The symptoms
Clutter, overstuffed closets, messy cars, piles of paper, loads of laundry, sinks full of dirty dishes, no room to park cars in the garage.
The cure
Physical therapy (as in sorting, purging, donating, clearing space, and MAKING decisions!)
Dealing with DDD
As a professional organizer who has worked with a lot of clients overwhelmed with clutter, I noticed one thing in common across the board and I call it DDD. Delayed Decision Disorder is what is found at the bottom of every pile of paper, every stack of unprocessed mail, every load of laundry left in the dryer or on the living room floor, and every box or bin in the garage labeled “Miscellaneous.” So how do you get DDD, and more importantly, how do you get over it? Read on.
Simply put, you get DDD from delaying decisions. Often it starts with the inner conversation that says, “I’ll do it later,” or “I’m too busy right now,” or “I’ll just do it tomorrow.” We all have times when we say these things, but it is when we say them over long periods of time that the piles and unfinished projects start accumulating. Once the piles take on a life of their own, I often get called in to help clear the clutter and make sense of the chaos. Together with my clients, we begin the process of clearing clutter and becoming very intentional.
Apply the 4 Q’s and call me in the morning
Here are the four questions I pose to my clients to help them make decisions about anything and everything in their space, on their calendar, and in their circle of friends and family.
- Do you love it?
- Do you use it?
- Does it serve you well?
- Could it serve someone else better?
If the response is no, then it needs to go. These questions work well with clothes, household items, sporting equipment, etc. It gets a little more complicated when an item holds sentimental value and so we talk through nostalgia, and then the decision often becomes clear. Let’s take Grandma’s awful china for example: What if we reclaimed the space currently allocated for a china set that you do not love, and quite frankly, you will never love? What if we used that space to hold things that you do love, that you do use, and that serve you well? Often the simple act of taking a photograph is enough to preserve the memory, and then releasing the physical item becomes easier.
What to do with memorabilia and children’s projects
Children’s artwork and school projects can also be photographed and I recommend getting children their very own digital frame. Having a rotating gallery of their masterpieces is a wonderful way to honor your kids’ massive talents!
There is no magic
In summary, there is no magic potion or formula to clear clutter and get organized. It is about becoming hyper-intentional and vowing to making timely decisions. It is about setting up life flow systems that fit your family’s lifestyle and needs. It is also about asking for help from family members. And lastly, getting organized requires a commitment to go through the A to Z process of eliminating the unnecessary and releasing the unwanted, and becoming very intentional about what you allow in your life and in your environment.
Visit www.ProfessionalOrganizerAZ.com or call (480) 382-1085 for more information or to schedule a consultation.
“Maybe the life you have always wanted to live is buried beneath everything you own.”
– Joshua Becker