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Are you constantly reacting to the hottest burning “fire” in your life? Do you feel like you are standing in the batting cage of life just frantically swinging at all the balls coming your way? If so, you may be living reactively instead of in the proactive manner that we were called to live.
Knowingly or unknowingly, many of us are living our own lives haphazardly. We’re trading foresight, responsibility, and preparation for a last-minute lifestyle. If you (or your family) always seem to need a “bail out,” I hope this organizing principle will inspire you to change your habits.
If you find yourself living out-of-control, you can put an end to wasteful ways and reclaim your boundaries. Through preparation, you can get ready for action and become available to live your dreams. The Preparation Principle™ is this: choosing organization for your life can help you reclaim control and equip you for opportunity.
You can practice The Preparation Principle and reclaim control by:
- Evaluating and ending your wastefulness: It can be a major wake-up call to take stock of all that you are wasting by being disorganized (late fees on bills, missed appointment fees, wasted gas, wasted utilities, replacement costs, overbuying, wasted time). Once you see what your disorganization is really costing you, put an end to the siphoning of your resources.
- Establishing boundaries: Haphazard living often results from a life without boundaries. It’s time to start laying some ground rules for you and your family. If you work from home, maybe you need to set work hours so your professional life doesn’t bleed into your personal time (and space!) Maybe you need to give yourself a half hour a day to process through the day’s accumulation and prepare for the following day. If your children are living out-of-control, you will bless them by establishing some expectations for them, sticking to them, and providing consequences. If they can learn healthy boundaries at home, a teacher, spouse, therapist, or policeman won’t have to lay down the law in the future!
You can practice The Preparation Principle and equip yourself for opportunity by:
- Preparing for action: In the professional workplace, employees that are quick, hard-working, and prepared are the ones who advance. An employee with an organized, prepared approach to work is highly valued in any organization. The necessity of preparation is just as true in our personal lives. When we are perceived as messy, haphazard, and lacking follow-through, our credibility can be damaged. Conversely, we are perceived as dependable and believable when we are prepared. Our credibility affects our integrity, which in turn affects our reputation.
- Making yourself available: Living in an orderly way creates space in our schedule and our life. Preparation equips us to recognize and seize opportunities that come along. When we create availability in our life, we can pursue our dreams. When we are simply reacting to the chaos in our life, we are no longer available to opportunity. We become inwardly focused. We put our heads down and grind through the mayhem of our day. We see only what is right in front of us, and, in so doing, we can miss the opportunities that lie ahead.
Preparation is one facet of living in order. When you are prepared you are attentive and ready for action. You are honoring your boundaries and making yourself available when you are prepared. Preparation helps you avoid living wastefully and squandering your time and resources. When you plan ahead and take proactive initiative, you are prepared to live life to its fullest. If you want to reclaim your personal or professional life, you can apply The Preparation Principle to improve your quality of life.
Adapted from: Reclaim Your Life™ copyright © 2007 by Vicki Norris (available now at www.RestoringOrder.com). Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by permission.
