Clear Your Space, Clear Your Mind! - January 2012

By Linda Andersson

Organization is something we all struggle with. It seems that no matter how hard we try, disorganization creeps back again and again. So, why do we even bother getting organized in the first place?

According to feng shui principles, clutter in any area of your life is a sign of stuck, stagnant energy. The more clutter you have, the more sluggish the energy becomes. If you have ever walked into a cluttered room, you have probably felt your energy drop dramatically. So much so that you may even avoid that room altogether and close the door so you don’t have to look at it! Coping with clutter is rarely easy and staying focused and motivated to get the job done can be one of the biggest challenges.

Here are a few tips to help get you started and stay motivated when it all seems like too much!

• Set Achievable Goals. Pick one area to tackle at a time - this could be a shelf, a drawer, a countertop. Picking one task and completing it is much more rewarding than trying to tackle an entire room or office all at once. When you don’t finish something it makes it much harder to get started again the next time.
• Start with messes and clutter you see every day. Assign every item (or group of items) a home. It dramatically cuts down on the clutter of items left out "for now" or "until I find a place for it."
• Use the One-In-One-Out Rule. Make it a general policy to get rid of one old thing for every new purchase.
• Work With Your Natural Tendencies. Observe what things pile up in your home or office and where they cluster then come up with a place nearby that becomes the official home where those things reside. It is easier to make the area look better with a basket or bin than to try and change a habit!
• Pick Favorites. If you have a favorite brand or item that you use frequently but four partially used items of another brand that didn’t measure up are sitting in your cupboard – give them away!
• Keep Only Things you Use or Love.
• Maintain your organized lifestyle with 30 minutes of upkeep each day

Linda's Bio: Linda Andersson is a Professional Organizer and Silver Leaf member of Professional Organizers in Canada. As the owner of Organizing Help, Linda provides complete home and office organizing, time management coaching, computer consulting and workshops for business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs. www.organizinghelp.ca - Linda Andersson Website - Email