This morning, I woke up at 6 AM to get my daughter ready for cross country. I pulled open the curtains above the kitchen sink and caught a glance of the thermometer sitting on my window sill. It displayed a chilly-for-July 62 degrees. “It’s the perfect morning for a run,” I thought.
As soon as Kailea left, I got myself dressed, put on my running shoes and hit the concrete. As I started on my run, it struck me how different my current approach to running is than it was just a year ago. Today, I look for excuses to run. I see that the weather is perfect and I simply can’t help myself. I want to get out there and run.
Everything changed for me when my running had a purpose—such as training for a race or hitting an aggressive mileage goal. Having a bigger purpose behind my running made me want to do it, as opposed to feeling like I should. This has been a huge momentum shifter.
If you’re losing steam on your organizing journey, or you’re getting worn out by what feels like a never ending battle to keep your home organized, step back for a moment and consider your bigger purpose. What are you organizing for? What will you be able to do easier, faster or at all, when you’re more organized?
Write down your answers to these questions and keep digging until you find an answer that really excites you. Maybe you’ll picture yourself throwing a party for friends, feeling happy and relaxed because you’re so comfortable in your home. Or maybe you’ll see yourself kicking-back and relaxing with your kiddos, completely guilt-free.
When your reasons for organizing are compelling to you, you’ll see your motivation shift. And as crazy as this may sound right now…you just may start looking for excuses to do a little bit of decluttering and organizing, instead of looking for reasons not to.
So what are you organizing for? Let me know in the comments.
Happy organizing,
I’m organizing and decluttering to prepare to sell our house in the next year or so and I’m encouraging my mother-in-law to do the same so that when my in-laws move off the family farm we are ready. Thanks for all your good ideas Aby!
I started writing a blog and that got me motivated to get organized. My home office was a mess and the blog got me to think about how I work in there. I used many Target bins and Martha Stewart labels and now I can find my art supplies and I have a great space to work. Check out my blog:
Artyful.blogspot.com
Trying to get organized and decluttered because, despite what my space looks like, clutter really drives me crazy! Looking forward to using your tips to get on the road to comfort and happiness!
Oh Aby– You are a GENIUS!! My son and his wife are arriving in less than a month. The last time they were here (2011), my scrap room was a MESS! It’s still a mess– I just couldn’t get motivated to clean up. But I did want to scrap and make cards. I’d just push the stuff over and make a little space for me to work 🙁
So I don’t want my scrap room to look like that when the kids come. I want it to be totally organized and look inviting. So I’m definitely going to try to use this as my motivation.
Okay, there’s no time like NOW to get started. Thanks for your post!
I’m in a constant state of trying to decide between about five different desires: read, write, play with the kids, cook nutritious meals, or craft something lovely… And the realities of being a working mother in a two-income household. With organization in place for my paperwork and crafting areas (in particular), I could more easily make use of smaller blocks of time instead of needing a HUGE chunk just to do something simple like have the boys make a card for their great grandparents.
I’m organizing for myself. It feels so rewarding doing one project that I want to do more and more!
I am organizing to set an example. My husband started a business after working for others & not needing tools. Now he has so many things in his van, workshop & in certain areas of the yard. He doesn’t seem to want to get organized at all.
So I keep the rest of the house as neat, clean & organized as I can hoping he will notice the benefits & do something about these areas where he keeps his belongings. I does feel better to focus on why I am doing what I do. Thanks for a great article & to those that commented on it.
Aby – Thanks for another great post. I find the emails come at just the right time to keep me motivated and moving forward on my organizing projects.
What you said realated to “purpose” really hit home. Peter Walsh talks about that in his series of books — “It’s all too much”. That jarred me into taking some action on my home and I’d recommend his book to anyone looking for more inspiration.
My sanity! I feel way more peaceful when there isn’t a pile of laundry or a floor in desperate need of sweeping; when my books are in nice rows on the shelves and my counters are clutter free. I feel my home is a sort of illustration of how I appreciate order and peace in my mind and how much I love myself.
Great answers everyone! Thanks for commenting! Keep them coming. 🙂
I’m organising to make my life simpler -quicker and easier to find things, quicker and easier to keep things clean leaving me more time to spend with my kids and create
I’m began organizing properly about a month ago, to keep things in a dedicated spot so that I can find them, and to free space. My boyfriend is moving in by the end of the month, and I want him to have his own space. He’s also a very organized person, and I just want him to feel welcome and at peace in my house – which I must admit has been quite disorganized lately. The bonus is that I feel much calmer and at peace myself – I think I have missed having an organized office, for instance, and a bookshelf in my living room that is decorative instead of busy. Now I have a clutter free office desk that allows me to think and my papers are getting into order. You’ve got to love these kind of projects!
Canning season will soon be over, I agree with so many others.
So now it is my turn to start by getting on my de cluttering shoes and get to work.
First will be the office area, then the sewing room, my two bad rooms. Then onto
improving the rest house. Goal to finish before Thanksgiving…………I’m going to be a busy busy beaver!!!!!
The reason —“like others have commented,” I want to be able to find things, quicker and easier, making my life simpler . By keep things clean and neat will give me more time to spend doing projects I want.
“AND NOT HAVE THAT NAGGING FEELING, I SHOULD BE DOING………………….”
You are so inspiring. I need to organize my files so that I can be efficient in my home and work, as well as write the book that I have started. I love the freshness that you bring to the subject of organizing.
Thanks so much Nikki! 🙂 Good luck with your book – what an exciting goal!
I’m organizing so I can find things when I need them, so I can feel a sense of calm in my home and so I don’t panic when someone is coming to visit!
My purpose in organizing is to be a better person!!!
* No more mental battles between “ought to” and “want to.”
* No more misplacing things.
* No more “shutting down” because I feel overwhelmed!
* More space, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to be creative.
* More calm to be a better parent, employee, and friend.
Thank you for helping me to realize this!
I loved your reasons!
You’re welcome! I hope realizing it gives you even more motivation! Thanks for sharing your answers with us. 🙂
I really loved this post. I started typing the reasons why I want to be more organized in my ‘simplemind app’ which happens to be a visual mind organizing app. For the past month or so, I have been compelled to get a handle on my cluttered areas in my life and keep on coming across so many inspiring women that have been helping me along the way with this journey. A few of the reasons why I want to be more organized are to be more prioritized, to feel relaxed, less stress, in control, more responsible, accomplished and to teach my son now at his young age of 8 so that it will eventually become natural for him to stay oranized.
You and I sound like kindred spirits, Ashley! I have an 11-year-old son whom I am “retraining by example.” I’m rooting for you!!!
What inspiring reasons you all have! Keep ’em coming. 🙂
I answered already but another reason is it saves money to be organized. My son wanted an ice chest the other day & I had one & could get it & with ease. So not buying things we already have saves money.
I went to go look at new refrigerators & one place I went to is a warehouse store. I don’t have a membership but they just sent a coupon for a free membership & I knew that all coupson are in order so I just went right to it.
My husband needed a tow truck & we don’t have triple A but I was able to grab my auto insurance policy to see if we are reimbursed for towing.
I don’t go to the closet & not see what I have. There is space between my clothes so I don’t need to press what is in there & can take out what I want. I can also tell someone where to find something because blouses are with blouses, sweater & jackets in their own area, etc.
I work at home & have a chart to show where each thing is supposed to be on my desk. I don’t have central air any more so I have window units. If I want to work in a different area of my house I grap my work book & look at the chart I have & can set up my work station no matter what part of the house I am in. It’s nice to sit down & get to work & know I have a clock there & my extra glasses, specific markets, blank paper, etc. It helps me stay focused on my work.
The flow works better when I am in the kitchen & can grab the scissors & put them right back & know where they are. It’s easier to cut things with scissors than it is to rip things open.
I enjoy life being able to find everything cause it’s in it’s place. I even have a “Where to find it book” I have an index & if my son would come over & I wasn’t here he could look up “deck of cards” oh, they are in the kitchen drawer next to the match & cake candles. It’s all in that book. So I feel better as if I did something I always wanted to do & now if anything would ever happen it would be easy for any visitors.
what great reasons everyone has offered. One secret wish I have just discovered: I want Lynne for my friend – can you come over & help me???? Jan in Ohio
The reasons everyone has mentioned are fantastic, and some I feel are right up my ally to add to my own list. My #1 reason RiGhT NoW would be to feel relaxed when I get up, maybe sit with a cup of tea, and not feel like ahhhhhhh… Still working on it, one day soon I’ll have achieved my goal.