As a professional organizer, I hear people make these exclamations a LOT! It’s not that people don’t know how to prioritize, categorize, downsize, and reorganize. Most people DO have a basic sense of how to organize and know what might work for them on a functional and aesthetic level. But getting started and seeing a project through to the end can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. This is especially true if you’re juggling the project with all the rest of life’s responsibilities and/or tackling a project that is a result of months or years of steady, uncurated accumulation. So, what is my response?
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This Chinese proverb always goes through my mind and sometimes out of my lips. For some, this may not quell their anxiety, but for me it always puts things in perspective. It reminds me that remarkable things can be accomplished if you just start the process. For example, I’ve been on project sites where I enter a room and have no idea that there are actually windows to the outside. What did I do? I STARTED (and ultimately found those windows). And so can you...
Things to keep in mind...
Getting started DOES NOT MEAN going out and bingeing on bins. This is a classic mistake and often leads to more work and frustration. People often already have the space and tools they need to functionally organize their things, especially after they’ve thoughtfully divested themselves from the ‘stuff’ that no longer serves them. Even if new product is necessary, if you get the bins first, they might not be a good fit for the space or the way you intend to maintain it.
Start the process where you know you can achieve some quick, easy wins. For example, if you are reorganizing your basement, start with an area that you know has some broken rakes, old tiles that are no longer in your home and paint that is no longer paintable. DON’T start with the boxes of your now adult children’s K - 12 art projects. We all need a little wind in our sails before we tackle the really difficult stuff, either physically, mentally or emotionally.
Employ strategies that will hamper second-guessing yourself. When you decide that an item is no longer a good fit for you, literally or figuratively, put it in an opaque box or bag with a label indicating its new home (i.e. a donation center, recycling center or Aunt Mabel). Also, include time in your project timeline each day to take discards to their new home, if at all possible. This way, you don’t keep revisiting your decisions which can dramatically increase fatigue on every level.
If it’s a big project, establish zones where you can leave categories of items between work periods. It’s important to keep your home and/or business operational while you’re in the middle of a big organizing project. If you have to relive your high school hurdle jumping days every morning to get ready for work or otherwise, you’ll constantly be confronted with the stress and frustration you’re trying to fix.
So, just get started... on your own or with a bit of help. The result will be worth the effort and give you something we all need a bit of these days...some breathing space!
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