I have been thinking about what it means to declutter. I’ve also been thinking about what the phrase More than Organized means, and how it evolved into the name of my business. So here is the story.
When I decided to become a Professional Organizer I came up with a whole list of possible business names. Then I started checking and crossing out the ones that were already taken. I was brainstorming with some friends on some of the remaining choices when Lynn asked what I wanted it to convey.
I told her that I wanted to help people simplify their spaces and lives. I thought (and still do) that rather than just sorting and labeling our possessions it makes more sense to actually determine what you need to live the life you want, and then keep just those things.
Lynn thought about it for a minute and said “So, you want people to be More than Organized. How about that. It’s your initials, too.”
By taking the time to set up an organized home or office, you create a foundation for success. Your life can be lived!
By going a step further and simplifying, actually eliminating the stuff that gets in your way, you can experience your life. The space needed to generate ideas and create is revealed and you are transformed.
Establishing routines and systems takes you one step more – streamlining. This step frees up the time to share your success with family, friends and clients. The whole process will, of course, also allow you to find your keys.
You may think you are organized, but have you simplified? How about streamlined? Being More than Organized requires you to ask some hard questions, and learn about yourself.
I’ve since revised my methodology further, and now it’s The Streamlined Solution
- Dream – what’s your desired outcome?
- Declutter – eliminate the things in your way
- Design – systems and routines
- Develop – the habits to maintain
- Delight – enjoy the results
The basics still apply. Identify the things in your way and let them go.
Do you know why you have the thing and when you use it?
Sure, everything is put away and labeled. But can you get to things quickly when you need them? Do you have to move something to reach what you are looking for? Even worse, do you have to drive to the storage unit to find it? Is it less effort to go to the store and buy it again than to crawl into the attic, rearrange boxes and reach the one on the bottom left corner for the thing you needed 5 minutes ago?
Organizing is about having access to what you need when you need it. Simplifying goes further by eliminating the excess and redundant, in other words, declutter, and then putting things in the most effective place. Simplifying makes it easier to get and stay organized – you only have the items you need, use and love.
Consider how often you use an item and under what circumstances. Is there something else you already have that will do the job? A good chef’s knife and a cheese-grater do the jobs of a food processor, without cleaning all the parts or taking up more space.
Scrap-booking was (is?) all the rage right now. Unfortunately, the time and stuff this hobby requires creates stress for all but the most dedicated scrapers – those who clean up after themselves. Declutter and get rid of all the extra parts! A quick sort of pictures, notation of people and dates on the keepers, then dropping them into an archival photo box gets the job done in a fraction of the time and space.
If your desired end result is elimination of distress and difficulty, can you eliminate pieces or steps of the process? Would your life be easier if you only had to move and dust a couple of prize possessions instead of the many items you’ve “collected” over the years? Ask yourself if it isn’t your very methods and stuff that cause you stress.
This month try looking at something you already feel is organized and asking yourself if you need to keep it at all? What would change if you let it go? Simplify and be More than Organized.
