Maybe the disorder in your house, office, car, or garage is an outward sign of what’s going on inside you. Have you ever thought about that? Do you feel like a mess on the inside? Perhaps it’s time to clean up some things, to get your life in order, inside and out.

I’m going to reveal a key habit that will catapult you to success—are you ready?

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
(1 Cor. 14:33, NIV)

Someone once said that you can tell the state of a person’s mind by looking at how clean his or her garage is. (Another person once asked, “Does that mean if I don’t have a garage, I don’t have a mind?”)

Maybe the disorder in your house, office, car, or garage is an outward sign of what’s going on inside you. Have you ever thought about that? Do you feel like a mess on the inside? Perhaps it’s time to clean up some things, to get your life in order, inside and out. The longer you procrastinate, the harder it will be to make these improvements.

Getting organized may seem so overwhelming to you right now that you’re not sure where to begin. Have you ever heard the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” How do you tackle those piles of paper? One piece at a time! Just start somewhere.

Personal Organization
If you start taking care of things, you can create room for prosperity. And when God starts giving you the desires of your heart, you need to be grateful by being a good steward over them.

When I was attending Bible school, one of the ministers said something I’ve never forgotten. “We can tell,” he said, “if you’re going to make it in the ministry by looking in your dresser drawers.”

I remember thinking, “Oh, dear God! I’m in big trouble!” So I went home and started cleaning. I said to myself, “Well, I’m not as organized as I want to be yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get there. I can change. I may not be perfect, but I can certainly make some changes at becoming better in this area than I am now.”

Now, none of the things I have shared are meant to condemn you, but rather to motivate you to live a more excellent life by developing the habit of organization.

Time Management
Another important organizational skill is time management. Sometimes we say, “yes” to everything that comes along to avoid feeling guilty. Using a calendar or daily time-management notebook will help you say “no” when you’ve already made time-consuming commitments elsewhere.

Time management is not only for business professionals. Homemakers, teachers, employees, pastors, students, and you still need to manage their time. It will help you work smarter, not harder.

Time is one way in which God has created us all equal. We all have 24 hours a day. We each have 168 hours per week. It’s how we use our time that matters most. Here are two of the five ways I encourage readers to take control of their time:

• Get in the habit of making to-do lists. Write down at least six things you want to accomplish each day. Before you go to the grocery store, create a list of items you need so that you don’t forget them and waste time wandering the aisles.
• Map out your errands in advance. If you have several places to go, why not map out the order of your stops first? This will save you the time you’d lose backtracking or zigzagging from place to place.

Personal Finances
Another important habit of organization concerns your personal finances. Your financial state today is a result of your saving, giving, and spending habits yesterday.

The law of eventually (which I discuss in the book) works with money, too. Your financial future depends on the decisions you make today. Through discipline, self-control and patience—over time—you can accumulate wealth. Wouldn’t you like that?

Organization is an important part of creating habits that will cause you to be an uncommon achiever. This habit alone will generate peace and creativity in your life. So, start getting organized and watch your life transform as you incorporate another habit of uncommon achievers!

Kate McVeigh Ministries All rights reserved.