I’m one to talk about motivation. When was the last time I did a blog post? The only thing I am motivated to do in the dead of winter is to see how quickly I can get out of my snow boots and seven layers of clothing, and into sweat pants and a sweater that probably hasn’t been washed in a month.
Now is the time to get organizing projects out of the way. Why not? We’re home anyway. The last thing we want to be doing when it’s beautiful outside is working on indoor projects.
Whether it’s cleaning a closet, rearranging a room, or getting going on that filing project you have been avoiding, hopefully here are a few (mostly legal) forms of motivation.
1.) Make a list of your goals. What are you hoping to get done before summer? Re-number them by order of importance.
2.) Ask a friend to come over and help. There is a few ways to go about this so they actually show up and don’t laugh at you when you ask. NEVER use the word clean. Always use the word wine. And be honest in telling them you need some motivation and creative ideas. A second opinion in organizing is always a good idea.
3.) Pick up some magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Dwell, House Beautiful, Southern Living, and Real Simple. I guarantee you are not only going to get some great ideas, but you are going to look around at your own living space and decide you need a change before summer gets here!
4.) Buy something. It can be anything from a new shelving unit you’ve had your eyes on at the Container Store, or a new pack of funky colored file folders. Pick up about three canvas storage bins, put them in the room you watch TV every night, and tell me they don’t eventually motivate you to organize some of the clutter you see laying around. Unlike having an elliptical in the room, I swear this trick works.
5.) When it’s a little warmer out, plan a garage sale. No, you never sell everything. And figuring out where to put the things that don’t sell until you can make it to the donation bins is kind of a pain. Something I have suggested (and have actually done) in the past is to call ahead to your local donation center and see if they do pick-ups. If they do, have it set up for them to come right at the end of your sale. The “I don’t feel like cleaning up after” problem is solved. AND… you won’t be tempted to bring any of that "stuff" back inside the house!
6.) Tour a model home / open house. No, it’s not illegal, but it’s certainly not the purpose of such an event. (My Realtor friends are cringing) Model homes / condos / apartments are lovely. They are so clean and… uncluttered. Of course, that’s because they aren’t lived in. But the general idea of open living space and clean surfaces is what you should be going after.
7.) Music. Not the TV, because you will sit down and watch it. Music motivates a lot of us to do many things. Why not organize. A huge fan of soul, funk, blues, and jazz, I can honestly say I have a playlist designated for cleaning and organizing. Find something that’s soothing, and doesn’t make you feel any more out of control than you already may be when it comes to the task at hand. If you are playing music from your computer, I suggest Pandora. It will ask you to create a new station. Enter an artist or genre you like, and Pandora will take it from there. Check out “Brazilian soul” for something upbeat, soothing, and a little jazzy. One of my favorites.
8.) Reward yourself. When you have one of your projects done, whatever room it may be in, go ahead and buy yourself something nice to put in the area. It’s a reward as well as motivation to keep the area looking fresh!
Happy organizing, my friends. I hope you find your motivation! I’d love to hear feedback on my She’s So Organized Facebook page! Suggestions for my next blog entry would be great too! Your organizing issues are MY motivation!
