The Commitment to Get Organized

I had an interesting experience this past weekend while attending a great Street Fair in one of the communities just down the freeway. Community activities like this are one of the fantastic things about SoCal. Within thirty minutes of our driveway there is a Farmers Market everyday accept Monday and nearly every weekend there is a Street Fair, Art Festival, or Fruit/Veggie Festival. Strawberry and Avocado dominate around here, but I digress!

At the Fair I was standing by the booth of a woman who was marketing herself as an Organization Coach. She was talking with a much younger woman about the frustrations of organizing one's space or clutter. Finally, the young woman said, "Ok, tell me your number one tip for clearing out my office and cleaning up the junk in my apartment." At this point I have to confess to eavesdropping! The woman responded saying, "At home it is best to not allow things to pile up. So, for example, if you do your laundry, make sure you fold it and put it away." To which the girl replied, "Fold my clothes and put them away, yuck." The woman pressed on, "For your office I always recommend the classic rule for paper management," and was interrupted by the young woman who said, "I know, only touch a piece of paper once. I can't do that so that's a waste of time."

At this point I was anticipating a variation on one of the "advice is worth what you pay for it," remarks but the woman just looked at her and said, "Yes, I am sure of that since it requires commitment, Sweetie."

As they say, you can shout the truth from the house tops!

Yours in getting organized,

J. W. Deal

Clutter = Stuff!

When we survey our clutter we recognize a great deal of it as our "stuff." I will not go into a lengthy definition of stuff because it falls in one of those categories like that often ridiculed saying about art appreciation, we know it when we see it. For boys we jokingly refer to it as our toys. For women, many become "collectibles" (I am going to get it for that one.) Whatever we call it the stuff is still stuff!

That said, I want to share a couple of critical standards for evaluating when stuff has become clutter, maybe even junk! These standards are ones you use when the stuff in question has or had a use. In order to be successful applying these standards as part of your strategy to get organized, you will generally treat them as questions and you will need to answer them concretely, critically and realistically. So ask yourself......

"If I needed this item in the future, could I find one like it and what would it likely cost?"

If it is going to be hard to find or if it is going to cost you an arm or a leg, find a place for it and keep it.

"When was the last time I used this item or toy?"

If it has been more than two years and you can't see yourself using it in the next thirty days, throw it.

Simply applying these two standards to things like closet, garage or attic "junk" can go a long way toward either a big pile on the curb or the inventory for your next eBay sale. If it is the latter, just make sure you have the sale because if not you have just move the "stuff" into a different category of clutter.

Remember...you can let your clutter drive you crazy or you can get crazy organized.

Getting Organized and Paralysis from Analysis

Finding information on the Internet about ways to Get Organized is great fun. It can also be interesting, even an entertaining means of researching areas of organization surrounding one's home or office or other areas like feng shui, clutter and coaching. Often in our efforts to get control in some area of our life we convince ourselves that the key to success rests in getting just a "little bit more information." It just can go on and on and on, you get the picture.

The fact remains that to get organized we have to be in the right place mentally and emotionally to take action. Without the correct mind set and emotional supports the approach and work of organizing our space can bring on the same sense of being overwhelmed as occurs in child rearing, managing our finances, or juggling relationships, jobs and families. So to put a band aid on the dread of being overwhelmed, we research and surf the net to convince ourselves we are moving forward with our goals to get organized.

All of this results in one of the most hideous forms of procrastination known to mankind, paralysis from analysis! By continuing to gather information on the subject at hand we attempt to convince ourselves that the task before us requires it, just a bit more information and then we can get started. I know this because as the old comedy line goes, "I resemble that remark!"

I have started a garden over a month late in the spring planting season because, among other reasons I over researched what was best grown in pots and best in the ground to assure that I was going to have the right plants in the patio containers. Right! I have researched golf conditioning exercises for just the right ones to get ready for the big winter golf trip with the guys. I researched it so well that I actually got in a couple of days of exercises before we headed South. Most years I also came home injured! I solved that one by moving to SoCal where I can play year round.

The truth is, the only way to get past the paralysis and move toward your goals for getting organized is to take the first step. Take Action! Here is what I recommend to get you moving. Look over your lists of tasks associated with your goals, you do have a list don't you? Pick the very easiest one and do it. Then do the next easiest one. The fact is that by doing this and seeing two tasks successfully completed, your sense of purpose and accomplishment will get an incredible shot in the arm. Your mind set will be altered. Nine times out of ten you won't even look for the next easiest one, you will jump right to the one you had labeled as the most important task or step when you first made the list. Success, purpose, confidence and accomplishment will motivate you to end your paralysis from analysis and take the fight to the Clutter Monster.

Remember you can let your clutter drive you crazy or you can get crazy organized.

Get organized!