Organize + Energize: 6 Things to do Before You Get Organized
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
You’re overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and don’t know where to begin. Stop for a moment. Before you read the next 6 tips, I want you to do a brain dump. Grab a pen and paper and write down the projects you want to tackle. After you do that, I want you to write down the vision you have for each space. How do you see yourself functioning in that space? Get rid of all the mental clutter you’ve had about these projects and get it written on paper. Releasing the mental clutter and seeing your projects on paper is the first step to getting organized. It’s not just about getting organized. There’s so much more that goes into getting organized.
Here are 6 things to remember before you begin your project.
Focus and limit your distractions. You have to limit all of your distractions before you begin your project. You also have to be aware of what distracts you, and then you can limit them. Staying in the room you’re working in will keep you focused. Place a bin outside of the room you’re in and place anything there that needs to go to another room. Disburse the items in the bin once you’ve completed your project.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBreak down your projects into small tasks. Your project is to tackle your entire office. You can’t go full steam ahead and start randomly tearing apart the entire office. Break your office into sections and tackle one category at a time. Tackle your desk, then the paper piles, and then the bookshelves. This will help you to stay focused on one category at a time. You won’t get overwhelmed if you focus on one area.
You have to empty the entire space. You won’t know what’s hiding in the back of the closet if you don’t empty everything out of the space. You can’t get a clear vision of a space until it’s empty. You want to be able to maximize your space and you can’t do that if you just shift items around.
Categorize and itemize. I’ve been in homes and offices where the same items are stored all over the place. How does one find anything? Do you realize the money you are wasting because you are probably buying duplicate items? Imagine the time you are wasting searching all over for these items.
Every item should have a home. This is how you create your systems. Every item in your home has a place to be stored. It’s not just stuffed into a closet or a desk drawer.
Maintain your systems by creating routines. You have your systems set up, now what? You have to maintain those systems or you will end up in the same mess. From those systems, create a daily routine. Just like brushing your teeth and putting your socks on, create a routine to maintain your organization. It’s as simple as taking something out and putting it back where it belongs. Habits will form from your routines and it will become an everyday way of life.
You may be saying, this is all great, but I just don’t have the eye for organizing. You are not alone. Many people never developed their organizational skill set. They may have grown up in a disorganized home where both parents were disorganized and they were never taught the skill set or they grew up in an organized home where their parents did everything for them. If you are stuck, enlist a professional to help you with your disorganization.
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, is an organizing & efficiency expert and owner of Organizing in RI. Kristin teaches her clients that living an organized lifestyle will save them time and money, decrease their stress levels and help them become more efficient and productive. Her articles have been published in local and national magazines. She has also given over 70 presentations throughout the state. Watch Kristin LIVE every Thursday at 3pm here on GoLocal LIVE.
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