Talk Show Episode #24 – Where Do I Begin

How To Start Organizing

I always get asked the same question (in different forms) “Where Do I Begin?” “How Do I Get Started”. This episode is all about the tips and processes that helped me get my act together years ago – and remain organized!

[display_podcast]

Do you frequently study articles about organizing and they have similar words for helping you get organized; only they are just rearranged? Or they give you organizing ideas & products, but don’t really motivate you to stick to it?

You need to formulate a plan.  There is nothing that is more potent to achieving your goals than having a plan to start off.  Here are the steps to formulating your plan, and getting yourself motivated to get your act together!

Set Goals.
In order for this plan to fly, you have to have understandable, precise goals that are well defined and written out.  Very likely, you will find it most successful to set long and short term goals.  For instance, your long term goal could be getting your home organized in a year’s time.  Your short term goal could be getting one room in order within a month.

After you have your goals in mind, write them down on paper and put that paper in a place you can view it often.  Knowing a target in your head is not enough; it needs to be in a place where you can view it often and constantly motivate you to achieve your goals.

What is your Why?
You need to determine why you want something.  It’s not enough to simply want to get organized-you need to know why you have this desire.   Without wanting something whole-heartedly, it will be nearly impossible to achieve it. Here are some good reasons to get organized:
•    You’ll be able to relax more. By getting organized, your stress levels will go down, and you’ll be able to live a less chaotic, more relaxed life.
•    You’ll have more time for yourself. By being more efficient, like getting your projects done quicker, being able to delegate, wasting less time looking for things and being able to make faster decisions, you’ll spend less time ‘working’ and will have more time for yourself and the things you love to do.
•    You’ll have more time for your loved ones. An organized person is always able to fit in time for friends and family members.
•    You’ll feel good about your surroundings. Being disorganized often results in embarrassment. You may feel anxious when visitors drop by your home or office and see clutter or stuff out of place. Get organized, and you’ll forever feel excellent about your surroundings–good enough to invite people in without worries.
•    You’ll be healthier. Get organized and you’ll have more than enough time to exercise and cook healthy meals for yourself and your family.
•    You’ll save more. Money, that is. When you’re organized, you’ll always know what you have, before you buy more.

Take Inventory.
Look at the all-over picture of your home. Go through every room and make your mind up what it is that you want to do with that room and write it down. While you’re evaluating your rooms and planning them, here are some things to think about:
•    See if you can find any hidden storage areas in your room. Decide if you want to add another shelf in the closet, use the storage space on the inside of a door, maybe use under the bed storage.
•    Think about organizing products you like and that make you feel good. Do you want to use Rubbermaid or are the items in a hidden area where a cardboard box will do. Using things that you like will give you a better feeling of a job-well-done.
•    Consider daily activities and routines in your home. Place items where they are going to do you the most good. Something that you use on a daily basis should not be on a high shelf.

Focus on a little bit at a time.
Rather than thinking about the enormous job at the forefront, split that mission up into controllable tasks. For instance, if you want to organize the boxes in your attic, you may think about going through one box per day, until it’s all complete.

Ask someone to bug you.
Tell a close friend, relative or co-worker, what you plan to organize, and by what date. Then, merely request that person to bug you a small number of days before to see if you’ve completed it so far. A little outside inspiration is frequently an enormous help.

Bribe yourself.
Make something you love to do, dependant on the achievement of today’s chore – a reward. If you promise yourself that you will not watch your favorite television program tonight, unless you work for 15 minutes on organizing your paper piles, you’re sure to get that little task completed. No cheating permitted.

Appreciate your own approach.
Just as we are all different in other ways, we all have diverse organizational styles. Employ improved organizational skills to enhance your personal style, not change it. Getting organized should make you feel good, not burdened.

Stick to your plan.
The best-laid plans often fall victim to their makers. While spontaneity is important, there is a fine line between it and plain procrastination. Once you’ve come up with a good plan for tackling a task, stay with it. Only you can prevent yourself from wavering.