In John Mulaney's Netflix special John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City he has a quick bit about his wife asking him to finally take the donations to Goodwill. He continues that he did indeed take them to his car. He adds, where they stayed for four months.
A lot of our challenges with time management can be blamed on procrastination which is really about priorities. However, when it comes to getting organized there can be several barriers to reaching our space goals.
Time
How many times has this thought entered your mind, I will do it tomorrow. Sounds easy enough, tomorrow is just a few hours away, what’s the difference? Here is the rub, there is not such thing as tomorrow because you are always in the present and the same feelings of not wanting to do it follows you. Focus on the task instead, accepting that cleaning out the fridge or sorting Lego is something you will never want to do. Block out the actual real time it will take to complete the task and then be happy that you don’t have to do it again for a long time or treat yourself to a reward (ice cream is a popular choice).
Starting
A common issue with getting organized is not know where to start. Being overwhelmed with clutter especially if there is a lot of it, can cause analysis paralysis and prevent us from getting started in the first place. Knowing where to start often ties into the first roadblock, time. Before you even think about where to start make sure you have the time to finish. Creating the right amount of time to focus solely on the specific task is a great way to begin. Accept that you may not be able to finish the whole project in a day and plan a systematic approach. These micro steps will allow you plan for your ultimate goal, with a clear start and stop point. Having the plan first will almost make the question of where to start mute.
Limitations
Organizing is very psychical. There can be a lot of manual labor involved. When you factor in the attic and the basement, you also have to take in to account ladders and stairs. Don’t get us started on crawl spaces. Many people have medical issues with their back or knees. Additionally, they could have other health issues that prevent proper organizing. From setting up shelves and bins to carrying out donations, the stuff isn’t in our minds it is in our hands. Asking for help from friends, family or professional organizers is a must. You have a job more important than lifting, you need to make decisions.
Don’t be overwhelmed with the barriers to getting organized (we will save the discussion of other people living in your house for next time ) and instead focus on your goals. You are not alone, whatever your level of disorganization there are millions of people who are in the same boat. Remember that getting organized improves your health and productivity, don’t let anything stand in your way.
