By Karen Fritscher-Porter
You can create multiple reasons to NOT get organized at home. But the truth is that the only obstacle stopping you from getting organized is you. It's not family members, it's not the absence of cash and it's not a lack of home organizational know-how. Read onward to expose these myths now. With that out of the way, you can get on with organizing your life and home in ways that make you a happier, less stressed and more productive person.
MYTH #1: You have to organize your home in a day.
TRUTH: Organizing your home is a lifelong process. You devise organizational systems, you maintain those processes ongoing and you create new organizational solutions when new situations or products in your home call for it. You don't just get organized today and stop tomorrow. It's an ongoing task. Don't expect or even try to get organized at home in a day or a week.
MYTH #2: You have to organize like she does.
TRUTH: Your home organization solutions must work for you---not your friends, neighbors or those clever organizers you watch on popular home organization television shows. You can certainly observe other peoples home organizing ideas. But then pick, choose and try what will work for you and your family. And do what you're capable of doing yourself. We're not all capable of building custom shelving in our homes (nor can we all afford to hire someone to build them); that's why some of us happily shop for prefabricated products.
MYTH #3: You have to organize "everything" in your home and life.
TRUTH: Organizing is a solution to dilemmas in your home and life. Perhaps you're late to work three days a week when you can't find your keys or you get charged huge fees for paying misplaced bills late. Create organizational techniques to solve those problems which cost you money and create stress in your life. But if you like your books placed haphazardly on your bookshelves and this doesn't cause you distress or to lose time in life, skip organizing the bookcase. Organize items or processes in your home when you know it will simplify your life, solve a problem or perhaps save you time.
MYTH #4: You can't get organized because you lack home organizing know-how.
TRUTH: Some people do seem to have a natural tendency toward personal and home organization, but it's a learned skill. Take notice of other people's organizing methods in their homes and offices, read home organization books, watch home organization television shows and surf the web for home organizing ideas. Then apply some of these ideas and techniques to your situation. And if you need some hand-holding, hire a professional organizer for some consultation or to organize specific spots in your home for you.
MYTH #5: You have to organize everything in your home perfectly.
TRUTH: Perfectionism wastes time. Organizing saves time. These two concepts clash. Sure if you're buying something like bins or totes, you want some stylish ones that match your home decor and fill the function for which they're intended. But don't go overboard in trying to find the perfect organizational helpers for your home. At some point say this product or this organizational system should work and that's it. Your home doesn't have to look like a photo shoot page out of a home decor magazine. Your organizational system doesn't have to be the ultimate solution to every organizing dilemma associated with that section of your home.
MYTH #6: If your organizational system doesn't work, you're an organizational failure.
TRUTH: If your new home organizing solution or process doesn't work for you, it just doesn't work. Don't read more into it than that. Take the word "failure" out of your vocabulary. Just move on and try another organizational technique.
MYTH #7: You can't have an organized home because family members won't participate in your organizational processes.
TRUTH: Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But that's no reason for you to not organize items and streamline processes that will help you find things, save time and decrease stress in YOUR life. Quit worrying about organizing other people and organize areas in your home and your life that will help you first. Later, you can try some tactics to get immediate family member buy-in on organizational processes in your shared home.
MYTH #8: Getting organized costs lots of money.
TRUTH: There are lots of great organizing gadgets, containers, cabinets, shelves and more on the market that can help simplify getting organized (and even make it more fun sometimes). Some home organization items are quite inexpensive. Others create a pricey, extravagant look. But lack of cash will never stand in the way of getting organized at home because it's not a necessity to the process. You can be creative and improvise organizational processes that use helper items found in your home now. Or you can buy some ready-made home organizing accessories when you know what exact type products you need.
The choice to get organized or not to get organized is all yours and your paycheck or spending level doesn't dictate the answer. Nor do any of the other myths busted in this article. Remember, there is only one obstacle preventing you from getting organized and that's you. So move out of your own way if you want to get organized at home and get started organizing today.
********************
Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes
Easy Home Organizing where you'll find home organization products to buy plus hundreds of free articles and tips to keep you organized at home year-round.
8 Home Organizing Myths
