How to get motivated to organize?

What is motivation? The dictionary definition is “the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way” and “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something”.

What are your reasons for organizing? We all have different reasons. Why do you want to get organized now?  Why work on this particular organizing project now? Take a few minutes to think of your why. It will help you now and in the future. Here are some reasons that I hear often.

1. To find things when they need them
2. To have a home for things so it’s easier to put them away
3. To spend less time hunting for things
4. To have less piles and mess
5. To have less stress

How much desire or willingness do you have to organize? If you have no desire to organize, it could be a result of many things, but I’ve found that it has a lot to do with a person’s perception. Here are some examples that I’ve come across.

• Perception that organizing is boring, tedious, not fun
• Perception that the project requires too much effort, time, stamina
• Perception that we don’t have the right know-how, skill or resources

So how can we get motivated to organize, especially if we’re lacking desire and willingness? Here are my recommendations.

1. Know your why. Ask what is worth doing or doing with help? Good motivation comes from feeling that what you’re doing matters.
2. Adjust your perception. A positive mindset allows us to bring our best effort. Picture yourself successfully finishing your organizing project.
3. Create immediate rewards for your efforts. What happens after our efforts influences the likelihood that we’ll keep it up.
4.  Ask yourself what is the most laughably do-able first step. If you’re still having trouble, the first step is too big.
5. Do something, anything. It’s better than taking no action at all. Stress comes from thinking about our project, not the project itself. If it’s important for you to get it done, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.
6. Start by sorting and categorizing.

©June 2020  Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer®  All Rights Reserved