Karen Fritscher-Porter
You can create multiple reasons to NOT get organized at home.
But the truth is that the only obstacle stopping you from
getting organized is you. It's not family members, it's not the
absence of cash and it's not a lack of home organizational
know-how. Read onward to expose these myths now. With that out
of the way, you can get on with organizing your life and home in
ways that make you a happier, less stressed and more productive
person.
MYTH #1: You have to organize your home in a day.
TRUTH: Organizing your home is a lifelong process. You devise
organizational systems, you maintain those processes ongoing and
you create new organizational solutions when new situations or
products in your home call for it. You don't just get organized
today and stop tomorrow. It's an ongoing task. Don't expect or
even try to get organized at home in a day or a week.
MYTH #2: You have to organize like she does.
TRUTH: Your home organization solutions must work for you---not
your friends, neighbors or those clever organizers you watch on
popular home organization television shows. You can certainly
observe other peoples home organizing ideas. But then pick,
choose and try what will work for you and your family. And do
what you're capable of doing yourself. We're not all capable of
building custom shelving in our homes (nor can we all afford to
hire someone to build them); that's why some of us happily shop
for prefabricated products.
MYTH #3: You have to organize "everything" in your home and life.
TRUTH: Organizing is a solution to dilemmas in your home and
life. Perhaps you're late to work three days a week when you
can't find your keys or you get charged huge fees for paying
misplaced bills late. Create organizational techniques to solve
those problems which cost you money and create stress in your
life. But if you like your books placed haphazardly on your
bookshelves and this doesn't cause you distress or to lose time
in life, skip organizing the bookcase. Organize items or
processes in your home when you know it will simplify your life,
solve a problem or perhaps save you time.
MYTH #4: You can't get organized because you lack home
organizing know-how.
TRUTH: Some people do seem to have a natural tendency toward
personal and home organization, but it's a learned skill. Take
notice of other people's organizing methods in their homes and
offices, read home organization books, watch home organization
television shows and surf the web for home organizing ideas.
Then apply some of these ideas and techniques to your situation.
And if you need some hand-holding, hire a professional organizer
for some consultation or to organize specific spots in your home
for you.
MYTH #5: You have to organize everything in your home perfectly.
TRUTH: Perfectionism wastes time. Organizing saves time. These
two concepts clash. Sure if you're buying something like bins or
totes, you want some stylish ones that match your home decor and
fill the function for which they're intended. But don't go
overboard in trying to find the perfect organizational helpers
for your home. At some point say this product or this
organizational system should work and that's it. Your home
doesn't have to look like a photo shoot page out of a home decor
magazine. Your organizational system doesn't have to be the
ultimate solution to every organizing dilemma associated with
that section of your home.
MYTH #6: If your organizational system doesn't work, you're an
organizational failure.
TRUTH: If your new home organizing solution or process doesn't
work for you, it just doesn't work. Don't read more into it than
that. Take the word "failure" out of your vocabulary. Just move
on and try another organizational technique.
MYTH #7: You can't have an organized home because family members
won't participate in your organizational processes.
TRUTH: Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But that's no reason
for you to not organize items and streamline processes that will
help you find things, save time and decrease stress in YOUR
life. Quit worrying about organizing other people and organize
areas in your home and your life that will help you first.
Later, you can try some tactics to get immediate family member
buy-in on organizational processes in your shared home.
MYTH #8: Getting organized costs lots of money.
TRUTH: There are lots of great organizing gadgets, containers,
cabinets, shelves and more on the market that can help simplify
getting organized (and even make it more fun sometimes). Some
home organization items are quite inexpensive. Others create a
pricey, extravagant look. But lack of cash will never stand in
the way of getting organized at home because it's not a
necessity to the process. You can be creative and improvise
organizational processes that use helper items found in your
home now. Or you can buy some ready-made home organizing
accessories when you know what exact type products you need.
The choice to get organized or not to get organized is all yours
and your paycheck or spending level doesn't dictate the answer.
Nor do any of the other myths busted in this article. Remember,
there is only one obstacle preventing you from getting organized
and that's you. So move out of your own way if you want to get
organized at home and get started organizing today.
About the author:
Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes
http://www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com where you'll find home
organization products to buy plus hundreds of free articles and
tips to keep you organized at home year-round.
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