By Iris Holloway

Tips by Iris

 

Last article we covered “Living or Working with a Disorganized Person”.

Who were you thinking of when you got to the end of the article?  This time we’ll cover “Analyzing or Taking Stock” as to where you are.

If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?

How do you reach a goal? You must find what that goal is. Don’t skip this step!  Every person is different. Work to get a clear picture of where you are and where you want to be. Look at your personal needs.  Ask yourself these questions.

What’s working?

What’s not working?

What items are most essential to you?

Why do you want to get organized?

What’s causing the problems?

To get the big picture it’s best to ask these questions for each organizing project. It can be an entire office, a room in your house, or just your purse. Don’t laugh. How organized is your purse?

So, what’s working?  You’ll more than likely say “nothing”. Look closer. No matter how disorganized you may think you are, you’ll find something that is working. Ex: When you come home you have an exact place to put your jacket, keys, purse, mail, etc. and you put them in that place. You know where to find them.

I admit this is an area I personally had issues with. It was those dang car keys. I had a place, but I didn’t always put them there. There weren’t enough hanging places on my jacket and keys hanger. So, what did I do? Simple, just added a nail for my car keys.

Study the environment for your natural habits and routines. Work with these rather than ignoring them. At the end of the day, it will be easier to support. To find & confirm what is working can be a liberating experience.

First, it can save you an enormous amount of time and energy. Don’t redo just because you think you ought to. Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken.  It can cause more harm than good.

Second, by recognizing what you are doing right it gives you a self-confidence boost. Give yourself credit where credit is due.

Third, by studying what is working you determine what appeals to you. You will then decide what and how you will want to duplicate.

What’s not working? Let it go. Make a list of absolutely everything that is frustrating to you in the line of organization or disorganization. Complete these sentences.

I can never find my…

I have no place for…

I am tired of ….

Because of clutter, I can’t…

Look at your answers. You have in front of you a list of the areas you need to work at solving.

What Items are most essential? We will decide what is important to you. Think in terms of your goals.  It’s not always easy to name what’s most important. Look at your big picture goals. When all is said and done what brings you the most joy, the greatest feeling of satisfaction.

Our goals are our goals. Not your spouses, neighbors’, friends, co-workers. Ask yourself if doing things this way helps achieve goals. If the answer is yes, go for it. Don’t get distracted by what you think you should want. Don’t fight your own impulses. Think about it this way. The 80-20 rule. We only use about 20 percent of what we own. The other “80 percent is stuff we might use someday.

Why do you want to get organized? Tired of making decisions? Beginning to feel like this is more than you asked for? Here are some common reasons to continue:

Stop spending so much time looking for stuff, stop feeling overwhelmed, gain a sense of control, gain energy and calm from your space, clear your head of the clutter, increase self-confidence. And the list can go on.

What’s causing the problem? After looking at these concepts you’ll find what issues are at the heart of your disorganizing challenge. You’ll know what technical errors, external realities, or psychological obstacles are leading to this disorganization. But most of all, you will gain a feeling of accomplishment.

Next article we will discuss “Strategizing – Creating a Plan of Action”. Until next time, I am Iris Holloway, Professional Organizer – hollowayiris@bellsouth.net. Comments and questions welcome.