to my hometown unexpectedly for a family medical emergency. Before I left, I had to be sure that I prepared both for my trip and for my return, in order to make this trip as calm and collected as possible.

Here are a few things that helped tremendously to keep everything under control.

 

1. My Master List and To Do List.
   I had to determine quickly what tasks could wait until my return, and what tasks had to be completed before I left for my trip. Just glancing at my lists gave me a complete picture of everything that had to be done now and later. I was grateful that everything was written down and was accessible in one place.
   
   
2. My Calendar.
   Without an organized calendar, I would have been scrambling to figure out what appointments would have to be changed. I was able to reschedule appointments and move some project deadlines back — all within a few minutes.
   
   
3. My Packing Checklist.
   It's easy to forget things when you're going on a trip, especially for an unexpected emergency — that is, unless you have a packing checklist. I didn't have to go nuts at the last minute trying to determine everything I needed with me for my trip. I simply located my packing checklist and was able to pack everything within 30 minutes flat.
   
   
4. My Mini Toiletries.
   Those tiny travel bottles of shampoo, conditioner, mouth wash, hair spray, etc. were a godsend. I always keep a little basket full of them in my bathroom — I refill them from larger bottles when they're empty to save money. I was able to find all of them in one place and pack them up in a jiffy. Since I was travelling alone, I wanted my luggage to be as light as possible. I estimate that these miniature toiletries reduced my luggage weight by more than 10 pounds!
   
   
5. My Portable Laptop.
   I knew that I would have some free time during my trip to do some work that needed to be done. Before I left, I determined all of the computer files I would need with me, and transferred them to my portable laptop computer. I was able to get quite a bit done during my airline flight, and also throughout my visit when I wasn't busy helping out with something.
   
   
6. Acceptance that Things Don't Always Go as Planned.
   As I mentioned, there are always going to be things in life that knock our thoughts, schedules and plans off balance. Getting overwhelmed and stressed doesn't help, so staying calm can be a major benefit. The comforting thought is that being organized can help things go as smoothly as possible, so you can get right back on track when the rough times have passed.

 

About Maria Gracia

Maria Gracia, owner of www.getorganizednow.com and author of the book, Finally Organized, Finally Free can help you organize your home, your office and your life.