if you change nothing, then nothing changes
I was a total disaster of disorganization for decades. There are a lot of reasons for this, none of which I will bore you to tears with. But--I didn't suddenly figure out how to become organized and my house didn't transform without changing a LOT of behaviors and ingrained habits.
Some of these things were easy to change--and some were more challenging and took longer. But every SINGLE one of them were worth the time and energy and work.
Sometimes, when people come to me to talk about decluttering and organizing—they want to get organized, it’s definitely something they wish to have in their home—but they also sometimes don’t want to make the changes required to do that. Sort of like “I want to have a six pack but I am not going to do any situps or ab work, can you make that happen?” No—unfortunately, because I would have found a way to do that years ago—I can’t.
IF YOU CHANGE NOTHING, THEN NOTHING CHANGES.
It is important to realize that you will have to make some changes to your current habits in order to get organized. I SWEAR that you will realize that it’s worth it in the end—but sometimes it’s hard for people to make those changes, or you are so used to doing things a certain way that you just have a habit that is really hard to break. An example—you have clothes spilling out of your closet and drawers, and you can’t find anything, and doing laundry is a horrible chore you put off as much as possible—but you also click “Buy Now” multiple times per week and add more to the pile.
IF YOU CHANGE NOTHING, THEN NOTHING CHANGES.
When I work with clients, a very common question is “how will I keep it like this once you’re gone?” And this is THE most important question a client could possibly ask. I will often remind people that unfortunately, unlike fairy tales, magical helpers aren’t going to come in the middle of the night and just make things perfect again for the next day. Staying organized means that you have to develop new habits that support your new life. You have to make those new habits to replace the habits you have put in place that created the situation that no longer works for you.
One example I use in my own house is a reset I do before I go upstairs to go to bed. This was a new habit I had to put in place when we got organized. It helped me to realize that I loved coming downstairs to a clean house when I woke up—and in order to have that, it means I devote a few minutes a night before I go upstairs to ensure that happy good morning to myself.
Last night, I was really (REALLY) tired, after working a very long day, and I would have loved to just head upstairs and get into my cozy bed. But I told myself—do your 10 minute reset in the kitchen and downstairs—which thanks to being organized, usually is minimal. I made sure the dishes were in the dishwasher and it started a cycle; I cleaned off the countertops and wiped them down; I put anything from the kitchen that needed to go upstairs on the stairs to take up when I was ready to go to bed; and I started a load of laundry. Normally I would also get water ready and put coffee grounds in so that I can just press a button to have coffee the next morning, but….the coffee pot really needed to be in the dishwasher so I let that one go! It took me about 5 minutes to do this all (I’m fast)—and this morning when I came downstairs at 6 a.m. I felt SO happy that I had done it.
The people who are successful with organizing for the long term are people who know what they're doing right now doesn't work, and that they need to change--even if it's hard. But what I can tell you for sure doesn't work...is when you say "I want to be organized!" and then...sit on the couch to watch Netflix. I promise promise promise--Netflix will be there for you when you're done and your house is chaos-free.
Clear kitchen countertops IS an achievable dream—I swear!
Hi hi hi! I am Melissa, and I love my job—I’m a professional home organizer in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. I travel all around the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area (from end to end…and side to side) and beyond (like Iowa and Wisconsin!) clearing clutter from people’s homes. No matter where you’re starting—I can help you. We can declutter, organize, and give you systems to make sure you can keep it up once I’m gone.
Click HERE to schedule a complimentary consultation with me to talk about how you can feel peace and happiness and no stress in your home!