Get Organized: 3 Barriers Keeping You From Being Organized

One of the most important tips and strategies for maintaining organization involves setting up a system that is user-friendly. It needs to be convenient. If it is too difficult to do or if it demands too many steps, you will not do it.

3 Barriers Keeping You from Being Organized

1) Inconvenience of locating files.
I would venture to guess that within the multitude of papers on your kitchen counter, a chunk of them just needs to be filed. You probably looked at each piece of paper and did the ‘put it in a pile to file later’ move.

Does this scenario sound familiar? You open the mail and deal with the paperwork in the kitchen, but have your filing cabinet in the home office down the hallway, upstairs or in the basement. If this is the case, filing is not convenient for you.

Your solution involves one of two options. You can either move your paperwork processing close to your file cabinet or you can create a file system in your kitchen.

2) Closed containers or boxes.
Storing items in closed containers or boxes does appear tidier. But if your items only make it to the top of the container or box lid and do not get put away inside of the container, you have defeated your purpose.

Why don’t you just put the items in the container or box? It comes down to convenience. Many times it is too many steps to do so. In some instances it may include…unlocking the lid, lifting it off, putting the item inside, closing the lid, and latching the lid. That is five steps.

Your solution comes down to something very simple…remove the lid. Now you can just drop your item in. That is one step versus five steps. Which would you rather do?

3) Failure to create a home for all things.
I know you agree that if you put all things away where they belong you will be able to find what you need when you need it. However, if you do not have a designated home for something, you find it easier to drop it on the counter or shove it in the closet.

How can you make sure things have a home and get put away? Simply said, you will need to get over the discomfort and inconvenience of making a decision. Clutter is simply the failure to make a decision. Discipline yourself to make a decision and act upon it. Focus on your self-talk and be sure to cheer yourself on.