Start Small

Often times we don’t realize how much we want to or need to get organized until it becomes overwhelming. We set aside a whole day or put a lot of pressure on ourselves to “get it all done” and “do it now,” and in reality when we try to start, we get overwhelmed and don’t begin. Or we start on the biggest project and get stuck along the way. Whenever someone tells me they are feeling overwhelmed or don’t know where to start, and that every area needs to be dealt with,or it’s been piling up for years, its easy to see and feel the overwhelm. 

First, I remind them that they are not alone, a lot of people feel this way. Most people have the ability to get organized, but our busy schedules and lives keeps us from tackling it when we want to.

Start small.

Don’t think you can do it all in a day or afternoon, because, sorry to tell you, you can’t. It’s a process. It’s emotional, it’s exhausting, and it can take a lot out of us. 

Start with the (small) pile of papers on your desk. Start with today’s mail. With your junk drawer. Do something small to see how it feels. Allow the organizing and clearing out to happen throughout your day. Notice and change your habits now and moving forward. 

When we start with something small, we give ourselves motivation because we tackled it and we completed it. It can give us the bigger motivation to move to the next project. It shows us that we can be successful and can get us not just motivated, but excited to organize and clear out the next area. 

Where are you going to start small?