Getting Organized: Staying the Course

Hey! Don't Forget about the Giveaway! Click here to go to the post and enter your entries!

Hello All-
So, long time, no post! Sorry about that...turns out pregnancy has made my brain jello and my memory non-existent. This post has been patiently waiting for it's public debut for about 3 weeks now. Yikes!
But, all that aside, let's finish up our series on Getting Organized and talk about how to keep up your motivation. I know one of my biggest roadblocks to keeping my home and my life organized is staying motivated to keep at it. I have however, found 1 very easy way to keep myself on track and I think it will work for you to. Are you ready? Here it is:

Bribery.

I'm not talking about bribing people to do things for you (although that's not a bad idea, either, now that I think of it...). I mean "bribing" yourself to stay on track. Giving yourself rewards for both short and long term success is a great motivator!

"How do I bribe myself?" you ask. Well, it's actually pretty easy. You're going to need to start by listing several things you want (and can afford, both in time and money) right now and several things you want (again, keep in mind time and money) in the more distant future. Now, set up a reward system for yourself. You can give yourself  time to do things you want to do (this will probably require coordination with a significant other, if you've got little ones to consider) or even stuff you want, but make sure these are activities you really, really like to do and things you really, really want or need. Otherwise this doesn't really work.

Step 2 is simple. Determine how much time you are willing to "work" before you reward yourself. At first you may need to reward yourself everyday for keeping to a schedule or for tackling one organization issue in your home. That's great! Just figure out a schedule of short and long term rewards for yourself and then bribe away. Here's what I usually do.

I try to get my "chores" out of the way in the morning. I usually have the most energy in the mornings, so I try to take advantage of that time to clean, work on projects etc...That way, I can "reward" myself in the afternoon with activities I like to do. Usually this means taking time to sew or read, without feeling guilty that I've left the laundry unfolded on the bed (or floor...) and dishes in the sink.

For longer term rewards, I generally reward myself with "stuff". I like to buy fabric and sewing patterns, so if I stick to my organizational goals for a while (say, a month...)I'll "give" myself a gift of a trip to the fabric or quilting store.

Here's a hint: physically make a list and keep it in a prominent place so you can be reminded of the goals! It really does help!

Now, I'm sure there are other ways to stay motivated, so share you ideas in the comments!

P.S: Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Those are some seriously awesome dishes! Make sure you post your entries in the comments for the giveaway post, rather than for this post.