Just as My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home will put you on the path to neatness nirvana, this one idea will transform your approach to personal organization.
Seriously – if you apply this strategy, you’ll find it far easier to get organized and stay organized.
Getting Organized: One Thing You Must Do
You must make quick decisions
Indecision is what causes the clutter to accumulate, the paperwork to pile up, the inbox to overflow. Instead of things, paper, clothes, emails and everything else flowing through your life, indecision keeps them stuck in limbo.
Now clearly I’m not talking about deciding who to marry or what job to take. I’m talking about where to put the remote, how to reply to the email, and when to pay the bill.
Every decision you put off – however tiny or unimportant it may seem – is a barrier to a more organized life.
How To Make Quick Decisions And Get Better Organized
Make a habit of deciding fast. The more you do it, the more of a habit it will become.
Don’t worry about making the ‘wrong decision’. Let me put your mind to rest right now by saying that you definitely will. Expect that sometimes you’ll later wish you had done something different.
But – and don’t undervalue this – your net gains from being decisive, taking action and cleaning up your life will far outweigh the minor losses.
Here Are Some Examples:
- Opening the mail?
Decide now if it needs to be actioned, filed or discarded. Then do it. - Tidying up?
Decide now where things will go and put them there. Or throw them out. - Wondering whether to keep or toss?
Decide now to toss it. There – now you can blame me. 🙂 - Got random papers on your desk?
Decide now whether to keep and, if so, where to file. - Reading email?
Decide now what action if any is needed, and take it. - Been reading the paper?
Decide now if you’ll look at it again and if not, put it in the recycle bin.
You get the idea.
Personal Organization Made Easy
Start thinking of yourself as a decisive action taker. Practice with all kinds of things – which muffin to have, what outfit to put on, where to go for dinner. Learn to love the feeling of keeping your life flowing rather than letting stuff stagnate.
This mindset will make it much easier to be organized. Try it – and let me know how you go!
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominik99/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Bottom line…..Discipline + Habits = Success!!!!!! Practice enough and you will get what you want……Depends on how bad an individual wants and needs it. BAAAAAM!!!!!!
This is where I get stuck. Most of the time I can make quick decisions, but then something comes along and I can’t decide, and thats when I have to stop. My coping strategy for this is to have a friend round who can help me make that decision and get me to stick to it (so I don’t fish things back out of the give away box later!).
I knew this although I’m guilty of making slow-decisions more often than not. But this reminder has me determined to change things. Thanks, Michele.
I do think it becomes a habit the more you do it! 🙂
So true. I lost this habit somewhere along the way and deeply regret it. We think we don’t have time to handle things now, but end up spending twice as much time dealng with the clutter and the decisions later.
I think you’re right Nancy. But how ironic! We feel too pressured to take the time and then lose more time as a result.
I remember at one job the trainer taught is the Ohio method for mail. Only handle it once. Worked great.
I learned this a long time ago….I have 2 bins–one for papers to be filed (saved) and one for what I call the burn bin—for everything that cant be thrown in the trash because of sensitive numbers on them…..everything else gets trashed/recycled everyday….mail, newspapers and anything else that needs to be looked thru is done before I go to bed….start the day fresh everyday!
Great strategy Lisa!
I will do this today when I clean up my office space (again!)
Excellent Lizz! You’ll find you feel lighter!
Make quick decisions? Oh that is SO not ME! 🙁 I think I can, I think I can………
I know what you mean Kris. But when you think how trivial are the consequences of most of these daily decisions, yet how huge the psychological cost of clutter, it can help! 🙂
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Pingback: Monday Motivator: Clear The Clutter! | The Zen Mom
decide now.
Hi there Marge!
I’m not sure how much ‘memorabilia’ you’re talking about…
If you’ve kept every little thing, you might consider becoming your own curator and selecting only the most meaningful items to keep. Then simply ‘release’ the rest. Ask a friend to do the releasing for you, if that feels more comfortable.
If you think there’s a book there, you might find a writer for the job at Elance – http://www.elance.com/.
Good luck!
Michele 🙂
I determined from your ‘quiz’ I’m not a hoarder – but: I have a somewhat unusual (my choice) task. I have single-parented all my life, my son is now grown and in business for himself. I’ve sorted ‘memorabilia’ many times and now, since it is so difficult to sort any more, I’d like to find (commission???) a writer to write a book. Does that sound unreasonable and/or possible? Then I think I’d be able to get rid of even more ‘stuff’.
RT @rjleaman: This is truly helpful @MicheleConnolly – thanks! > The One Thing You Must Do If You Want To Get Organized http://ow.ly/stJY
This is truly helpful, @MicheleConnolly – thanks! > The One Thing You Must Do If You Want To Get Organized http://ow.ly/stJY
Thanks Kelli! I appreciate your kind comments.
M 🙂
Simple and brilliant Michele
email is my biggest culprit with so much coming in all the time. Your tips and fabulous. love the “don’t worry about making the wrong decision” comment…I think that’s the biggest fear for people. Keep ’em coming…
I also love the idea of turning on the audible notification that you got mail…keeps the pavlov effect at bay! Kelli
Hi Hadassah,
It’s wonderful that you’re getting into the flow of making a decision and doing it now! The more you do it, the more of a habit it will become.
Thanks for sharing!
Michele 🙂
I have found that your advice to decide to do it now and make a decision helps me. I don’t pile clothes on the cedar chest anymore. I put them into the dirty clothes…I can still be shameless and get them out to wear again but it take so long to sort and put a whole pile away. Life as an efficient woman is working for me. I have my own business and being organized is key. I have a place neatly piled on my desk with all my support stuff. Business card blanks, stationary and letterhead and envelopes. I act on leads as soon as I get home…It’s working.