TradingCradles.com Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Clearing the Clutter in 2012’

Clearing our clutter…. Clears our minds!

If one of your goals this year is to get organized, you are not alone!  January is by far one of the busiest months in the organizing business.  There are many terrific reasons to get organized, no matter what time of year.  Living an organized life brings freedom.  You take control of your space, your time, and your life!

Saying you want to get organize is great but it’s not good enough.  Getting organized is hard but without a plan it can be impossible! The difference between a goal and a dream is action.  Stop dreaming about being organized and start living an organized life!

Here is an outline on how to make your goal a reality:

1. Outline your Vision – What does getting organized really mean to you?  Decide what your motivators are and think about the end result.  How is getting organized going to change your life? In order to get organized you have to know what you are organizing and why this is important to you.

2. Make a List- Have a brainstorming session and list all of the areas in your home you want to get organize.  Start prioritizing the list by what’s most important to you first.

3. Start Small – Although you may want to organize your whole home, trying to do it in a weekend is not realistic. It can become so frustrating that you stop the process all together.  Look at your list and start with one small project first.

4. Decide on a Timeline – Making your goal real means putting a timeframe on it.  If a goal does not have a timeline, the goal can easily go back to being a dream and can become stale.  You don’t want your goals to have a shelf live.

5. Share it – Share your goal with at least 3 people. Be accountable and keep them updated regularly.  Share your challenges and celebrate your successes.  Having a support system will allow you to not feel alone in the process.

6. Identify Roadblocks – A great way to eliminate roadblocks is identify what they are before they happen. Have a plan in place to know what to do when they occur and how to do to break through them.

7. Outline Action Steps- This is the core of your plan.  What action steps must you make to achieve your goal?  Be specific and detailed.  Put them in the order of how you need to do them.

8. Daily Action Step – To be successful you have to take action.  A great way to make sure action is happening consistently is to commit to one daily action every day.

9. Measurement of success- Decide in the planning stages how you will measure your success.  How will you know you achieved your goal?  Most importantly what do you need to do to maintain your success.

10. Celebrate – There are many benefits to living an organized life, all things you will see and feel as you complete your goal.  However, it’s still important to celebrate your hard work and commitment.  Recognize what an achievement it really is!

Happy Organizing!

Post written by Nikki Kinzer

For over a decade, Nikki Kinzer has been helping individuals and businesses reach success through better organization. As a Professional Organizer and ADD/ADHD Coach, Nikki’s passion is to partner and coach individuals and families on how to build positive life habits, reduce stress, and take back control in their lives.  Through Take Control Organizing, Nikki brings to her clients and readers a view of organized living that offers control rather than cleanliness, enrichment rather than austerity, and time to focus on the things that matter in life rather than the stress that comes from disorganization. For more info visit Nikki at Take Control Organizing. For more organizing tips and strategies, please visit TCO’s blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.