Have you ever wondered how your life would be different if you could just get organized?
Getting organized doesn’t happen overnight, but if you start making small changes, it will eventually make a big difference.
At first you’ll start to notice a difference in your stress levels. Then over time, you’ll look back and see how getting organized clears the way for you to live a better life.
You may also like: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About the Impact of Clutter How to Create a Simple Home Management Plan Join the free Paper Organization Challenge! Things That Happen When You Start to Get Organized You feel less frazzled. Instead of jumping from one urgent task to the next, you start to feel like you have a little more control over your life. Your stress levels go down. It’s awesome! You have more time. You get caught up, and you might even have a little extra time to do something you actually want to do. Imagine that! You’re more creative. Your mind isn’t always in fight-or-flight mode because your environment is calmer. This frees your brain up to be more creative. Read more about what clutter does to your brain here. You’re more confident. Instead of feeling ashamed about how you can’t seem to get it together, you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat. You feel more capable. Instead of feeling like you can’t take on anything else, you start to have confidence in your own abilities to get things done and contribute. You’re more open. Surprise guests will no longer send you into a panic. You’re more apt to bring friends into your home, and try new things. Your kids can have friends over without feeling embarrassed about the mess in your home. You become more well-rounded. With less stress, more confidence, and more creativity, you start to try new things. You become a more interesting person because you have more to talk about. Instead of worrying about your never-ending to-do list, you spend more time learning, observing, and enjoying your life. The Reality of Getting and Staying Organized
You may be thinking…that sounds great, but I can never actually maintain the things I organize! I feel good about getting organized for a day or two, only to be disappointed when it all eventually falls apart.
The truth is that organizing takes work. It takes maintenance. It requires you to create routines and systems that work for YOU.
And most importantly, it requires you to NOT be a perfectionist about everything.
Practical Over Perfect
You’ve probably heard the old adage “progress over perfection.”
It’s wise advice!
But I prefer to remind myself to do things that are “practical over perfect.” Meaning – try to organize your life based on what’s practical for you, your family, and your life stage. Because when we take into the account the reality of our situations, we can make realistic changes that will allow us to actually make progress!
Don’t get me wrong – I love a beautifully organized space. We all love the idea of living in a perfectly spotless house.
But you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.
Opt to do what works for you.
When it comes to making changes to get organized (and see the results listed above), opting for what’s practical is what’s going to move the needle forward more than trying to work towards an unrealistic ideal.
What to Do When You Run Into Setbacks
When your organizational systems fall apart, it’s a great opportunity (albeit a huge annoyance) to make them better.
You can take a good look at what went wrong, and make changes that will make your system easier to maintain in the future.
For example – if your system of putting shoes on a shoe rack fails miserably, you can change it up to make it work. You could…
Focus on building the habit of actually using the shoe rack. Put someone in your family in charge of enforcing shoe rack use (a great job for the youngest in the family!). Forget the shoe rack and put a big basket by the door instead. That way everyone can quickly throw their shoes into the basket and be on their way. How Do I Start Being Organized?
I always recommend focusing on your biggest pain point first.
Ask yourself – What area of my home/life causes the most chaos when it gets disorganized?
That’s where you should start.
If that seems too overwhelming – make it smaller.
So, if your kitchen is causing you chaos (it’s the most commonly problematic area for most people!), start by clearing out your sink and doing all your dishes. Get a good system going for cleaning and putting away dishes and then build from there.
Getting Organized – Slowly
Your quest to get organized doesn’t have to happen overnight.
In fact, building systems and routines works better if it’s done slowly over time.
That way you can pivot, make changes, and improve things over time.
You can make your organizational systems practical for YOU.
If you’re able to do so right now, go and start working on that one thing that causes the most chaos for you. Even if you spend just a few minutes working at it, you’ll be starting your journey to get organized!
More Resources to Help You Start Getting Organized The Easy Way I Shine My Sink (and keep the dirty dishes under control) Figure Out Which Type of Laundry Routine Works for You How to Create a GOOD Routine
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