The power of practicing small habits of organization. #organize
Well, now, if you just found your eyeglasses on the top of your head, this post is for you. Even if you didn't lose your glasses, this post is for you.
Grandma may have been irritating when she used to say all of those little things like "All things in moderation, " and "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and "Everything has a place, Everything is in it's place" after we had dug around looking for something for about an hour. Of course, she was absolutely right when she said all of those things. When we take a few minutes (moderation) and put things where they live (in its place) we then end up with a calmer environment for anything that arises (prevention).
For those of us "too busy" people with "lots of things going on", staying organized and putting something away where it lives is the only chance at sanity we have.
There are really only three things you need to know about getting organized. Yes, that's right, only three. Everything else is implementation.
To feel free and calm and be organized you need to:
1) Make Time.
If you're not setting aside about 9 minutes a day to put things away and consciously think about what works for you, then all that means is you don't value staying organized. It means you'd rather dig through your stuff and feel frustrated. The pain of not knowing where your stuff is hasn't become great enough for you to look at the alternative of time up front creating the system.
Don't take our word for it, go ahead and measure for yourself how much time you spend looking for looking for your glasses, or your keys, or that really important file you needed to leave the office with 15 minutes ago. We know from experience that small simple practices in less than 10 minutes a day make you breathe easier, make life easier and give you sanity. When you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, you'll do something about it.
2) Be Brutal.
Warning: It's gonna get ugly here. You know when you eat lots of food and then don't go to the bathroom? Yeah, that's called being constipated. Well, when you keep buying and buying (and buying) stuff and bringing it into your space, and don't give anything away, or donate, or sell, then your office and house become constipated as well. Yes, a disgusting thought it's exactly what's happening. You've got to be brutal about what you actually use and love. If it's stuffed under a bed and you haven't touched it in 10 years, do you really love it? Why are you keeping it? If you love it, then great, hang onto that. Although saying that, make sure you get real with yourself.
Being brutal extends to your time too. Be brutal with those 9 minutes a day to put stuff away and think about what's working and not. Keep them for you. Turn off your phone. (Gasp! Really? Yes!) Put on some funky music and just do it. Shut your door. Tell your office assistant/spouse/kids it's blood or death that interrupts you. To paraphrase Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid, Focus Daniel-san (insert your name where appropriate...)
3) Get Help.
We all pretend to have a big ol' fat Superman "S" on our chests and that we can do everything. The wise person knows his or her limits and asks for guidance and help when he or she needs it. If figuring out what's working for you and what's not working for you on the organizing front is blocking you, ask someone to help you. We recommend you avoid asking a spouse unless you have a super awesome relationship. (Sometimes tone of voice from a spouse sets off all kinds of crazy triggers.)
Ask a friend to come and observe you. Ask someone to look over your office and tell you what patterns they see. Whomever you choose needs to be in it for you, not to espouse their latest and greatest product - this is all about you and what works for you!
We all need help with keeping to the simple axioms from Grandma these days. There are so many activities vying for our attention. Everything is shiny and distracting. Stick with some simple practices in moderation and everything gets done and you'll even have time to enjoy life a little.
p.s. Here's one of AlaQueen's favorite songs by the Four Bitchin' Babes titled "Oh No". Gave us a giggle and is great motivation for the daily 9 minutes.
AlaQueen says,
“Get your stuff organized! Room To Breathe Professional Organizing provides hand on organizing services to professionals and businesses in the greater Sacramento, California region. Stop promising yourself you'll do it “someday”. Call us to just get it done.”
