So you have all of the stuff that's going to help you get organized: the planner, the notebook, pencils and your spreadsheet. If you're like me, half the fun of being organized is getting all the cool things to help you be that way! Problem is, it isn't helping. You're frozen and can't take the next step. Here are the three main hurdles to being organized that I've come across. Most importantly, though, here's how to push past them!
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My last post focused on five reasons why being organized helps you be more productive. And I don't mean productive in a business sense. I mean, we have a lot to do and school takes up a big chunk of our day, right? Why not be more organized and have a plan for your day so that you can get more of it done and not be so frenzied? That's what I mean by productive.
I realize, however, that there are things that get in the way of doing that. Some of them can't be avoided like sick kids, a family crisis, moving, things like that.
Other times, the hurdles to being organized that loom large in your view can actually be gotten over with a little help.
Here are what I see as three of the bigger hurdles you might encounter on the road to being more organized.
3 Main Hurdles to Being Organized
Not Knowing Where to Begin
Otherwise known as paralysis by analysis. You see all of the things that need to be done but you just don't know where to start, so you don't do anything.
Don't worry, even though I like to be organized, I have definitely had this problem. Sometimes I agonize over where to start for far too long. I'm actually wasting valuable time that I could be using to just do something, anything.
Let's face it, there usually isn't the one perfect place to start something. Picking one thing to do and actually doing it is better than spending time analyzing the best place to start but not actually starting.
Don't fall into this trap. Instead, try these steps.
- Make a list of all the things that you would like to organize. Maybe it's a room, then list all the things in the room. If it's a vacation, list all of the things that make up the vacation, like packing, food, travel, etc. What if it's your whole life? Well, list all the areas you want to tackle.
- Look at that list. If there is a logical starting point that jumps out at you then begin there. Like I said before, there might not be one place you have to start. If nothing jumps out, then pick one thing and get started doing it. Once you get going you're probably going to keep going.
- If you really are stuck on point #2, ask someone else for their advice. A different perspective can really make things clearer.
- When you're done with that one thing, pick the next. Keep repeating this process.
Not Having the Time
This is kind of like the old adage, "It takes money to make money". Well, sometimes it takes time to make time.
If you want to be more organized and, likewise, more productive in your day, then you will have to set aside time to do it. Setting aside that time now will allow you to have more time later. It really will!
Don't be afraid to take time out to be organized. It will definitely pay out in the end. Organizing chores, for example, will allow those chores to be done much more efficiently each time you need to do them. Planning out your school day will make things go more smoothly, making it likely to take less time each day.
Go ahead and look at your calendar for the next week. Block out a few chunks of time that you can dedicate to getting organized. You might have to do it at night or get up early to get it done. Get your spouse involved if you need to. Maybe you can spend a day at the local library so you're not interrupted.
Whatever it takes, make sure you have a good block of time set aside this week to get the ball rolling.
Lack of Motivation
I know you want to be organized, but let's face it, motivation may still be the culprit.
Organizing can be difficult, time consuming and brain melting. Okay, maybe not brain melting, but it's hard, and many times we just don't want to tackle hard things.
Think about the last time you had to do something difficult and time consuming. I bet it was either something you really enjoyed, so that made it easy, or you had some serious motivation to get it done.
Maybe your house is a mess and as the mess grows, so does your enthusiasm for tackling it. You know you want to have a clean house, but it seems so overwhelming at this point that you don't do anything. But, this weekend your college roommate and her family are coming to visit you and you haven't seen her in a long time. Somehow I think you'll get that house cleaned, even if it means staying up all night to do it.
The idea behind having a plan for things is so that you don't have to do that. If you make a plan that allows you to keep up with something or tackle it in small chunks, it is more likely that you'll do it regularly.
Get Your Motivation On
If you're lacking motivation, train your brain to think about it differently. Think of how nice it will be to finally have a system to tackle your problem, whatever it is. Make up a statement that you can say to yourself every day that will help, like:
- Cleaning my kitchen every evening means I get up to a clean kitchen and that makes me so happy.
- Planning our vacation a little every day makes the process more fun and I can be less stressed about doing everything.
- If I pack x number of boxes each day, our move will go much smoother and everyone will be happier.
Some people call these mantras, others call them positive affirmations. I say, call them whatever you want, just tell them to yourself. Training your brain to tackle hard things is the beginning to getting organized.
Hopefully these suggestions will allow you to tackle the hurdles which are holding you back from being organized. If you need more guidance on your journey, stay tuned for some good news!