Organizing on Steroids

My allergies and the spring air created a perfect storm that landed me on steroids this past week. Yes, I was organizing on steroids.

This is the second time I’ve been on steroids so I remembered the frenzied mania that comes with taking the Z-pack of steroids. Other friends have told me how they love cleaning their house during their own steroid rampages.

I have noticed a big difference between being productive and being a frenzied maniac.

The Frenzy Begins

I should point out that there are lots of things I can do around my house since I am in a constant state of renovation. I have lots and lots of projects and tasks to do. Since I had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks, things had been piling up.

However, taking care of things like laundry and dishes didn’t seem on my steroid-induced to-do list. By day 3, I was up until 2 a.m. busily working away on things. All kinds of things. Very random things.

Like when I decided I should write down each bill on index cards with a Sharpie marker. Not really sure where I was going with that, but I did fill in the blanks on some of the cards. Seeing how my car insurance has increased over the past year or two prompted me to call my agency for a better quote.

I also made a flower arrangement and dismantled another one. You know, because arranging flowers at midnight seemed like a good idea.

The next morning I would find random picture frames and pictures scattered on the living room floor. I wasn’t sure where I was going with this little project, but there it was.

Let’s Focus

On Saturday, I thought enough was enough, and I wanted to spend my extra energy doing something productive. So I focused to use my steroid rampage powers for good.

For my kitchen renovation, I am down to completing the backsplash, lights and baseboard. I still had quite a few items that I needed to find a home for in the kitchen. I kept on task and wound up re-arranging some of the items in the kitchen. After a brief visit from a friend, I went back to it instead of distracting myself with something else.

In a couple of hours, my kitchen was pretty, and everything had a home.

Use Your Frenzy

I know the extra energy from the steroids will ebb in a couple of days, but in the meantime, I’m going to use my steroid-induced energy to my advantage on specific tasks.

Two of my organizing colleagues – Ellen Delap and Leslie McKee – always talk about focusing on your MITs (Most Important Things) when it comes to prioritizing. I tell my clients the same thing, and it’s amazing how determining what your Most Important Tasks are clears your mind and helps you focus on achieving your goals.

I have at least a week’s worth of work to do putting my house back in order after steroids. But I have to admit that the flower arrangement turned out gorgeous.