Q: Why can’t I get organized? #@$&*%!

A: Trying to get organized often proves frustrating and makes you want to give up before you even get started. Rest easy, there’s a very promising solution!

Getting stuck in “Why can’t I get organized?” stops you from being all you can be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and more.

Not only does it kill your motivation for organizing, it ruins your:

• Quality of life
• Energy and productivity levels
• Ability to be fully present
• Amount of space in your home and life for the things that really matter

In all likelihood, you already get the reasons why clutter and chaos are problematic. After all, you personally experience the consequences every single day.

But what about the reasons why you stay trapped there?

You Can’t Get Organized Because…

External Factors

1. You can’t break free from the daily grind.

   Whether you have one small organizing project to tackle or you want to organize your entire house, it’s hard to fit organizing into your busy life.

   Maybe you can squeeze it in somewhere between commuting, working, parenting, and cleaning? Ugh.

   Being perpetually trapped in the day-to-day could mean another year (or two, three, or more) passes you by – and still you are no closer to your organizing goals.

2. You are not prepared for common situations.

   There are some spots that need organizing regularly, like mail, toys, and clothes.

   I bet if I ask you to list off the clutter hot spots in your home or the ways in which you waste time, you could list them 1, 2, 3 – without much thought.

   You likely know the moments that make you disorganized, and if you let them, these moments will continue to steal away all your hopes of finally getting organized.

3. You have too many negative influencers.

   Negative influencers are anyone or anything that hinders your organizing progress, either intentionally or unintentionally. Think: spouse, kids, and pets.

   Despite your best efforts to get and stay organized, these guys just get in the way.

   Not understanding how to deal with negative influencers will have a punishing effect on your ability to get rid of clutter once and for all.

Internal Factors

4. You are not connected to your why-power.

   Just telling yourself that you want to get organized will not sustain you. Why?

   It shows that you are interested in enjoying the many positives that organizing affords, but you aren’t fully committed to doing what it takes to realize those positives in your own life.

   If getting organized – whether it’s your kitchen or your attic or your files – is not connected to your why-power (aka your deepest motivator), then you’ll easily fall off the get-organized wagon.

5. You don’t know what you don’t know.

   In order for getting organized to work for you, you need a complete organizing system, or know-how.

   Know-how generally consists of more than just tips like “to organize your books, do this” or “to tidy up your closet, do that.” These are what I call surface tips, since they tend to repair the surface of things, and often just for a short time.

   If you don’t have the know-how or don’t have access to the know-how, then getting organized can be an uphill climb.

Good News! Your “Why Can’t I Get Organized?” Problem Is Totally Fixable

Will you ever be able to get off the seemingly endless can’t-get-organized ride?

Yes, BUT…

Here’s the thing. There are not just five reasons why you can’t get organized – there are 26 total.

I don’t say that to cast doom and gloom on your situation, but simply to say that it’s important that you are familiar with all of the possibilities so that you can get the best results.

Plus, the good news is that all of the 26 potential clutterbugs can be easily exterminated…er, solved.

I’m sure you can appreciate that a deeper discussion is necessary to explain all 26 reasons why you can’t get organized – and their simple fix.

To join that discussion and get the answers you need, register for the Free Webinar: How to Declutter Your Life (Finally!), Even if You Feel Hopelessly Disorganized.

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: Please tell me how to stop procrastinating! And…maybe I’ll do it later. 😉

A: If you are a card-carrying member of #ProcrastinationNation, then discover the key to pushing past procrastination so that you can finally get stuff done.

When it comes to getting organized, simplifying, saving time, or any goal in life, getting started is half the battle.

If procrastination is what’s hindering you from taking those first steps, then you can fight back with the ol’ one-two power punch. Here are the CliffsNotes for how it’s done:

• ONE: Find out what motivates you to dig deep and to do the things you don’t like.
• TWO: Hit procrastination head-on with your motivator(s) as soon as it arrives.
• PUNCH! 1, 2, 3…procrastination is out for the count. And the crowd goes wild! You are a time-management champion.

Here’s How To Stop Procrastination Before It Even Starts

Our purpose here today is to help you discover your motivators (ONE). The other bits (TWO + PUNCH) are not easier or more difficult, but they don’t require any how-to – just action.

Keep in mind that I’ve applied the below motivators specifically to getting organized, simplifying life, and finding time. But you can relate these same motivators to other areas of your life where procrastination persists.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #1: Enjoy More Free Time

  It’s well-established that if you simplify life, you save time.

  US News and World Report recently demonstrated that the average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items.

  1 year = 365 days = 8,760 hours = 525,600 minutes = 31,536,000 seconds

  Any way you put it, that’s a lot of free time you could have been enjoying if you hadn’t been procrastinating.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #2: Save Or Have More Money

  Think about your biggest organizing problem. Let’s just say, for example, that it’s your home office.

  Assume that you’re losing $21 a week, or $3 a day, in personal resources – lost time, energy, productivity, sanity – because you don’t have effective (or any) home office organizing systems in place. It’s probably much more than $3 a day, but we’ll wager conservatively.

  Imagine you decide against decluttering your home office and continue down the same unorganized path for the next five years. You will lose over $5,400 of resources!

  Although that $5,400 is just a hypothetical figure, it puts procrastinating about your clutter in a whole new light.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #3: Set The Tone For A Positive Life

  According to the book The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People by Dr. David Niven, it’s important to establish a schedule to take your tasks from to-do to to-done.

  Dr. Niven writes: “We often feel overwhelmed by the chores that have to be done on a regular basis. We clean the kitchen, then the living room needs to be vacuumed…and 16 other things need to be done. With a routine, you will not be lost in wondering what’s next.”

  Precisely how much will a household routine boost your level of happiness? 100 Simple Secrets explains: “In a study of families, regularity in household routines improved daily personal satisfaction by about 5%.”

  This may seem a small percentage, but when compounded over time, it will grow exponentially – only if you don’t procrastinate!

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #4: Shape Your Destiny

  Maybe for you, home organization is just about as fun as boot camp. But in this day in age, when life keeps getting crazier and crazier, you can’t afford not to be organized!

  Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”

  If you know you have to get organized, you can choose to procrastinate, and your disorganization will just cause you more frustration. Or you can choose to get motivated, get organized, and truly know the freedom that comes with it.

  It’s always your choice.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #5: Give Yourself Some Tough Love

  There can be some very undesirable consequences that accompany disorganization.

  • Can’t find your keys in the mornings = late for work
  • Forget a birthday = guilty feelings (you) and hurt feelings (birthday boy or girl)
  • Neglect to declutter the house = embarrassing mess to explain away
  • Pack a suitcase without a purpose = too many socks and too few unmentionables
  • Pay a bill after it’s due = excess late fees
  • Overlook expired car registration = traffic ticket and possible fines

  These are all results for which you (normally) have no one else to blame but yourself. Channel that “Doh! How did this happen?!” feeling you get during these lousy circumstances to attack procrastination once and for all.

It’s time to get organized, simplify life, and save time – and stop letting procrastination force you into situations where you wish that you had made these goals a priority. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: There are so many time management tips, apps, and tools. Where do I start? How can I uncomplicate time management?

A: The answer is simpler than you think. Better yet, the effects are immediate. Even better still, it will take your time management and productivity to new heights.

When it comes to time management and getting things done, would you say that you are:

• Rarely productive?
• Sometimes productive? Or
• Always productive?

Now, here is the cold, hard truth about your answer, no matter which it may be: You can be BETTER.

But how?

In today’s hectic world, demands on your time fly about you like mosquitoes on a hot Southern summer night. It’s too bad that there’s not a to-do-repellent, bottled up and ready for purchase at your nearest Container Store!

But while there may not be a “protective spray” for busyness, there is a solution – and it’s simpler than you think.

Better yet, the effects are immediate.

Even better still, it is a rinse-and-repeat system that will take your time management and productivity to new heights. I promise!

The Biggest Time Management Mistake You Are Making Right Now

In life, there are those individuals who are goal-setters and those who are goal-getters.

A goal-setter is someone who likes the idea of setting goals, but doesn’t put the necessary actions behind them. On the other hand, a goal-getter doesn’t just set and believe in goals, but also has the follow-through to achieve them.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey described the secret of goal-getters in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Aha! Much of what comes into your day – emails, text messages, phone calls, meetings, snail mail, conversations, interruptions – they are all just vehicles for other people’s priorities in your life.

If you always schedule in “all that stuff” first, then there will always be little to no room for your own values, priorities, goals, and dreams.

This is the very reason why you should:

• Trust your priorities to help you make decisions about how to use your time wisely,
• Infuse your priorities into your daily routines so that you focus on what’s important, and
• Stick to your priorities, no matter what.

Sounds good, right? Yeah, but it’s often really hard to do.

That’s why time management and productivity are such hot topics. It can be challenging to say “no,” which is what sticking to your priorities makes you do – a lot.

How To Manage Time Like A Highly Productive Person

So let’s set you up for success by making time management easier for you. Here are three guidelines to becoming a goal-getter who is the envy of everyone around you:

1. Deep down, you are driven by a set of core values and principles like faith, family, or independence.

   From the get-go, decide what these values are.

   They will set the tone for your goal-getting success.

2. Brainstorm the wish list of objectives that you would like to accomplish, either in the short-term or long-term.

   Then, break this wish list down into manageable projects and tasks.

   What is a good measuring stick for manageable? Take your original list and cut it in half – most people overestimate what is realistic.

3. Calendar out the projects and tasks in order of importance and also set a date for project completion.

   Don’t skip that last part!

   Setting deadlines is a proven productivity tactic to keep you moving toward your ultimate goal(s).

Next: Rinse and repeat! The more you use this three-step time management system, the more you declutter your time and fine tune your schedule.

The bottom line is that your priorities act as your internal compass, helping you to stay focused, make clear decisions, and feel balanced and fulfilled. A highly productive person uses his or her values to guide every step, including how and where to spend time.

The One Time Management Tip To Always Remember If You Want To Save (Lots Of) Time

When organizing your time, act as the gatekeeper. Before putting anything on your schedule, ask if it will support your values and priorities fully, partially, or not at all.

• If the answer is “fully,” then you’ve got a green light to add it to your calendar.
• If the answer is “partially,” then it’s a yellow light, and you should only add it to your calendar after thoughtful consideration.
• If the answer is “not at all,” then it’s a red light, and you should not let it near your calendar.

While there will be surprises and unavoidable hiccups here and there – that’s life – stick to your priorities as much as possible.

If you truly want to start finding more time in your life for the things that really matter, download The FREE Ultimate Productivity Planner™, and save 90 minutes (or more) every day simply by using this 3-minute trick…even if you think time management is a myth.

Q: I really wish my clutter would just go away, but no matter what, it’s still there. How do I get unstuck?

A: There is a lie about clutter that people often believe (and accept as reality) – and it can keep you from ever truly getting organized and simplifying. Here’s how to avoid it!

If you are like most, you would love to just magic wand the clutter and chaos in your life into some other dimension.

I wish I may…

I wish I might…

Please clutter, could you be gone by night?

Presto chango! If only.

Where There’s A Wish To Declutter, There’s A Way To Declutter

Mike Dooley explains: “Life is not about expecting, hoping, and wishing; it is about doing, being, and becoming.

“It’s about the choices you’ve just made, and the ones you’re about to make – today.

“It’s about what you’re gonna do after you finish [reading] this.”

(Now, you may not know the name Mike Dooley, but he created TUT’s Adventurers Club to celebrate the adventures of life. His musings have been turned into calendars, greeting cards, and books. So there’s a good chance you may have unknowingly been inspired by him and not even realize it!)

This quote is one of my favorites because it applies to absolutely anything in life you want to achieve.

• Do you want to lose weight?

  It’s not about hoping for a 10-pound drop. Rather, it’s about doing the things necessary to make the 10-pound drop happen.

• Do you want a promotion?

  It’s not about expecting good fortune to come your way. Instead, it’s about being in the success mindset and checking off the required milestones for eligibility.

• Do you want to get organized? Find time? Simplify life?

  It’s not about wishing the clutter off the floor and out of your life, although this is the untruth we often believe and accept.

Here’s Where Your Decluttering Efforts Go All Wrong

Of course, I’m not trying to imply that you believe that clutter just magically disappears. I know and you know that there is a try factor (aka elbow grease) involved when it comes to decluttering your home and life.

However, you fall into the clutter trap when you tell yourself: ONE DAY.

• I’ll get around to it…later.
• This needs organizing…tomorrow.
• Let’s simplify that…soon.
• I’d like to check off that to-do…someday.

But, what happens?

One day becomes the next day. The next day becomes the next, next day. And the next, next day becomes the next, next, next day.

Until what started as one day morphs into never.

How To Get Back On Track & Start Getting Organized At Last

Getting organized, saving time, and simplifying are all about becoming so in your thoughts and actions. In other words, it’s about making conscious choices to get organized, and stay that way.

Which brings us back to Mike Dooley’s quote – it’s about what you are going to do right now.

Are ready to take the first step?

Then start the FREE 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™, and get more organized, find more time, and enjoy more simplicity in your life…in just 3 days!

x,

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: I feel so overwhelmed! Is there an “easy button” for simplifying life?

A: Here’s the (only real) secret to simplifying life. It’s free, and it always works, but…there’s a catch.

The trick to simplifying life is choosing simplicity (repeatedly, deliberately, willingly), not chancing it.

That sounds so poetic, right?

Well, poetry doesn’t help you do laundry, or you know, make your life easier in any way.

That’s the rub. This trick, while grounded in simplicity, is not…well, so simple.

In fact, 71% of people agree that their quality of life would improve immensely if “things” were more organized and simplified, but they struggle with making this a reality.

So you are not alone if simplifying life seems out of reach – and not just a little, but like go-go-gadget out of reach. As you look around your home and life, you…

• Can’t imagine anything really changing.
• Are resigned to the fact that clutter and chaos are here to stay.
• Feel like an utter #SimplifyFail.

Not so fast, my friend! I’m here to demystify the simplify-life process.

If you would like to start choosing simplicity, instead of chancing it, then take the FREE 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™. You’ll get more organized, find more time, and enjoy more simplicity in your life…in just 3 days!

Q: Can you tell me how to organize an office, and in the fastest and easiest way possible?

A: Get access to the simple system that will help you organize your home office and papers in less than one day’s time!

Knowing how to organize an office can seem difficult – maybe even impossible – especially when you think about all the papers and files that come with it.

The good news is that home office organization doesn’t have to be frustrating or overwhelming as long as you have the right office organization ideas and tools to help you!

In the end, you want to know how to organize an office so that you…

• Have no more desk and office mess to distract you from getting things done.
• Save time and effort by quickly finding what you need in your home office.
• Save money because you don’t have to buy office supplies that you know are there, but just can’t find.
• Replace the “negative energy” from office clutter with the “positive energy” from an organized office space.
• Have a home office that supports creativity and productivity.

Enter Totally Organized Office™ Bootcamp

EVEN BETTER:

Right now, you can enjoy over 50% OFF.

BUT…

The super sale is ending soon! Your MASSIVE DISCOUNT is only available for the next:

Hurry! Don’t miss your chance to save – and to organize your home office and files at last.

x,

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

P.S. Don’t let this get in the way of your home office organization success…

P.P.S. Imagine sitting in your office – and it doesn’t matter which way you swivel your chair, the mess is g-o-n-e.

Q: Is there a professional organizer near me?

A: Yes, thank goodness, there is a pro organizer near you! Even better still, for help getting organized, you don’t even have to get out of your PJs.

If you are thinking that it’s all too good to be true, then I’m about to make you happy dance because…

You can ask me anything about organizing your home, life, and time – for free!

I solemnly pinky-swear promise that I’ll do my very best to answer each and every question in upcoming blog posts, videos, podcasts, webinars, and more.

Plus:

When your answer’s in, you’ll be notified via email so that you can get quick access to the information you need.

To ask your question, you can either submit it by talking to me or writing to me.

So ask away! Help getting organized, simplifying life, and saving time is just a mouse click away.

x,

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

P.S. Did you know that 71% of people agree that their quality of life would improve immensely if they were better organized? If that resonates, then let me be the professional organizer near you – ask your question about organizing your home, life, and time today!

P.P.S. Remember, it’s absolutely free for you to participate! ♥

 
 

 
 
 
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
 
Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and I’m here today with a little inspiration to get you moving toward your organizing goals, whatever they may be.

As I record this video, we stand at the beginning of a new year. A whole year of days, weeks, months – opportunities, if you will.

Really, it doesn’t matter if you are watching this video in January, in July, or in December, today can be the start of a new year for you. That’s one of the things that is so beautiful about life. Each day is a clean slate, ready for you to make and mold it into what you will.

Take that idea a step further, and think about where you were 365 days ago. Are you still stuck there in that same place?

If so, you might not want to think about it. It can be uncomfortable, at best, and agonizing, at worst. When you have big plans for how you want to improve your home, life, and you, but you seem to be perpetually stuck, getting nowhere, it can seem like a big #MeFail – and not just once, but over and over and over again.

And, yet, here comes that clean slate. Yes, it’s cliché. Go ahead, roll your eyes at me. Yes, it’s optimistic in maybe a Pollyana sort of way. But you know what? It’s also true. You can choose to break the ugly cycle in which you find yourself at any time and at any place.

So, if you’ve been telling yourself for a while now that you need to get organized and simplify life, then it’s time to stop thinking and talking about it, and start getting it, achieving it, enjoying it.

To learn more about how you can declutter your life finally, even if you feel like it’s a hopeless cause, then follow the arrow [to http://www.carmencoker.com/free-get-organized-webinar] to register for my free webinar.

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and let me ask you…how many times have you bailed on getting organized because you felt unmotivated to keep going, or even get started?

There is more to organizing and decluttering than sorting and storing. In fact, your lifestyle choices heavily influence how engaged you feel during the organizing process and, as such, heavily influence your organizing results as well.

Here are five science-based solutions that will boost your motivation to reach your get-organized goals.

Number One: Get restful sleep.

And that doesn’t mean sleeping in front of the TV or with your cell phone, but sleeping like your dog sleeps – soundly, deeply, and for a good while.

Too little sleep hinders your productivity and focus, amongst other serious health consequences. [Source: Sleep Foundation]

Make sure you go to bed early enough, tonight, to get the right amount of sleep you need for organizing, tomorrow.

Number Two: Wear bright colors.

Warm colors like red and orange stimulate your mind. One British study found that, when evenly-matched Olympic athletes competed, those in red won significantly more. [Source: Health Magazine]

Wearing these colors will supercharge your energy levels to achieve more while organizing.

Number Three: Fuel your body properly.

Evidence points to the fact that your diet impacts your brain chemistry, which in turn, impacts your personal energy and mood. [Source: WebMD]

Drinking lots of water as well as eating fresh fruits, leafy greens, and lean meats – instead of all the fatty, greasy, and sugary options available – are all smart choices to fuel your body for high-performance and organizing success.

Number Four: Turn up the music.

Music energizes you. OK, well, maybe not the pots and pans kinda music, but clinical music therapy uses music to connect people to movement and motivation. [Source: American Music Therapy Association]

By turning up your favorite tunes, your energy, intensity, and big decluttering results are sure to follow.

Number Five: Have a positive attitude.

Human beings have a strong mind-body connection, and because of this, the psychological benefits of attitude often manifest into physical benefits. [Source: Mayo Clinic]

Using positive self-talk like “I can get organized” is a must-have resource in your organizing toolkit.

There you have it: Five get-organized power tips. To learn more about how you can declutter your life finally, even if you feel like it’s a hopeless cause, then follow the arrow [to http://www.carmencoker.com/free-get-organized-webinar] to register for my free webinar.

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and I’m here to talk about making lists that work.

Generally speaking, a list is a good thing because when you write a list, it helps you focus. When you follow a list, it keeps you on track and moving toward list completion. And when you cross off list items, you feel productive.

On the one hand, making to-do lists works for many people, and there are a lot of people – not just Santa Claus – who love and believe in the power of listmaking.

On the other hand, despite proven results and positive qualities, lists don’t always work for everyone, every time because when you have to make a list, it means you have lots to accomplish. When you have lots to accomplish, you suddenly don’t want to do anything but sit on your couch, watch TV, and eat ice cream. Am I right or am I right?

In other words, making a list is making you procrastinate. At this point, you’d rather be doing anything than what’s on your list. You’ve entered into a mind game between your lazy self and your productive self, and your lazy self is winning.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to fight back by creating a NOT-To-Do List to help you get organized.

The Not-To-Do List is exactly as the name implies – a list of things you do not want to do.

For example, the Not-To-Do List for Housekeeping, which would be something like: throw shoes by the front door, let mail pile up on the kitchen counter, and forget to file bills at the end of the month. These things create clutter in your home, so you do not want to do them.

Another example would be the Not-To-Do List for Time Management. Some items that might be on this list include: hit the snooze button on the alarm more than once, check email first thing in the morning, and turn on the TV while getting ready for work. These things make you lose time, so again, you do not want to do them.

You see, the Not-To-Do List is a technique that leverages reverse psychology. Plus, you’re giving your lazy self permission to be lazy while, at the same time, giving your productive self permission to get things done.

Now, that’s not just a win-win. That’s a #WinWin.

That’s why, your Easy Organizing Challenge™ is to create your first Not-To-Do List and use it for three days. See if the psychology behind it works better for you than a normal to-do list, and then go from there.

If you want bigger and better time-management results, then follow the arrow [see below link] to download The Ultimate Productivity Planner™. It’s free, and it will help you save 90 minutes or more every day even if you think time management is a myth.

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

© 2007 – 2016 | Carmen Coker International | All Rights Reserved

Carmen Coker is a former US Air Force officer turned professional organizer. Thousands of busy people have benefited from her expertise featured by CBS, NBC, The Washington Post, and Real Simple magazine – now it’s your turn! Download The FREE Ultimate Productivity Planner™, and save 90 minutes (or more) every day simply by using this 3-minute trick…even if you think time management is a myth.