by Linda Samuels
I wanted to share a message of hope and a positive path forward for those who struggle with or know someone challenged by disorganization.
While many excellent “how-to” organizing books are available, The Other Side of Organized focuses more on philosophical ideas about organizing and life balance.
Why do you want to get organized? What is organized enough? What are you passionate about? How can you integrate organizing into your life in a way that allows you to focus on what’s most important to you?
What Are the Underlying Causes of Disorganization?
The underlying causes of disorganization can be situational or chronic.
Situational disorganization is temporary and can occur when you experience a life transition like the birth of a baby, loss of a loved one, a move, divorce, or a new job.
Chronic disorganization happens over an extended period—years, decades, lifetime. It has a negative daily impact on the quality of life, self-help attempts have not been successful, and there is a future expectation of more disorganization.
There are numerous causes of chronic disorganization, including:
- Mental health issues such as depression or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Neurologically based conditions like ADHD or Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Aging issues around mobility and cognition
- Learning differences
- Perfectionism
- Lack of organizing skills
Where Do Most People Go Wrong When It Comes to Organization?
There are two organizing challenges I notice most frequently.
Unrealistic Expectations
When organizing goals are unrealistic, people tend to get overwhelmed, lose momentum, or become discouraged.
Being unrealistic includes taking on too much at once or expecting quick fixes for challenges that have existed for a long time.
Not Getting Help
There’s no need to travel your organizing journey alone. Especially when you’re stuck, reach out and enlist nonjudgmental help from family, friends, or a professional organizer.
How is Perfectionism A Roadblock for People Who Want to Get Organized?
Perfectionism or being afraid of incorrectly doing something can stop you from moving forward during the organizing process.
There is no “perfect” or one way to get organized.
In fact, failing is an essential part of the journey. We learn by trial, error, and remaining curious.
Organizing requires letting go of physical stuff, time-related clutter, and habits and ideas that no longer serve you.
Perfectionism can impede the letting go process by preventing changes from happening unless they are done perfectly.
What is An Example of Perfectionism Hindering Organization?
Often, people need to donate or recycle the things they no longer want.
However, finding the perfect place to donate to or adhering to unrealistic recycling rules can impede their organizing progress.
Adopting a good enough perspective is worth practicing, especially if perfectionism prevents you from moving forward.
How Does Mindfulness Come Into Play When Trying to Get Organized?
Mindfulness is a quality of being that we can bring to all aspects of our lives, including organizing.
Mindful organizing brings a quality of purposeful, present-centered, non-judgmental attention and curiosity to the organizing process.
Mindfulness and organizing are both practices with informal and formal components.
The goal isn’t perfection or to be 100% mindful or organized 100% of the time. The nature of practice encourages continual learning, curiosity, and experimentation.
Three of My Most Effective Get-Organized Tips
1. Embrace “Less” Mindset
The less you have, the easier it is to organize, maintain, and manage.
The Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule can be applied to organizing. Most people only wear 20% of their clothes or refer to 20% of the papers they file.
With that knowledge, be ruthless, let go, embrace living with less.
2. Create Homes
Establish a place for your belongings.
When you are done using that item, return it to its “home.”
However, before creating a specific space for your things, make sure they are “home-worthy.”
Do they deserve a spot, or is it time to part ways?
3. Use Minutes
Most of us don’t have endless, uninterrupted hours to get organized.
Learn to use short, 10-15 minute decluttering and organizing sessions. They can be productive, doable, and less overwhelming.
To infuse energy into your short sessions, play upbeat music, set a timer, and stop when the buzzer rings.
What Part Does Decluttering Have to Play in Getting Organized?
Decluttering is an essential first stage in getting organized.
After you edit and let go of the unessential, what remains are the things that are useful, meaningful, and relevant in your life now.
It becomes much easier to organize because the items that have overstayed their welcome no longer compete for your time, energy, and space.
How To Motivate Yourself to Get Organized
Motivation to get organized can be compromised because we have too many goals, lack clarity, are unsure where to begin, feel unclear about what to do next, are exhausted, or have conflicting priorities.
Any of these can negatively affect motivation.
Many experience overwhelm and get de-motivated because getting organized seems like a large project.
A helpful strategy is to break things down into small, manageable parts. Focus on the tiniest possible next step, which will feel less daunting.
Think small, like decluttering the kitchen counter, organizing the junk drawer, or editing today’s pile of mail. Enjoy your success and build from there.
My Favorite Get-Organized Motivators
Cross It Off Motivator
An excellent motivator is to create a list of organizing tasks that you can check off as completed.
An added bonus is the endorphin ping (happiness hormone) you receive as you cross off each to-do.
Deadline Motivator
Using a timer, making an appointment, or planning an event imposes a fixed timeframe for completion or your organizing project.
Deadlines can work motivational wonders.
Promise Motivator
Committing to others, adding that accountability piece, and making good on your word can motivate you to accomplish your organizing goals.
Why Organization is Important to Overall Well-Being
There are many ways to improve your well-being and encourage calm and groundedness, like getting enough sleep, spending time in nature, and meditating.
Being organized also creates nourishing habits, which decrease stress, help you feel supported, confident, and contribute to a better sense of well-being.
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Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™, is a compassionate, enthusiastic Professional Organizer and Coach who facilitates change in her clients’ lives.
Founder of Oh, So Organized! (1993), author of The Other Side of Organized, and blogger on organizing and life balance, Linda offers virtual organizing worldwide, presents workshops, writes, and mentors Professional Organizers. Media features include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Woman’s Day, and Entrepreneur.com.
She is a past president of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD,) and member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO,) NAPO-NY chapter, and an Advisor for The Executive Mom Nest.
Linda lives with her husband between two rivers 30 miles north of New York City, in a small, colorful home with a purple front door. They are empty-nesters as their kids are in the world living their adult lives.
For more information on Linda and her work, please see her website and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The Other Side of Organized – Finding Balance Between Chaos and Perfection: In The Other Side of Organized, Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™ will encourage you to get organized enough to reduce the stress of life’s details and make time to embrace your passions.
Already, thousands of clients and readers have found help and inspiration in her advice, personal reflections on change, and connection, and vision of what can be accomplished when you find that sweet spot between chaos and perfection.
Available on Amazon.