“Change Your Life, Get Organized!” This very phrase scares some people. One day a friend remarked to me that she did not want to get organized. I found this curious but the more I thought about it, I understood. I actually think she is already organized and doesn’t realize it.
On Oprah, Peter Walsh, the organizer from TLC channel’s Clean Sweep did an awesome show about de-cluttering. He dealt with the mental aspect of the causes and thought processes that lead to overwhelming clutter. People live in denial as they are accumulating and what is unusual becomes the norm. If you are embarrassed to have company, or have a room to which you always close the door when people are coming over, try this: take a picture of all the “stuff” and you may realize it is time to attack the situation. No one has to live with clutter.
The myth that being organized equates to being perfect, or being anal, must be dispelled. Anyone who knows me personally knows that this need not be the case, and preferably, is not the case!
It is apparent to me that being organized means different things to different people. And that is fine. Being organized is personal, and as individual as each individual. Being organized to me means that instead of repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result each time, you formulate a solution to that issue so you don’t spend your time repeating the same mistake, which causes frustration and wastes time.
Besides fear, another common issue that is holding back busy professionals and busy moms and dads, is that “they are too busy.” I am going to be very direct here and rephrase that, or overcome that objection. What that phrase means to me is that you CHOOSE not to spend time organizing. You CHOOSE to do everything else instead. You CHOOSE everything else over spending time getting organized. If you can be very honest with yourself, I think you will realize how true this is. Think about WHY you are avoiding it.
If I told you that you have just won a FREE trip for two to Hawaii, but that you have to use it in two weeks, most of you would find time to go.
It’s all about motivation. Hawaii sounds a lot more exciting than organizing.
But if you really want to get organized, if you really want to get rid of that clutter, if you really want to catch up your laundry, if you really want to clean out those closets, your kids’ rooms, your garage, your kitchen, your desk, have company come over, if it is really bothering you or interfering with your lifestyle in any way, you will make time.
As I suggested to The Miami Herald Business Writer, Cindy Goodman, “schedule a day in,” and this became her favorite tip. You don’t have time to get organized if you never stay home. Work on what you have been avoiding. She took my advice and got so much done, and felt so relieved, she was pleasantly surprised. She even blogged about it online at www.miamiherald.com/business.
And if you want to do it in the minimal amount of time, with the least amount of overwhelm and stress, call Time-Savers and our professionals will work with you to reach your goals.
Walsh stated there are two kinds of clutter, “the ones you hang on to for memories,” and “the ones you hang on to because someday it may be useful for something.” “Living in the past or the future is keeping you from living in the present. Clutter saps your time, energy and money just maintaining it all. The stuff is not making you happy, it is overwhelming you.”
Some of the comments I hear on a daily basis from organizing my clients include: “I feel like a thousand pound weight was lifted off of me,” “I feel so much more in control of my surroundings now,” “I feel like I can breathe again,” “This was so much better than sex,” (yes, someone really said that)! For more comments and reactions, please see the “testimonials” page of my website at www.timesaversusa.com.
You too can feel the sense of relief de-cluttering brings. And don’t worry about relapsing. It is normal to feel like that. But we will give you the tools, systems and skills necessary to help you with maintenance as well. You will never go back to as bad a situation as you were in when you started if you make some behavior changes. And we are always available to support our clients free by phone along that journey or to help you with a “tune-up.”
I know I’ve been a little harsh here, however I hope it got through to you. Getting organized is a positive step. When we work one on one with you, you have already decided that you need to let go of some of your stuff. So we are gentle, non-critical and non-judgmental. With our skillful knowledge, we help facilitate your own decisions about what to keep and what to donate or toss. It is not about what WE want, but how we can help you get to YOUR goals. You too can be freed from the clutter and open up your life to new possibilities so you can LIVE in the present!
