Why Can’t I get Organized?: Overcoming barriers to decluttering

 Most people agree that getting organized is a good thing.  So why can’t we get it done?  Let's group the barriers into 3 categories: technical problems, external realities, and psychological challenges.(1)

Technical barriers:

You just don’t have enough space.  Maybe you live in a studio apartment, or you have one tiny closet for all your clothes.  Even if you eliminate excess stuff, you just don’t have enough space for all the things you need.  Sometimes this is enough to prevent you from even starting. You will have to work harder at decluttering to contain your things. But once you do that work, having a fixed size storage space is a great way to keep things in order.

External realities:

Your partners/family are not cooperative.  It is important that you get everyone on board with your organizing plan.  Sometimes your methods just won't work for someone else. This quiz can help you identify the organizing style that fits each person best.

Your life is super busy.  Before you tackle your home, consider decluttering your schedule!  Do you really need to bake those cookies for the bake sale?  Is there a meeting that you can cancel and just send an email instead?  When I simplified my own schedule, I found it hard to say no to requests for help.  There was a ton of guilt there.  But now that I’ve done it, the work that I still do for others is better quality.

Psychological challenges

Fear: of forgetting a memory, of losing something you might need, etc.  Those high school t-shirts have meaning to you, even though they've been in a box for 20 years. Logic says you don't need them, but your emotions hold you back. There are many ways to retain memories without holding onto the physical objects, like taking a photo of those t-shirts. You might actually look at them more on your phone than stored in a box in your attic!

Perfectionism: if that pile of clothes seems impossible to sort and put away perfectly, you might just not try.  Your logic says that if you don’t start the task, you can’t fail at it.  Yet, your perfectionism will nag at you that to get it done.  To overcome this, consider what 'perfect' really is.  Do you need an Instagram-worthy closet or would getting the clothes off the floor be just as functional?  Reframe your goals and give yourself permission to do it differently.

Mental health challenges: If you have ADHD, depression, or other conditions, your brain is literally working against you when you try to get organized.  Typical organizing strategies don’t work well. For example, you may have trouble just getting started with the work.  Instead of saying “I need to start this now” say “how can I move towards this task?" Do anything to move towards the task.  Even simply standing near the pile of laundry can start momentum building so that you then can initiate the task. 

Identifying your personal barriers is a great first step.  But what do you do once you have identified those barriers?  I’ve given just a few suggestions.  There are many other strategies that can help in each case.  If you’re ready to learn more contact me for a free consultation. I do just as much coaching as I do organizing!

Reference:

Morgenstern, Julie, Organizing from the Inside Out, Henry Holt and Company, 2004.

https://www.juliemorgenstern.com/organizing-from-the-inside-out