If You Fail To Plan…You Plan To Fail !!!

Ok, we have all heard this little saying.

Supposedly, Benjamin Franklin once said: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

AND….Sir Winston Churchill is credited with another saying: “Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.”

Sooooo, you may ask, what has that to do with today’s blog post.

Well, my dear readers, I have yet another confession to make.

I don’t always have it together…. because many times, I fail to make a plan.

However, I am the maker of lists…and I prefer the old fashioned hand written list.

And I have been known to painstakingly make a grocery list in preparation for a special dinner, only to leave my list at home lying on my desk when going to the supermarket! 🙁

I love to plan tablescapes, etc…but when it comes to other areas of my life, I sometimes haphazardly make it happen.

And for all intents and purposes, it usually works out…but it can also produce a lot of stress.

Like when taking a trip or vacation.

Sometimes the Captain and I start driving with a general destination in mind, but go down that interesting looking side road just for grins and giggles.

And most times we happen onto something really beautiful or interesting.

Of course, there are other times we have to have a definite vacation plan and it is those times that usually work out very well, also.

But making a plan…gives me an outline to work with.

You don’t have to stick to a plan exactly, but it helps.

There are other areas that need planning for me…such as de-cluttering, and removing items I don’t need or use anymore, including clothes.

The last month or so, I have been on a re-organizing and de-cluttering kick.

Such as planning for summer projects.

AND of course re-organizing closets or cabinets.

And that dear friends, usually doesn’t involve only one closet or cabinet.

One thing leads to another and the simple job of straightening up the garage shelves, actually includes a de-cluttering of the storage units we have (as we take more stuff to the storage units) or the re-invention of “stuff” that can and should be in another spot in the house.

Or better yet, items to discard or give to Goodwill.

Do you get me here?

Last month, I decided to remove everything from my linen closet in my Master Bath.

Then…as I was surrounded by linens, towels and sheets and medicines and arm, wrist and foot braces….I decided to remove the sheets to another closet.

And then?

You guessed it…I had to re-arrange that new storage place to make room for the sheets!

And when I made room for the sheets, I had to remove sweaters from my Northern days that I had not worn in years…. which meant a trip to the Goodwill store.

A domino effect.

AND NO INITIAL PLAN.

Earlier this year, I decided that I would start “planning”.

Whether it be for dinner meals….

………we all know the days when we haven’t planned our menu and end up going out to eat because it is much easier than a hurried up defrost of meat and prepping without the necessary ingredients.

…….OR, we call for Pizza to be delivered and therefore…we are not making healthy eating choices, though I may argue that pizza has all the food groups. 🙂 

Or planning for de-cluttering a closet or shelf in the garage.

I need to start making a plan.

A general idea of “what ifs”…

What if I move that gizmo here, where will I put the widget? Or what if I move the widget where the thing-a-ma-jig is?

You see what I am saying?

But there is a reward.

After the planning and organizing, there is such a feeling of accomplishment. 

I personally love that feeling.

I am trying to use the philosophy of bring one item into the house…remove one item out of the house.

I find that planning a menu for the following week relieves a lot of stress when it comes time to cook dinner.

Although…..that meant cleaning out the freezer and ridding myself of a few frost bitten packages of meat and fruit.

UGH!!!!!

But my dear readers, it is all good because I feel more organized and less wasteful and more “on top” of things if you know what I mean.

Will I relapse?

Possibly,….  The next time I get in a hurry and do not put something back where it belongs….but I can only hope that I will catch it and remedy the situation as soon as it is convenient.

Sometimes less is more.

I like that.

Are you a planner and have everything organized in your home?

Share tips please….as I love your comments and I promise I will respond to each and every one. 🙂

Have a great and Blessed Day!