What's Holding You Back From Getting Organized?

Do you want to get organized? If so, what's holding you back? Determining what your obstacles are, and conquering those obstacles, will help you get started in your quest.

Is it perfectionism? Perhaps you don't like to start something until you feel like you have enough time to do it completely. There's an easy solution to this. Just choose smaller projects, or parts of projects, that you can accomplish within 10 minutes or less.

Is it that you're having a difficult time getting motivated? Make your organizing projects more fun by setting rewards for your accomplishments, no matter how small. Invite a friend over to help.

Is it that you're overwhelmed? If so, it may be because you're focusing on 'everything' that needs to get done. Just choose one to two small projects to focus on at a time. You'll get organized by taking baby steps.

No matter what's holding you back, there are always effective solutions that await. All you need is to grab onto those solutions and get started.

Happy Organizing!

November is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month

Ok, I'll admit that we humans have come up with some silly- sounding monthly events, but this one is sure to be an enormous help--especially since Thanksgiving is approaching and you're likely going to need space for turkey and pumpkin pie.

What's lurking in your refrigerator? If you don't know, now is the perfect time to find out. Gulp!

I recommend you empty out your fridge--and freezer. Clean the inside, and then begin returning the identifiable foods that are still safe to eat, and that you're still planning to eat.

Don't take up space in the fridge with food and beverages that are just going to sit there for another 6 months unused. Even if it's a full bottle of salad dressing that you only used once and discovered you didn't care for, get rid of it. Why keep it if you and your family members are not going to eat it?

If you find something and you're not sure what it is, just toss it. In the future, label your food packages and containers with the contents and the date you stored them.

Don't Fall Into the Non-Stop Trap

With everything you have to do in a given day, it's easy to fall into the non-stop trap. This is when you're doing nothing more than chores, working, errands, cooking--after a while, you're exhausted from this never ending hamster wheel you're on.

No matter how busy you are, you should always make time for yourself. After all, life isn't about living to work. Rather, it's about working to live.

Schedule a minimum of an hour per day to do something for yourself--something you really enjoy.

Enjoy a hobby. Take a walk. Read a book. Listen to some uninterrupted music. Whatever it is, this hour per day will help you to unwind, decrease stress and more fully enjoy life. You deserve it.

Define the Problem

A big part of being organized is being able to define the problem at hand. Just jumping right into a solution rarely works. There may be a dozen different solutions, but only one of those solutions will be the very best one for you.

To find the very best solution, the problem you have must first be clear in your mind, and in the mind of anyone trying to help you.

A problem that is clearly defined is 50% solved.

Ask yourself questions. For example, let's say your home office is cluttered. You might ask yourself...

a) How did my office get so cluttered?

b) Is anyone else, besides me, contributing to the clutter?

c) What are my systems for completing projects or going through the mail?

d) How much time do I currently invest in keeping the clutter out of my office?

Once you come up with some answers to your questions, the solution should begin appearing. Keep this in mind when it comes to any other projects that you may have. If you do, you're well on your way to being more organized.