Does getting organized feel elusive? If so, don't give up because there is hope. In the almost 30 years I’ve been helping people get organized, there are successful organizing habits that I’ve observed. Even when few are applied, the results can be life-changing.

Being organized will look and feel different for each person.  Someone’s end goal can be another’s starting point. What matters is finding the level of order and organization that feels right for you. 

Let’s look at the useful things people do most frequently to get and stay organized. As you read, note the ones you already do and concepts that will be helpful to try. 

5 Useful Things People Do to Help Get and Keep Organized

1. Make a Plan

When you think of the word “plan,” what comes to mind? Are you imagining detailed lists, charts, and graphs that track your every move? Or, do you think of a plan as something loose and flexible? To become and stay organized, some type of plan needs to exist. The format should align with how you best function. I’ve seen that both detailed and loose plans work. However, with no plan, getting and staying organized won’t happen. 

Both ways of planning work for me, depending on what I’m doing. Currently, I have a long-term goal to reduce the amount of stuff in my life. My plan isn’t a detailed room-by-room-do-this-by-x-date proposition. It’s a low-pressure, loose plan. I have one simple daily repeat on my to-do list that says, “Edit & release some stuff.”  I go to the room, drawer, or closet I feel like doing that day and spend 15-30 minutes editing something.

Some might prefer having a more specific plan, listing each room, and detail the exact things that need editing or organizing on a particular date. This also works. It just depends on what you need to stay motivated and on task. There is no right or wrong.

2. Be ‘Edit’ Aware

One of the reasons that clutter accumulates and disorganization happens is we stop listening to our time to edit antenna. What the heck is the edit antenna? This is the ability to notice when things are piling up and making an area unmanageable. Awareness is essential for getting and staying organized. This edit awareness cues you to activate decision-making. That, in turn, will help you release things that you no longer want, need, or belong elsewhere.

The visible cues can include . . .

• an unwieldy pile of unopened mail gathering on the dining room table

• a stuffed sock drawer that can no longer close

• some random objects that have taken up residence in the wrong rooms

• a crowded clothes closet, with the feeling you having nothing to wear

• many back-to-back entries on your calendar without time to breathe

“Awareness is essential for getting and staying organized.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Get ‘It’ Together

Becoming and staying organized involves putting similar things together in the area you are going to use them. Organize so things are easily identifiable and readily available when you need to retrieve or return them. We describe this in various ways that include creating zones, grouping like-with-like, organizing by the ease of use, or corralling related stuff into bins, trays, or boxes. 

Think of the hot beverage zone in the kitchen, which includes an assortment of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, mugs, sweeteners, and filters. Items are strategically placed in the cabinet next to the coffee maker and electric kettle. When it’s time to brew your morning cup of Joe, everything you need is in one place. 

4. Return Home Today

Closely tied to the like-with-like concept is the idea of establishing specific ‘homes’ for all of your belongings. Organizing our stuff involves choosing the most helpful location for things to live. It’s unlikely that you would store your underwear in the kitchen, although that might be the best spot if it’s where you get dressed. But for most of us, having an underwear drawer in the bedroom or dressing area is a more practical location.

The beauty of having a specific home for underwear is you know where to find a pair when getting dressed, where to put the clean, newly washed ones, or where to find extras when packing for a trip. Creating a home works for underwear and everything else you own too. 

Establishing homes is not just about creating specific spots but returning things to their location. That’s what “return home today” is about. Imagine life in pre-pandemic days when you left your house in the morning to go to work and came back when you were done. You physically returned yourself home. You completed the cycle of out/in, which readies you for the next day.

Apply that same concept to your stuff. Something leaves its home. That’s OK and expected. It might leave for a few minutes, hours, or possibly days. Like gravity, what goes up, must come down. With our stuff, what leaves its home gets returned. This includes . . .

• silverware back to the cutlery drawer

• pens back to the pencil cup on the desk

• keys back to the zipper compartment in your bag

• cell phone back to the charging station

• pants back to the hanger in the closet

“Like gravity, what goes up, must come down. With our stuff, what leaves its home gets returned.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

5. Make a Quick Exit 

You did some decluttering and identified things to release. In the process, you filled four 30-gallon bags of clothes, two big boxes of dishes and housewares, three shopping bags of linens, two boxes of books, and a large bin of toys. They are contained and ready to exit your house. However, the bags and boxes of donates continue to sit and take up space. The organizing process isn’t complete until the stuff leaves your home.

One of the things people do to get and stay organized is to physically remove the outtakes as soon as possible. Once you identify the giveaways, keep going. Bring them to your local charities or arrange to have them picked up. Focus on that quick exit and then enjoy your clearer, more organized space.

There are many things people do that help them get and keep organized. Which ideas resonate with you? Are there other common strategies you do or have observed? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

What is it about asking for help? Is it something you do readily? Or, do you tend to do or want to do everything yourself? There is no shame in enlisting help. So why do we procrastinate, stress, and delay getting support? As a professional organizer, I am used to receiving calls from overwhelmed folks who want help. I am also a person that at times, struggles to ask for assistance.

This happened recently to me. My mom died in March. While many of the things around her death I completed, I still have a few things to do. One of those tasks is getting her footstone made. I wanted the same company that made my father’s footstone, help make my mom’s. I obsessed about getting the footstone created and installed. I added a task to my list but kept postponing it. Maybe I wasn’t ready. Or, perhaps ordering the footstone made my mom’s death feel more final. I didn’t move forward or ask for help. I stayed stuck.

And then last week, the day arrived. The cue to work on mom’s footstone project appeared on my to-do list again. I pulled out my file, found the name and number of the monument company, picked up the phone, and dialed. Here’s the incredible thing. Within a few minutes, they knew who I was, where my mom was buried and gave me clear next steps for getting the footstone made. A half-hour later, they emailed me all of the details- the quote, forms to complete, and checks to write.

I had been stressed and obsessing for months. By enlisting help from a professional, I was able to take those next steps. Getting the process started was such a huge relief. It felt like a giant weight was lifted. I couldn’t believe how simple it was and how long I had berated myself for not getting help. One phone call yielded such comfort. 

“There is no shame in enlisting help.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Then it hit me that mine and my clients’ experiences are similar. When potential clients contact me, they often are overwhelmed, stuck, and have felt that way for a long time. They describe reasons they procrastinate about getting help, which include:

• Embarrassed for needing help

• Despair that they feel like a lost cause

• Unsure of who to call

• Frustration that they “should” be able to get organized on their own

They feel their disorganization and situation is impossible. However, when you are willing and ready for change, movement is possible.

“When you are willing and ready for change, movement is possible.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

My clients make positive shifts during their virtual organizing sessions, and it’s a beautiful change to see. I’ve written about this before with the types of transformations they have during a typical one-hour session. Enlisting help is beneficial. Virtual organizing clients might begin their sessions feeling overwhelmed, but the story doesn’t end there. Here are some recent thoughts clients expressed at the end of their sessions:

• “I see the light at the end of the tunnel.” 

• “I know I can do it. I can pair things down.”

•  “It was kind of overwhelming but easier than I thought.”

• “Saying goodbye to the past- it felt good, cathartic.”

• “Amazing. This is such a good feeling.”

•  “My pile of ‘going’ is getting bigger.”

•  “Things feel mentally more manageable.”

•  “This feels so good what we did today. At the beginning of the session, I felt like crying. Now I feel giddy.”

Like my clients, I felt better and moved forward when I sought out help. When was the last time you reached out for support? What did you experience? Was the help you received beneficial? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation. 

Letting go can be challenging, especially when we have strong emotional attachments to our things. You might wonder why you have to let go? You don’t. You always have a choice. However, there are pivotal moments in our lives when letting go is necessary and you’re struggling. Perhaps you are in the midst of a significant life change like moving or rightsizing. Maybe you lost a loved one and are responsible for editing and dispossessing their things. Or, perhaps you are overwhelmed with a mountain of belongings that no longer deserve physical or mental space in your life. When we combine emotional transitions with a propensity for strong attachments to our stuff, letting go can be difficult.

Minimalist Leo Babauta wrote something, which resonated with me. He referred to “the skill of letting go.”  All skills require practice. His description is infused with hope. It suggests that even if you are struggling with letting go, you can practice and improve. This is something I’ve experienced with my clients. The more they work at letting go, the less challenging it becomes.

4 Ways to Let Go of Things When Emotional Attachments are Powerful

1. Exercise Letting Go Muscles

I’ve always perceived letting go as a muscle that needs to be exercised like other muscles. However, we wouldn’t start lifting with a 100 lb. weight. We’d start small, maybe with a five-pounder, and build from there. This thought process is similar to letting go of the things we’re attached to. Exercise your letting go muscles by starting with the “lighter-weight” possessions like clothing or junk mail. Get a letting go rhythm established and work your way to the “heavier-weight” items that you feel more emotionally connected. Like most of us starting an exercise routine, it’s helpful to have an accountability partner or trainer. For help exercising your letting go muscles, hire a professional organizer like me, or work with a trusted friend or family member. It can make all the difference.

2. Normalize Emotional Attachments

It is prevalent, especially with people challenged by disorganization, to have strong emotional attachments to things. When attachments are heightened, identify and display your most valued treasures, set boundaries around what “enough” means, and use physical boundary parameters like a box or closet size. For items that get released, make the “homes” they go meaningful and that the places or people they are donated or given to will appreciate them. All of these things will make letting go easier to process.

“Letting go can be challenging, especially when we have strong emotional attachments to our things.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Incentivize Letting Go

When we invite people over for a small gathering (tiny these days because of the pandemic,) what happens? Most of us become motivated to make our home guest-ready. This can include cleaning, decluttering, and letting go. Establishing a manufactured date can boost incentive for getting your home “good enough” for your company. Consider increasing the frequency of invitations to friends and family (using COVID safety protocols) as a dual incentive- more socializing time and increased opportunities to sort, edit, organize, and let go.

4. Minimize Kinesthetic Sympathy

When we physically touch things, it can increase our emotional attachment to them. This is the premise of kinesthetic sympathy. If you can, work with someone who can physically hold up the items for you while selecting what to keep or release. Putting physical distance and touch between you and the object can make decision-making more manageable. Physical space decreases emotional attachment and helps distinguish what is most treasured from the things that are no longer needed.

Do you or someone you know feel challenged with letting go? Do emotional attachments make it harder to let go? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v29) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring, wonderfully human-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautifully generous, warm, and engaged group. I am deeply appreciative and grateful for your presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community.

I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Human Living

The pandemic encouraged many of us to examine the busyness of our lives. If you are interested in exploring a more intentional, less stressful life, this book is for you.  In Slow - Simple living for a frantic world, Brooke McAlary, author, blogger, and podcast host, shares her inspiring journey to remove the excess in her life and embrace the Slow Living movement. McAlary says, “Slowing down and simplifying aren’t centered solely on the idea of decluttering, but letting go of excess is an important part of slowing down.” McAlary’s practical advice for simpler living includes identifying your why, decluttering, de-owning, mindfulness, balance, and backsliding. She reminds us that “Perfect doesn’t exist...What does exist is honest, human imperfect change. Every tiny step matters.”  

“Perfect doesn’t exist . . . What does exist is honest, human imperfect change.””

— Brooke McAlary

2. Interesting Product – Human Habit

Wearing masks, social distancing, and regular handwashing are respectful habits we can do to keep each other healthy and safe during this pandemic. My wonderful friend and colleague, Julie Bestry, recently wrote a review of a fabulous new product, the Time Timer® WASH. Thank you, Julie! This visual and auditory timer helps kids and adults wash their hands for the proper amount of time. My favorite part about the timer is the upbeat music that accompanies the visual display. Think kitchen or bathroom dance party! The timer gives you 5 seconds to apply soap, 20 seconds to scrub your hands, and 5 seconds to rinse. The fun factor encourages a handwashing habit. Let’s do our part to help our fellow humans.

3. Interesting Research  – Human Attention

Amishi Jho, the neuroscientist, author, and associate professor of psychology at the University of Miami, studies attention. Jho and her team research VUCA (Volatility Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity,) which involves “high-stress, high demand scenarios that can rapidly degrade one of our most powerful and influential brain systems: our attention.” They look at people who encounter regular VUCA conditions due to their professions, such as firefighters and soldiers. She identified that the global pandemic has all of us living with VUCA conditions. In her recent Mindful article, “You’re Overwhelmed (and it’s not your fault,)” she describes ten ways your brain reacts in VUCA situations and how regular mindfulness meditation can be the key to calming your mind and enhancing your attention. 

4. Interesting Article – Human Anticipation

Have you planned fewer (if any) events to look forward to this year because of pandemic restrictions? As a result, have you noticed a negative change in your mood? According to Dana Smith’s article, Your Brain Needs a Party, which was reprinted on the Brainfit blog, the anticipation of future events enhances your overall well-being. So if you, along with much of the country, have been feeling down, and our current situation continues to discourage having large parties or travel excursions experiment with “microdosing anticipation,” as Markham Heid suggests. Psychologist Christian Waugh encourages, “Instead of thinking big or way in the future, think smaller and closer in time.” For instance, how about planning a drive to explore local scenery, setting a date to Zoom with a treasured friend or family member, or planning a scaled-down Thanksgiving meal for your household pod. I see cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie in your future. Your brain’s “positive anticipation circuit” will reward you with the emotional boost you may be missing.

5. Interesting Thought – Human Acceptance

Life includes experiencing challenges big and small. We can be our biggest cheerleaders or worst critics when we go through struggles. Whether you are challenged by disorganization, learning difficulties, grief, or other issues, be kind to yourself. Accept your humanness. Reach out for help when you need it. And as Brene Brown says, let go of shame.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!