Friday, June 05, 2009

How Do I Find the Motivation to Follow Through With Getting Organized?

Yesterday I shared a list of 7 Reasons to Hire a Professional Organizer. My very humorous blogging friend, Helene over at I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor, asked a great question that I would like to answer.

Helelene wrote: How ironic this post is!! My husband and I today were just chatting about how less chaotic our lives would feel if we got more organized. We can't anything around here b/c things are just stuffed into closets or cabinets. I always read your posts and think you have such great ideas....now do you have any suggestions on how I should actually motivate myself to follow through? See, that's my problem...I wish I could just snap my fingers and it would be all done for me...LOL!

Helene, great question! How to get started.....ALWAYS one small step at a time. Here are a few past motivation posts that might help. Before you even start, it might be helpful to verbalize or write down some of your goals.

As you walk through each area of your home, think about:

  1. What do you see?
  2. How do you feel?
  3. What are the negative results of being unorganized in this specific area?
  4. Now visualize this space organized. What would it look like?
  5. What are the positive results of being organized in this specific area?
  6. How would you feel?

Finally, to get started, you have to make a commitment. You are right, it's not just going to happen at the snap of a finger (darn!). Set an appointment with yourself to focus on one area at a time. What I mean is write it on your calendar, make childcare arrangements so you are not distracted and spend that time just organizing - no answering the phone, no running to the store for this or that.

Use my STUFF SYSTEM (TM) to break the job down into steps.

If you find it's difficult for you to get started, consider working with a professional organizer. I find that some of my clients just need the support in the beginning while others want the support and accountability throughout the process.

4 comments:

Heather at My Coupon Coop said...

I agree! It's so important to feel as light and airy as possible! Sometimes I leave things around that I have no use for just because I'm too lazy to deal with them.

Helene said...

Once again, you have amazing tips!! I like the idea of trying to envision what the space would look like if it were organized and doing the organizing one room at a time. I'm gonna go check out the other post that you mentioned! Thanks for this post!!! You rock!!!!

Creative Junkie said...

Scrambling around the house two minutes before the bus comes trying in vain to find the permission slip you KNOW you signed so that your kid can go on the field trip that very day because, if she doesn't go, you'll have to pick her up from school and try to keep her amused all day because she'll be crying her eyes out since she didn't go on the trip to begin with?

That pretty much sums up motivation in our house.

Paula @ Organizing Tips For Moms said...

CJ- you make me laugh!!

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