Somewhere under all the excuses is the organization you really need. The best way to get started with a plan to get organized is to find your excuse, realize why it is just that, an excuse. Then, let that excuse go. Once it is gone, you’ll be ready to be organized.

 

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I’ve got too much stuff!

 

You can call this the “which came first, the chicken or the egg? excuse." Instead of saying that you can’t get organized because you have too much stuff shouldn’t you say “I must get organized because I have so much stuff”?

I’ve no home for this stuff!

 

Clearly there is a problem with this excuse. You have an attic, a garage or a carport, a walk-in closet, some plastic tubs, a storage shed, a rental storage space, four other closets, 14 kitchen cupboards, several under-the-sink cabinets in the bathroom, a coat closet, a linen closet (or two), a laundry room … need I continue?

 

Your problem isn’t finding a home for this stuff. Your problem is that all of the homes for your stuff are filled with other stuff. Call this TMS Disease: too-much-stuff. If you’ve outgrown your closet, your desk, your file cabinets, your room, your office and even your home, it isn’t the size of the storage space. It is the size of the stuff. Dump this excuse along with a lot of this excess stuff.

I’ve no time for this stuff!

 

Of course you don’t have time to deal with these stacks and piles of clutter. All your time is spent moving your stuff from this room to that, from that pile to this one. You spend your time hunting for car keys, wallets, the missing shoe, over-due bills, your W-4 for taxes, a clean pair of socks and your sanity. If you worked at organization, what you’d find is more time.

It’s not my mess!

 

This is a fill-in-the-blank excuse. “I never had this problem until___________.” Possible answers include “I got married. My mother died. I had three kids. I got promoted at work and got this office. We decided to blend two households.” Really, you can use any excuse here but in the end, it is your mess. If it impacts your home, your work, your office or your routine, then it really is your mess. Ditch the excuse along with the mess.

No one taught me how to be organized!

Sometimes, people say “If you think I’m bad, you should see my Momma!” True enough that you may not have grown up in the most organized home but you can learn to be organized. After all, at one time you didn’t know how to operate a computer, drive a car or heat up pizza in the microwave. Somewhere along the way, you learned a lot of skills you use in life. You can learn to organize too.

Alright, I’ll do it tomorrow!

 

Didn’t you say this yesterday too? This time, put some action behind that excuse of putting it off until tomorrow. Begin with an action plan. Figure out what you want to organize. Make a to-do list for that project. Divide the tasks up among time slots on your calendar. Keep those appointments with yourself.

 

© 2009 Professional Organizer Lea Schneider, www.organizerightnow.com

 

 

About Lea Schneider

Professional Organizer Lea Schneider’s organizing advice has appeared in Woman’s Day, Natural Health and Better Homes and Gardens Kids’ Rooms magazines. She is the Grand Prize Winner of the Rolodex Office Makeover Challenge. Her team of professional organizers, at Organize Right Now, provides organizing assistance through her Organize Online program. She is the author of Growing Up Organized: A Mom-to-Mom Guide. Learn more at www.organizerightnow.com.