Lapses in Organizing

Lessons in organizing come from lots of different places in the real world. The lesson I need to focus on this week is what to do when organizing habits are abandoned and the clutter begins to pile up. (Yes, even professional organizers sometimes struggle to keep it straight.)

The example that comes to mind is a religious one. I have an ecumenical family and group of friends. In my experience, the preachers call it backsliding; the priests call it lapsing and the rabbis call it leaving the righteous path. Whatever you call it, it means you were doing what you should be doing and now you’re not.

The formula for improvement is pretty simple. Stop doing the bad stuff, get help if you need it and get back into your good habits. That is sometimes easier said than done.

For me, the hard part is getting started, so I know that I have to commit to an initial effort and hold myself accountable for it. If I think I will hedge about starting, I announce my intention to anyone who will listen. That way, I will be embarrassed if they ask how it’s going and I haven’t even started yet.

So this week I am telling you that I will finish unpacking my suitcase, putting away the clean clothes and tidying up my desk. A few days away at a conference is not going to get me to abandon my organizing goals.

If you find that the projects you were initially so proud of are beginning to look less organized than you like, make a commitment to get them back in shape. If you doubt your ability to do it alone, get help. Set up incentives to get it done. That might be a treat for yourself or avoiding an opportunity for your frenemies to gloat about your failure-whatever works to get you going and sticking to the goal of an organized household.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net