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: I have stacks of magazines with articles about “how to declutter your home.” I’ve read them all, yet my home is still…cluttered. How can I change this – and finally get organized?

A: Your leaning tower of mags (and all your other piles) are about to disappear! Here’s your step-by-step action plan, including five easy ways to declutter your home right now.

If you want to declutter your home, there are typically five top trouble spots to tackle. Sometimes, you feel utterly hopeless trying to organize them – even just a little. Sometimes, you secretly fantasize about wiping out the entire room with a wrecking ball to finally get rid of the mess. Sometimes, you just tell yourself: “What’s the point?!”

Good news, you can cancel your Amazon order for that wrecking ball. Here are five easy ways to declutter your home right now…

1. Declutter Your Home Office

The problem: Overcrowded libraries with books, magazines, and files – as well as large electronics like computers, printers, and shredders – translate to little useable, extra space.

The solution:

• Toss magazines and newspapers first, as they are normally the easiest to part with and will give you a motivating “win” to start.
• Give away unwanted books to charity.
• If your budget allows, consider switching out a desktop computer for a laptop, opening up more room.
• Dust, label, and arrange the computer cables in an attractive manner.

2. Declutter Your Bedroom Closet

The problem: Closets always seem too small, especially if you have a big shoe (purse, hat, scarf, jacket, whatever) collection!

The solution:

• Remove out-of-season clothing and accessories, and place them elsewhere in the home.
• Relocate or purge any items that don’t belong in a clothes closet, like sports equipment, papers, and junk.
• Then situate the remaining in-season items as if on display in your favorite store or magazine.

3. Declutter Your Kitchen

The problem: As the heart of the home, the kitchen sees high-traffic volumes – and it normally looks worse for wear.

The solution:

• Make your kitchen into an orderly command center. Remember, you want to make sure that your kitchen has everything you need to survive a crisis, not that it looks like you just went through one.
• Rethink any small appliances you don’t use on a daily basis.
• Chuck the junk mail, and use a tidy basket to hold bills and other essential paperwork.

4. Declutter Your Garage

The problem: The garage is a catch-all for…well, everything.

The solution:

• Pull everything out of the garage, purge the clutter, and then separate the remaining items into categories like auto accessories, camping equipment, yard tools, recycling containers, etc.
• Find a home for and use tasteful storage to display each category. The key to organizing a garage is to make use of the elevated space, like the walls for storage racks and the ceiling for a false attic.

5. Declutter Your Porch, Patio, and Yard

Which most people don’t consider when decluttering, actually, and that’s really…

The problem: It’s easy to ignore the dead patch of grass in the backyard or the eyesore on the porch because you have more pressing matters, but the outside of a home is reflective of the inside.

The solution:

• Have a “discovery session,” where you walk around your house, making a list of necessary outdoor improvements.
• Then schedule a daily to-do on your calendar, or outsource the tasks (a great chore for kids!) until all items are crossed off.

See, I promised. Oh-so easy!

And the best part? No wrecking ball necessary.

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: I’ve tried everything to be more organized – no luck. Is there something that will work when nothing else will?

A: Yep, and it will require you to break all the “typical” organizing rules.

Did you know that there are nine little ways you can be more organized today?

BEWARE: These are not your typical organizing tips that you see in magazines and on TV like “to organize your kitchen, do this” or “to tidy up your closet, do that.”

When it comes to these kinda tips, let’s face it! You’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt – and you also still “got” clutter.

Why? Because these are what I call “surface tips,” since they tend to repair the surface of things, and often just for a short time. The results don’t last because there is a bigger root cause behind your clutter.

Of course, there is definitely a time and place for surface tips and tools.

BUT if you don’t understand your core clutter problem(s) – and why clutter keeps creeping into your home, your schedule, and your life – then you are likely to fall back into disorganization and chaos, no matter how great those surface tips may be.

That’s why, it’s important to organize and simplify from a whole-person perspective. In other words, it’s just as important to declutter your heart and mind, as it is your space and time.

Here’s how…

Each day, make a conscious commitment to one or all of these:

1. Live fully.
2. Laugh out loud.
3. Learn something new.
4. Love with all your heart.
5. Listen more than you speak.
6. Laud others over yourself.
7. Limit the clutter in your life.
8. Lift up someone who needs it.
9. Let go of what is holding you back.

This is a powerful list, made even more so by personalizing it to you, your home, your life – and your clutter. You can do this simply by adding an “instead of” phrase to each item. Such as:

• Live fully, instead of cluttering your life with regrets.
• Laugh out loud, instead of letting negativity in.
• Limit the clutter in your life, instead of clutter limiting you.

Now, it’s your turn. I hope this is one to-do list that will make you feel infinitely more organized (and more alive!) than ever.

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.