Where to begin? I’ll start with what I think is the first step in living more organized and that is having the right mindset. It consists of reframing the way you think about getting (and staying) organized and getting rid of any stinkin’ thinkin’.

So, here is my list of Top 10 Organizing Myths to help you set the foundation for your organizing mindset…

Myth#10: Either you are “Born Organized” or not.
Truth: Organizing is a skill that anyone can learn.

Myth #9: Getting organized is such a time consuming, labor-intensive process.
Truth: It is actually a simple process that can be applied and utilized over and over. Isn’t NOT getting organized a time consuming, labor-intensive process?

Myth #8: It is impossible to stay organized?
Truth: Organization CAN be maintained as long as your system is customized to fit your needs/preferences and can grow and change with you. The idea is to keep it simple.

Myth #7: I have to throw out all of my stuff.
Truth: Not true. You may need to edit or minimize your belongings, but only after determining a keep criteria and evaluating items based on what you use, love and want.

Myth #6: I should be able to organize my rooms in a day or two and it will look like those organizing shows when I am done.
Truth: Only if you have a team of 10-20 consultants and professionals. Your life or home did not become cluttered and chaotic overnight and it likely cannot be fixed overnight.

Myth #5: If I could just buy the right container…(or planner).
Truth: Containerizing actually works counter intuitively for most of us. We purchase containers and then expect to organize our stuff with them. The most effective and efficient method is to make container/supply purchasing one of the last steps to getting organized.

Myth #4: In order to be organized, I have to be obsessive about details and focus on perfection, minimalism, and flawlessness.
Truth: Organizational success does include minimizing and editing your belongings, but you do not have to organize your canned goods in alphabetical order with the labels facing the same direction to be successful (although I am not stopping you from doing so). It’s about finding and maintaining systems or processes that work for you and your family. The more customized a system is the more likely you are to stick with it.

Myth #3: It costs too much.
Truth: The process can actually cost very little (in dollars) if you use what you have. I have clients that spend little to nothing on supplies. It does take a bit of time investment and forethought.

Myth #2: If I have read every book and still can’t get organized, there is no hope.
Truth: Books offer some great information and tips and there are some basic concepts to getting organized. However, you need to customize systems, processes, containers, etc. to work for you! And you cannot get organized by simply reading a book- you must put things into practice.

Myth #1: ‘Getting organized’ is an event or destination.
Truth: ‘Getting organized…’ The words seem to summon the idea that it is a destination. Why don’t we ever seem to arrive? Because organization is not a destination- a place you spend time traveling to, eventually to arrive at and remain until you decide to leave. It is not a one-time event either. It is an ongoing process, or most simply, a lifestyle.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 at 9:20 am and is filed under Organizing Foundation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.