How to Declutter the Chaos in Your Home and Get Organized
I am one of those crazy-productive, ultra-organized people you love to hate. Yep, I was born that way.
But I was also born with an analytical mind and a heart to teach and lead others.
As I approached my 40th birthday in January 2012, my life was the most UN-organized, UN-productive, and UN-planned it had ever been. I couldn’t find a thing in my house, and my family finances and family members’ health were all spiraling out of control.
I did what any sane person would do… I quit my job. OK, maybe not so sane.
Everything was falling apart anyway. And I couldn’t control anything around me. Except my space. And it was a hot mess!
In the middle of January 2012, I found myself sitting at my kitchen table recently unemployed by my choice, and overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities on my plate.
Somewhere in the last few years, I had lost control of literally everything in my life. I felt like I was spinning and desperately wanted someone to step in and save me. But no one did. And I knew no one would.
There were so many areas of my life felt out of my control and I was desperate to escape my chaos. Normally at times like these, I would get to cleaning and organizing and feel better at the end of the day. But this time, the overwhelming organizing task in front of me would not be finished in one day. If I got it done in one year it would be a miracle.
Every drawer had become a junk drawer, and the contents of my closet had no rhyme or reason. I decided that day to take back my house for good and reclaim my home and subsequently my life.
On January 1, 2012, I had 3 priorities:
1. Put my kids and husband first and make sure their needs were met no matter what.
2. Get my house back in order so we could function again and stop sliding backward.
3. Figure out what my next job would be. But this time I wanted my job to be my passion… a lifelong pursuit… a way to help others. And I had no idea what that would be.
In March 2012, I turned 40 and my organizational rampage was yielding results. My home was finally close to being manageable again. By the end of the year, my house was finally organized.
Now, by no means does that mean I am done organizing.
But there are a few things that happen after you organize the same space 3 different times:
1. You stop looking for things. Yep, you know where your stuff is.
2. You have empty spaces and you like it. There is room for more to come in your house, but your house can breathe. It has space.
3. You feel organized. Life still gets crazy, but your space isn’t an additional stress. It can actually be a haven.
I decided that day to take back my house for good and reclaim my home and subsequently my life.
During that same year, I also started a blog, Organize365. I loved sharing my organizing ideas and cringed when people bought more and more organizers yet didn’t “get organized” with them. Blogging allowed me to continually refine my message and helped me realize what I liked to organize the most. The first clear area that I tackled was paper, and a developed a successful system that I’ve now been using for 10 years.
My mind began flooding with memories of past jobs, careers, volunteer experiences, etc. In every situation, I was successful because I either was organized or I was able to help someone else become organized. I had been a professional organizer and I didn’t even know it!
That’s when I decided to start my in-home professional organization business in Cincinnati, Ohio. As I helped clients, I was mentally taking notes and trying to figure out how to inspire people around the world to get organized. From the beginning, I wanted to create an online resource for homeowners everywhere. Over the past six years, my passion for helping other women reclaim their overwhelming cluttered homes has grown exponentially.
By the fall of 2014, I started the Organize 365 podcast because I wanted a way to expand on the blog posts I had written and really dive deeper into how and why we get disorganized. The podcast medium is my favorite way to tell stories, provide motivation, and encouragement to you as you are going through your own organizational journey.
I knew the Organize 365 podcast would be powerful because other podcasts had the power to change my mindset, and I realized that was the key: mindset. I had been trying to share quick tips, cute solutions, and programs, but organization is all about changing your mind first.
The reason you are not organized is probably not because you don’t have the right containers. You are probably at a stage in life with no extra time, are dealing with a traumatic life event, or may have a physical condition that has you down. I talk about all of those topics on my podcast, and share my personal experience with depression and parenting a child with ADHD. Along the way, I provide tips and strategies for overcoming obstacles and to help you get the organized house you’ve always dreamed of.
The reason you are not organized is probably not because you don’t have the right containers. So what is it?
I know that organization is more than just 15-minute-a-day tasks or cute ways to use fun containers. Women who suffer from depression, have been diagnosed with ADHD, or just feel like they can’t get it all done resonate with the simple, functional approach to organizing on Organize 365. I want it to work more than I want it to be pretty.
It grieves me that so many women feel defeated in something that brings me so much joy. I want you to know it is OK to let go of your parent’s things, how to save your ex’s memories for their children, and that it is OK that you were not “born organized.”
Organization a skill that is developed over time and changes with each season of life. Organize 365 is an ever-changing and growing body of work that I am passionately pursuing with all my heart to help you live a more organized life. I’d love to have you join me on the journey!
If you’d like to learn more about Lisa’s home organizing programs, paper system, upcoming convention, or her two #1 Amazon Best Seller Books, The Mindset of Organization – Take Back Your House One Phase at a Time and How ADHD Affects Home Organization – Understanding the 8 Key Executive Functions of the Mind, you can visit her website or Facebook page.
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You’ll also like our recent podcast episode: 5 Things a Woman Must Do for Success in Life – 040
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