Let’s play a game. Would you rather spend an hour scrolling through Instagram™ or spend an hour organizing your kitchen? You probably know which option you should pick, but most of us would choose social media (or pretty much anything else) over organizing.
I get it. Organizing isn’t fun—unless you’re one of those people who truly finds joy in labeling bins and sorting things into piles. But do you know what is fun? Having a clean space and a clear mind. And getting organized helps you achieve both!
I’m not here to share a bunch of organizational hacks with you. (We know there are already a ton of articles out there like this one to help you in that department.) Instead, I’m focusing on getting you to the point where you want to get up and get organized, which is oftentimes half of the battle.
Set deadlines.
Just like with any other goal you set, deadlines are so motivating. Because if you don’t set them, you’re left with the “I’ll get to it when I get to it” mentality. And that usually goes from doing it tomorrow, to doing it next month, to forgetting about it completely. Want something organized? Write it down and give it a date just like you write down your appointments, meetings, and so on.
Play music.
Do you have a workout pump-up playlist? That’s the vibe we’re going for when we talk about creating a cleaning playlist. Play music that pumps you up and gets you feeling motivated. And try out this playlist if you need ideas!
Start small.
We often don’t want to commit to organization because it seems like a mountain that we’d rather not climb. The finish line feels so far away that it sounds better to just not even start. But we challenge you to start with a small … no wait, a tiny task. We’re talking about wiping down one table or pushing in your chairs. From there, you might feel motivated to put away dishes, or clean the sink. You’ll realize your motivation grows as you keep going, so start small and don’t quit!
Race against the clock.
How about a little friendly competition with … yourself? Set a timer for 30 minutes and see how much organizing you can get done in that time. Who knows? You might feel motivated to keep going even after time’s up. 😉
Seek inspiration.
The world went crazy after Marie Kondo released her life-changing decluttering hacks (read about them here). People were feeling inspired to get organized and get rid of anything that didn’t “spark joy.” This proves that sometimes, all you need is a little nudge. And that nudge can come from looking at organized homes on Pinterest™ or visiting your overly organized sister-in-law’s house. It’s likely that you’re surrounded by inspiration … you just have to look for it!
Call in the reinforcements.
… and those reinforcements’ titles are “spouse” and/or “children.” It shouldn’t be up to one person to organize an entire house if that person isn’t the only one living there. So, get the whole family involved! You could even make it a bit more entertaining by playing games like these.
Just do it.
You’re loaded up with all my tips and tricks. You’ve watched every home improvement show on HGTV™. You’ve even fueled up with your favorite energy drink to prepare for a day of organizational fun. Now, all that’s left to do … is to do it.
You can’t expect yourself to always feel motivated, especially when it comes to something as tedious as organization. But for those times when you just feel “blah,” be sure to keep your self-discipline in your back pocket. You’ve got this!
Set your organizational goals, and then make them happen! Read my post to learn more about turning your goals into reality.
