Where did my organizational skills go?

In the last year, I've succeeded a growing a few small streams of income that I rely on. I have my freelance writing, I use GPT programs and I go through periods of Ebay addiction. I also dabble in Internet Marketing, but that is something that I am saving for after this new baby is born. I don't see the value of starting anything long term now, when I know I'll be out of the loop for at least a few weeks in March.

Regardless, I've realized this week that if I am ever going to get more out of my projects and out of my life, I am going to need to be more organized. This struck me as funny, because if you knew me in high school, or even college, I was the queen of organization.

You know those Franklin Covey planners that are based on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? I got a new one each year starting my junior year of high school. In college, arranging my schedule for each semester was like Christmas for me. When I worked out of the home, I spent my free time in my planner and scheduling what needed to be done when I got home.

So the fact that I now need to get my act together organization wise seems like something out of the Twilight Zone. I haven't had a good day planner in almost two years. I feel like I am constantly putting out "fires" in my work and home life...jumping from mini-crisis to mini-crisis. For example, this weekend I need to write about a dozen articles, host my son's 12th birthday party, go Christmas shopping, dye my hair and attend my husband's office holiday party. It's only Thursday night and I am already tired!

What happened to my organizational skills? When did I suddenly become one of those scatter-brained people that I could never understand?

I think the process happened in three steps:

1. I married a man who is a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants procrastinator. I felt uncool pulling out my Franklin Covey and reminding him of things that we needed to do.

2. I had a baby. Any mom knows how much those little bundles of joy can throw a kink in your schedule. I think I got tired of being frustrated that my plans for her nap times, eating times, etc were constantly interrupted by what she really needed or wanted in that point in time. As a result, the death of the planner occur ed just a few months after she was born.

3. I started working at home. I could no longer use my planner as a way to relax during a break or on my lunch hour. Because as a busy Work at Home mom, you have no break or lunch hour.

But things are starting to unravel. I am surprised that it took this long. I think the lynch pin was my stepson moving in with us. He is a not a bad kid, just a typical disorganized preteen. And now instead of being responsible for just myself, I've got three other human beings and another on the way who look to me for guidance.

How can I guide when I don't even know where I'm going?