What is not being organized costing you?

Have you ever stopped to consider what it is costing you financially, physically and emotionally to be living in a perpetual state of chaos? If you take the time to think about it, you might be surprised. Getting organized isn’t just about tidying up, throwing things out and putting things in nifty organizers. Getting organized is putting things in places they will be useful and easy to find. Knowing what resources you have available and most importantly creating systems that save you time on the mundane and routine so you have time to enjoy life. As a professional organizer when people contact me they are usually overwhelmed and exhausted. They have let something that was small grow into a challenge so big that they would rather ignore it. Now I know you are probably saying to yourself what does organizing a drawer or shelf have to do with my happiness and state of mind. But studies have shown that an environment that is organized is much more beneficial than one that is chaos. You might not realize it, but that messy office, garage or spare room is weighing on you physically and emotionally. The good news is that it isn’t as hard as you think to overcome these situations. The key is recognizing the barriers and challenges you want to eliminate. Creating a system and sticking to it.
 
There are some simple truths to being organized (in my opinion.) These simple truths are at the core of what I do:
 

1. Being organized doesn’t mean you live like you are in a museum and it doesn’t mean you must become a minimalist.
2. You create systems that work for you. As an organizer I listen to my clients to determine their needs and challenges – yes there are tips and tricks – but this isn’t a one size fits all endeavor. What works for you might not work for your neighbor or coworker.
3. It’s just as much about changing behaviors and habits as it is putting everything in a neat tidy package
4. There are no hard and fast rules.
5. Going to the store and spending a lot of money on containers and trendy solutions isn’t going to make you organized instantly.