We can learn a lot from each other, can’t we? It’s one of my favorite things about organizing one-on-one with clients. Today I’m sharing three organizing lessons I’ve learned from my clients.
The Purpose of Getting Organized
Remember, the goal in getting organized is to be able to live life wasting less money, less time and have less stress and frustration.
Get organized so that you can…
- Have people in your home.
- Reach your goals.
- Relax and enjoy your family.
- Feel lighter.
- Serve and give your gifts out to the world.
- Enjoy your home.
- Be more confident (not ashamed, embarrassed and disappointed with your spaces).
- Bless people with the things you are not using and do not need.
Wow! That sounds great, doesn’t it? Let’s get on with this and get organized!
Organizing Lesson #1 – Let It Go
Life is too short to be buried under all of your stuff. Let’s take a quick reality check to see if you have too much stuff.
You have too much stuff if…
- You find yourself staring at things unsure where to put them.
- Price tags are still on things you’ve purchased.
- Your closets over FULL.
- Things are piled around the house waiting to find homes and get put away.
- You have a storage unit holding more of your stuff that doesn’t fit into your house.
- There are things in your home that you haven’t used and you can’t remember the last time you used them.
- Broken items are waiting to get fixed.
- You feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed as you live in your home.
- Maybe, one day, someday when you have time, in case you might need it are the phrases you use when making a decision to keep or donate an item.
- You waste time looking for things you think you have.
Is that enough of a reality check? Get stuff out of your home! What is the worst thing that would happen if you made some decisions and got rid of things? Yes, that you wished you would have kept something, a regret or two. It’ll be okay. Purchase another one. Learn to live without it. Borrow the item from a friend.
Benefits of less stuff
The positives of getting rid of things far outweigh the regret or two that you MIGHT have (but probably won’t) if you get rid of some things. Benefits…
- Less stress in your life.
- Enjoy the things you do have.
- Room for new opportunities.
- A weight is lifted off of you.
- Find things when you need them.
- Less money wasted buying duplicates.
- Invite friends over and enjoy yourself.
- More confidence.
- You’ll make better choices because you are not overwhelmed.
My client got rid of ALL that stuff pictured above during one of our organizing sessions. The results (pictured below)…
- She has a room her boys can enjoy.
- There is extra hanging rod space.
- She can plan outfits each week (black center item holds each day’s outfit).
- A donate box is set up to get things out of the house.
- Memorabilia has a place to go (bins on upper shelf).
- Labeled bins in the shelf tower help everyone in the family know where things go.
She can now complete laundry because she has a place for everything. She can plan her boys’ outfits, have smoother mornings, and enjoy her family more.
ACTION:
You can do this! Grab 10 things right now from around your home and put them in a box or trash bag, load them in your car and drop them off at Goodwill or The Salvation Army next time you are out. Feel good? Do it every day for a week.
This is what I got rid of this week while purging some kitchen cabinets.
Organizing Lesson #2 – Honor Special Memorabilia
Do you have special items stashed in a box hidden in the corner of your basement or attic? If you are keeping it, you love it, and it makes you happy then find a special place for it. One of my clients has special items from her two previous assistance dogs. She has been holding on to them for a long time wanting to do something special with them.
This is what we did…
We laid out the memorabilia. Notice we didn’t keep the entire harness, just a portion. We wrote out the information on paper and pinned items down. Later we switched to using industrial strength velcro rather than the pins so the items laid flat and were more secure. Purchase this shadow box with black interior or this one with lighter linen interior.
We even cut a tennis ball down to fit because her dog Hagrid loved tennis balls.
After we printed the information on card stock and the items were secured with Velcro we hung them on the wall with other memorabilia. Now my client gets to see this every day and it gives her great joy!
Honor your memorabilia
Take the time to do this with your memorabilia. Schedule it in your calendar. Make it a priority. Invest the money needed and then tell someone when to come and see the finished results – a deadline does wonders!
Consider deeply if the item is special enough to keep, honor and enjoy. If you keep it in a box somewhere hidden away do you really need it? Could someone else be enjoying it? I know there are certain items that we want to keep in a box but maybe you could get rid of some of the “special items” you have that really aren’t THAT special? A little bit at a time.
ACTION:
Find one item that you want to honor and display that has been packed away. Get it out. Schedule small steps (read lesson #3) to completing this process…research ways to display it, buy the supplies, plan, execute, hang, etc.
Organizing Lesson #3 – Little Steps Make Big Progress
You can’t wait until the “perfect time” to get organized. That perfect, uninterrupted time never comes. It really is similar to losing weight. Each choice, each food item you DON’T eat, each extra step you DO take EACH DAY all make a difference.
Organizing for 15 minutes each day, little steps, will move you along. You WILL make progress. The started project will motivate you to do more. Your mind will begin to think differently. You will see order which will motivate you, energize you and give you joy!
21 Day Organizing Challenge
I have held two 21 Day Organizing Challenges and the testimonies from those that participated prove this. Their after photos of the daily tasks show this. Here are some testimonies and photos from the participants.
I have thoroughly enjoyed these 21 days and the challenges they brought. All over my house are areas that I have started and now want to finish as I have fifteen or twenty minutes to devote to that one area. I now have a means at hand as to how to start and then finish as I have time without feeling overwhelmed and just not doing anything.
~ KH, 21 Day Participant
The 21 Day Organizing Challenge is a great way to get started on making your house a more “peaceful” place! It has helped me tackle all those small areas that I never take the time to deal with, and made me realize just how much you can do in only 10-15 minutes a day. Many of the days I have done extra tasks because completing the tasks felt so good I wanted to keep that feeling going!
~ BH, 21 Day Participant
It is amazing what a person can get done in 20 minutes or less! The challenges were things that I needed to get done. I can walk down the hall or by the refrigerator and know behind the door is an organized area! Can’t wait for the next challenge!
~DS, 21 Day Participant
ACTION:
Today, set your timer and purge your drinking glasses and cups for 15 minutes. Pick another task for tomorrow.
If you are interested in participating in a 21 Day Organizing Challenge stay tuned…I will be putting them up on my site soon.
Begin today to:
- First, get rid of things.
- Second, honor special memorabilia.
- Finally, take little steps, 15 minutes, each day!
Happy Organizing. You CAN do it!
This is all so true. My house was a MESS and I was ashamed to have guests. I recently moved and I am not bringing unnecessary stuff in. I have had guests for 3 meals which I hadn’t done for years.
Doesn’t it feel great to start fresh! Good for you!!!