Progress over Perfection

When it comes down to it, a cluttered home is a home full of delayed decisions. Instead of seeing a big box of books, I see a box of items that someone can’t decide what to do with. When I see a closet so crammed full of clothes, I see clothing that hasn’t been worn in ages because someone doesn’t want to decide if they fit or not. Or if the style has long gone. Or if they are ready to let go of the idea - whatever idea that may be - that is attached to those pieces. These decisions that have been put off start to build up, not only physically, but also emotionally. The weight of the boxes is felt on your floor and on your shoulders. There is an inevitable breaking point - when your shoulders can no longer handle the burden of the clutter surrounding you. This is when clutter becomes unhealthy.

Done is better than Perfect

Sometimes we need to be reminded that done is better than perfect. If you’ve read my post about personality tests and organizing, you know that as an Enneagram 1, I struggle with perfectionism. It’s why it took me so long to start this business. I wanted everything to be *just right*. I wanted a clever name, a fancy logo, a CRM, and an accounting program. Like when someone is waiting for the perfect time to start a family or move or quit their job - is there ever a perfect time to make a big leap? Well, I know that all that time (probably 2 years) that I was brainstorming ideas and wondering if I could actually pull the trigger was wasted time because as much as I desired having all my ducks in a row, I was missing out on potential clients because I hadn’t made that first step. Similarly, opportunities at home are missed when we wait for the timing to be perfect. Let’s look at some common roadblocks to getting organized:

Not enough time

Is there really not enough time or are you waiting for a gigantic block of time to complete the project from start to finish? The entire closet seems like it will take a day and you just don’t have a day. But what if you broke it down into shelves? One shelf a day. Maybe 10-15 minutes instead of 5 hours. You may not have the bins that you want for your toiletries (yet) but taking a few minutes to declutter and tidy up that small shelf is something to celebrate.

Not enough space

You feel like you don’t have enough space to attempt clearing out the spare room so it can be used as a guest room for your bestie that will be visiting soon. It’s packed full of stuff - overflow from the overlooked decisions of weeks gone past. Where would you put all that stuff eventually? Instead of looking at all of it which can feel like a lot to wrap your head around - start small. Perhaps you can tackle the just the bed by seeing to the Christmas wrapping supplies and bags of clothes donations that need to go that are piled on top of it. Don’t worry about where you will put everything in the room, but making a decision on a small part of the big picture is starting that forward progress we all love so much.

Decisions are too hard

Most of the boxes in the basement are sentimental and that scares you. You know that keeping every single memento from your childhood is the reason you have that clutter and the thought of addressing some of the hard decisions that are tied to that pile makes you anxious. Super intimidating, I know. I have some of those boxes too. Again, we are not going to look at all of the boxes at the same time, but we are going to take one box and do a quick once-over, making the easy decisions and saving any that give us pause for another day. With sentimental items, an important reminder to us all is that the memories are not in the items themselves. Donating or recycling your Garbage Pail Kids cards won’t take away your youth or the memories you made trading them with your friends. You will have those near and dear moments in your heart always. Taking a photo of things you know you should part with but are having a hard time doing so can help. Make an album in your phone of these items so you can reference them when you are feeling nostalgic!

Clutterblind

You’ve been desensitized to the clutter and instead of lots of little things, you see the space as one gigantic impossible task. This is another time when breaking it down into smaller tasks will help you make progress.

No plan

You can declutter all you want, but not knowing what to do with what you keep can be enough to kick in procrastination mode. Have a dedicated bin for donations ready to go and a date on the calendar for when you will be dropping them off. Create a loose plan in your head (or on paper) for what to do with the items you will keep. If it’s a craft area for example, give yourself a physical boundary like a cabinet with bins to contain the items. You can only keep what fits. For something like a closet, you could give yourself a limit for each type of clothing. Your plan could sound something like this: “I’m going to break this big closet up into clothing types and then I’m going to keep 10 shirts, 4 sweaters, 3 pairs of jeans, etc.”

No motivation

Maybe you need a clear reward for the completion of a decluttering project. If a pedicure and coffee with a friend is something that would motivate you, then do it! Give yourself a clear goal to reach before you are able to redeem the reward, and then go, go, go! Motivation can also come in the form of a deadline - you are throwing a big party for your spouse in 2 weeks and the dining room/kitchen will be where everyone will gather. Tackle that area knowing that when you are done, you will have more than one reason to celebrate!

Done is better than Perfect

Take a second and think about if you have any roadblocks to getting organized. Sometimes naming the problem out loud is a good start, then your strategy will become more clear. Each step you take towards your goal will build the momentum, making it more fun (rewarding?) and more effective. Remind yourself (as many times as it takes) that starting is the hardest part. Clutter attracts clutter, so any small project you take on can help prevent it from getting worse. Done really is better than perfect.

Take this post as a sign that it’s time. It’s easier than you think it is and I believe in you!!