- What
is clutter?
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You
know something is clutter when you no longer see
it. Clutter is nothing more than piles of unmade
decisions. When you organize, you are making a
series of decisions so you have to be in a decisive
mood or you'll never get anywhere. Instead, you'll
be pondering over old stuff, moving it from one
place to another.
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- What
is the best way to get started in organizing?
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Stay
focused and work in one area at a time. As you
work, do not leave the area in which you are working
because you will be distracted by things in other
areas and lose valuable time. Try working in a
clockwise manner to keep focused. Put items that
belong somewhere else by the door and deliver
them later.
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- How
important is time when it comes to organizing?
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Very!
Knowing how long you can work is crucial. Be realistic--if
you only have the energy to work 2 hours, then
stop after 2 hours. Make sure that you don't overdo
it because this will discourage you from future
organizing. USE A TIMER...This may sound silly,
but it works. Whatever amount of time you schedule
to organize, use the first 1/2 to sort and the
second 1/2 to put away. You know what normally
happens, you sort for the whole time and before
you know it, you have 70 piles and it's time to
stop. SET THE TIMER for 1/2 the time, stop sorting
when it rings, and start putting away.
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- How
do I overcome getting bored when I organize since
I'd rather be doing something (anything) else?
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HAVE
A CLUTTER BUDDY...Having someone to help you
is very motivating and can alleviate any boredom
that may set in. Or you could hire a Professional
Organizer to come in and guide you through the
steps necessary to install systems with long-term
results.
REWARD
YOURSELF...This is so important! If you know
there is something waiting for you at the end
of an organizing session, it can be very motivating.
It can be something as simple as a bubble bath,
9 holes of golf, ½-hour reading a novel;
a ½-hour walk...whatever makes YOU happy.
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- How
do I LEARN TO LET GO of things that I can't seem
to part with?
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By
asking yourself a few quick questions, you can
rid your life of a lot of clutter. Do I REALLY
need this? When was the last time I used this?
Could someone else benefit from this more than
me? Why am I keeping this? Be honest with yourself
and you'll see that letting go is not so hard.
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- What
do I need to get started?
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The
first think you need is the URGE TO PURGE. If
you normally keep everything, make sure you are
in the frame of mind to declutter your life. If
you are not ready to purge and let go, don't even
waste your time. You have to admit to yourself
that you are unhappy with the clutter in order
to have a motivating factor. Until then, you probably
won't throw much away. A Professional Organizer
is great help for this type of problem.
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- I
know myself and I am easily distracted when I
am doing any task.
What can I do to overcome that?
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ELIMINATE
DISTRACTIONS...While you are organizing, try not
to: answer the phone, make any calls, check your
email, write any emails, have anyone around that
you are responsible for (plan around children's
schedules, etc.). Let people know that you are
not available for the time that you are going
to organize.
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- Why
should I get organized? I like having my piles
of papers and things surrounding me.
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| Organized
people save time and money, and have reduced stress
and frustration levels. You may not think that
those piles surrounding you cause you stress,
but I'll bet that if they disappeared, you would
see a significant change in your productivity
and anxiety level. |
