What Do You Expect? How Your Mindset Affects Getting Organized
What do you expect?
It's a question worth asking yourself, especially if you've been feeling stuck with clutter, overwhelmed by everything you need to do, or frustrated that things aren't working out the way you thought they would.
I think we waste a lot of energy and effort expecting less than we're actually capable of. We play smaller than we need to, and then wonder why we're not getting the results we want.
Now, there are plenty of things in life that are outside our control. But what we expect, and how we approach getting there, can make a real difference in what we accomplish.
And yes, this has everything to do with getting organized, managing your money, and making better decisions.
Expect More and Get Curious About What's Possible
I see this with my clients all the time. They spend so much energy spinning around the fact that something didn't work out the way they expected. We have to spend some time figuring out where things went wrong before we can move forward.
And often, it comes back to mindset.
Marie Forleo talks about the idea that everything is figureoutable, and I think that's a useful way to approach just about anything.
Instead of getting stuck on what didn't happen, get curious.
What can I figure out? What could I do better? What can I learn from this? What would make it easier next time?
When you approach things with curiosity, you're giving yourself room to learn, adjust, and improve. You're no longer expecting everything to work perfectly the first time.
You're expecting to figure it out.
Your Expectations Affect More Than Your Clutter
There's a concept I talk about often: how you do money is how you do everything.
If you don't feel empowered to make decisions about your money, chances are that same uncertainty is showing up in other areas of your life. And it works the other way, too.
Start empowering yourself to make decisions about the little things. How many pens do you really need in your pencil cup? What belongs in that drawer? What are you keeping that you don't actually use?
Every decision is an opportunity to practice.
The same thing happens with clutter and overwhelm. When you're looking at a space that's gotten out of control, what are you expecting?
Are you expecting the clutter fairies to show up and put everything away? Are you assuming your kids created the mess on purpose? Or are you willing to recognize that you've contributed to the situation and have some control over what happens next?
Taking responsibility isn't about beating yourself up for having clutter. It's recognizing that you have the power to do something about it.
That's a much more useful place to start.
Dream, Plan, Do
I've started approaching my work and my life with a pretty simple three-step framework.
Dream it. Plan it. Do it.
First, you need to know what you're expecting to achieve. What would you really like to have happen? What would your life look like if things were working the way you wanted?
Then you make a plan. Figure out some steps that will move you in that direction.
But here's the important part: don't get so attached to the plan that you can't adjust it.
I often start a project thinking I'll need to do a whole series of things. Once I get into it, I discover that some of those steps aren't necessary at all. Maybe I find a better way, a useful tool, or something I hadn't considered that makes the whole process easier.
That's what we're looking for when we're trying to simplify and streamline our lives.
You need enough of a plan to get started and enough flexibility to learn while you're doing it.
Commit to the Outcome, Not the Exact Plan
You know the Yoda quote, "Do or do not. There is no try."
I think there's something really useful in that idea.
When you start out saying, "Well, I'll try it, but I don't really think it's going to work," you're approaching the whole thing differently than if you decide you're going to accomplish something and figure out how along the way.
That doesn't mean you won't have setbacks. It doesn't mean every idea will work.
It means you're committed to the outcome, even if the way you get there changes.
I recently spoke with two people about potentially coaching with me, and both were such perfectionists that they wanted to do more planning and more thinking before they actually did anything.
That's pretty common with perfectionist procrastinators.
I'm more of a regular procrastinator myself. Sometimes I'm percolating on something longer than I'd like, but I also know that taking action is how I learn.
I'm willing to start something without knowing exactly how every step will turn out.
I don't take big risks with gambling, lottery tickets, or jumping out of airplanes. But I do take risks by starting things and trusting that I'll learn what I need to know along the way.
And that's an important distinction.
You can spend an awful lot of time preparing to do something without ever getting the benefit of actually doing it.
You Are Capable of Getting Organized
Another thing I want you to think about is how your expectations connect to your sense of worth and capability.
Are you expecting yourself to have greater success? To make more money? To have systems that make your life easier? To be able to accomplish the things that matter to you?
Do you believe you're capable of those things?
I don't know a single person who isn't capable of being better organized if they know the steps and take action on them.
That doesn't mean everyone needs the same system or that everyone will get there in the same way. It means you can learn what you need to know and make improvements as you go.
And every time you take action, you have more information to work with.
Maybe you discover that the organizing system you planned doesn't fit the way you actually use the space. That's useful information. You can make an adjustment.
Maybe you realize you need to learn something new before you can move forward. Great. Now you know what to look for.
You're building your capability through the things you do.
What Would You Expect From the Life You Want?
Think about the life you'd really like to be living.
What would you expect to have happen if you were living that life? How would your home function? How would you make decisions? What would your money allow you to do? What would feel easier?
Start there.
Then figure out what you need to learn and what actions you can take to move toward it.
Expect to learn something from what you do today that helps you improve what you did yesterday. Expect to make adjustments. Expect that there may be a better or easier way than the one you originally imagined.
And don't confuse taking action with simply giving something a little effort to see whether it works.
Make a commitment to what you want to accomplish, create a plan, and get started.
Dream, plan, do.
Then you're done.
