| As you start the organizing journey, you may suffer | | | | move to the dining room table. So, give some |
| from what I like to call, Temporary Organizing | | | | thought to the order of your organizing projects and |
| Paralysis. This is when you start organizing, freeze up, | | | | how one may affect another. Of course, if you |
| stare at all of the stuff and think, "Where do I | | | | desperately need or want your dining room table |
| begin?" & "What am I going to do with all of this | | | | back before your home office is organized, you can |
| stuff?" | | | | temporarily box up the papers on the table and |
| Realize that it will get worse before it gets better if | | | | move them to a staging area and work there while |
| you are in the middle of an organizing project. The | | | | getting organized. If you have the space to create |
| stuff will be out of the drawers, files, closets, etc. | | | | "organizing central," then go ahead and do it. Get |
| Come up with a staging area to sort the stuff, so it | | | | some boxes, bins, a folding table, and go to town! |
| is not in the way! That will help keep your stress | | | | In order to stay motivated while organizing, post |
| level down. Also, identify early on who and where to | | | | your list of goals in a conspicuous place, especially if |
| donate items: friends and family, thrift shops, places | | | | you are a visual person. Before and after photos also |
| of worship, domestic violence shelters, homeless | | | | help many people get and stay motivated. Consider |
| shelters, etc. There are many willing homes for used | | | | playing some upbeat music to keep you alert, or |
| stuff. Adopting a charity or a needy family makes | | | | relaxing music if you are easily distracted. If you |
| getting rid of your clutter a whole lot easier. | | | | dread organizing alone, work with your spouse or a |
| Often, there is a domino effect of being disorganized. | | | | friend, involve your kids, or go pro and hire a |
| You may need to start somewhere else in order to | | | | professional organizer. And, don't forget to reward |
| clear space first before you can work on a particular | | | | yourself along the way as you would with any other |
| organizing project. For example, let's say you have | | | | behavior modification program. |
| paper all over your dining room table (a common | | | | Getting organized is about making progress, not |
| clutter catcher spot!). You would think of starting on | | | | achieving perfection. Don't be daunted by the |
| the dining room table. But the real problem is your | | | | prospect of getting organized. Just take it one step |
| home office. You haven't cleared out the paper bins | | | | at a time. You'll have more chance of success if you |
| and filing drawers in so long that you can't bring any | | | | break the overall project into manageable tasks, |
| new paper into that room. Thus, you started piling it | | | | tackling a little bit at a time. The key is to get |
| on the table. Therefore, you need to start in the | | | | started and stay focused. You can do it! |
| home office, clear clutter, make room, and then | | | | |