What does being organized mean to you?  For some people the old adage “a place for everything and everything in its place” defines what organization means to them.  Some people on the other hand feel it means a clean, neat home.   Still others identify being organized with clear, uncluttered space.

As a professional organizing consultant my definition of being organized is being able to find things when you need them so you don’t waste more time and money duplicating your efforts.    I tell my clients, when they get organized they will save time, space and money and I can always guarantee that.   The one that usually impacts people the most is money.   You can save big money by getting organized.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Time is money.”   How much time do you spend each day looking for things because you are disorganized and there’s too much clutter in your environment? 

The average person on an average day spends an average of 30 minutes to 2 hours just looking for things – keys, glasses, cell phone, important papers, shoes, purse, wallet, whatever……    For example, suppose you are just spending one hour a day looking for things and you pay yourself (if you own your own business) just $20 an hour.   In one week you have cost yourself $100 and over a yearly period of 50 weeks (with two weeks off for vacation) the cost to your bottom line is $5,000.     If you own a business with 100 employees and each of them is wasting one hour a day for 50 weeks of the year your bottom line is impacted to the tune of $500,000.   OUCH!

And don’t just look at your employees.   Employers and managers average even more wasted time during the day – adding up to as much as eight weeks per year!  Their time is lost not only to disorganization and clutter but endless meetings and putting out fires that seem to pop up within any business.  

Now that you’ve figured out what disorganization is costing you, what can you do about it?   The first thing you have to do is take a hard look at yourself.  What are some of the real reasons that are holding you back from creating more organization in your life?   Basically there are six reasons people have trouble getting organized.   They are:  personality issues, psychological issues, handling incoming items, time management, project management and prioritization.     If you aren’t as productive as you want to be, you’ll have to look inside yourself to see what your particular issues are.  

In my experience working with many different people, I’ve realized that dealing with clutter and disorganization is a very emotional and psychological problem.    Over time we develop all kinds of reasons why we can’t get rid of “things.”  

Have you ever caught yourself using any of these excuses:  “I’m going to need it some day so I may as well keep it just in case,”  “I paid good money for that and so I have to keep it,”  “I’m so sentimental about my prom dress,” or “My parents were packrats and so I’ll just keep on with the tradition.”  

When deciding to change your environment, clear your space and save money, you have to start with yourself and your mind and your feelings about the stuff in your life.  Being organized means deciding what is important to you.   Is it important to have the biggest book collection next to the library?   Just in case they stop making boxes, will you be the neighborhood supplier?    If Home Depot goes out of business, could you take their place?  

Next time you find yourself saying “just in case” or “it costs a lot of money” think about why you are saying that.   Then sit down and see if you can add up how much money taking care of those items or papers costs you in frustration, stress, aggravation and lost time and money. 

Look at your life and the things you have in it and make time to visualize what you really want your life to look like.   Visualize that organized room or desk and then sit down and make a list of the steps you need to go through to get to your vision or goal.   Most people don’t have a written goal when they start a project.  They tear into the task but don’t really put any long term systems into place or they don’t have all the necessary tools to complete it before they start.  You must realize at the start of the project that getting organized will take time and a commitment on your part.  But the payoff will be huge especially when you check your wallet. 

Getting organized will reduce your stress, increase productivity and affect your bottom line in a positive direction.   

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Eileen Stevie
Stevie Organizing Services
www.organizeclutter.com
help@organizeclutter.com
919-345-2846

Please send any questions you have on your own personal organizing problems to www.organizeclutter.com.  I’d be happy to help.