I have had many conversations with people over the years about their organising challenges. I have discovered there are varying degrees of being organised. Some people are super organised in one area of their life, but not so organised in other areas. Some use to be really organised, but life got in the way and they don’t know how to get back on the right path.
I developed the Space and Time Organising S.Y.S.T.E.M to give some easy steps to get my clients moving and keep the momentum going. It can be used as a manual to sort, organise and declutter your physical spaces (see how it can be used to sort out your pantry and toys). It can also be used to sort out how you use your time.
Here is a brief summary of the 6 steps.
Today I wanted to highlight my favourite step of the S.Y.S.T.E.M and that is the very first step. This first step can really set you up to get the process right and a higher chance of making those changes stick.
Let’s look at the first step in more detail. Before you do anything, ask yourself,
- where is the stuff coming from in the first place?
- where are all the toys coming from?
- where do all the clothes you don’t wear come from?
- what about all that plasticware?
- where is all the paperwork coming from (look at my blog how to take control of the snail mail box here for help with this one)
- Where is all the stuff coming from and what can we do to stop it coming through the front door in the first place?
The first step is also the time to think about:
- what would you like to achieve by being more organised? Is it making more time to do fun things or as simple as finding somewhere to put important things like your keys or setting up your day so you get everything done.
- or is it rearranging the space around you so that it’s more pleasing to be in and more inspiring.
- what would being organised mean to you and the people around you?
- what changes do you need to make so this journey stands the best chance of success?
- rather than jumping in and pulling things out of boxes or rearranging this or rearranging that, having a clear idea of what you want to achieve can be the difference between making more mess than you started with and getting what you truly wanted in the first place.
- thinking about the end goal helps you make the steps to get there.
The remaining 5 steps in the S.Y.S.T.E.M are fairly straight forward:
- make time in the diary to get started
- start sorting
- declutter
- set up easy storage that works for you and
- keep it up.
Taking the first step and keeping up the momentum can be the hardest. I suggest you use a timer and choose 1 box, 1 shelf or 1 drawer and get started. Keep it manageable. We are not trying to organise the whole house at the one time here. We are just getting started.
Which step in the S.Y.S.T.E.M are you looking forward to getting stuck into?
Need help making a start Contact me here to arrange a time for me to work through all 6 steps of the S.Y.S.T.E.M.
Julie Cliff, Professional Organiser at Space and Time specialises in helping families get organised at home. Her clients find they can achieve a lot with hands-on help and expert advice from Julie in a few short hours. Contact Julie today to get started on that job you have been putting off because you don’t know where to start.