I really encourage you to avoid mistake #9 because nothing good will come of it.

Mistake #9: Beating yourself up for making organizing mistakes.  Don’t give yourself a hard time for letting your house or office become unorganized or messy.

Solution: We are human and we make mistakes.  Instead of dwelling on mistakes, say to yourself, “from this day forward I will…”  Tomorrow an is opportunity to start fresh.  Leave the past in the past.   Reward yourself for the steps you are taking to become better organized and the positive changes you are making.

When negative thoughts enter your head tell them to STOP and think positive!

Mistake #8:  Giving up.  You have a rough spell or life is just hard so you give up on organization or maintaining.

Solution: Sometimes life happens, things don’t go as planned, we get sick, ect.   Sometimes we backslide into our old ways of doing things.  With any new habit it takes time, at least a month of uninterrupted time, to develop.  Get back on track as soon as possible by tackling one small thing area.  Ask for help, from a professional or a nonjudgmental friend, if you feel stuck and overwhelmed.

What is one thing you can do today that will help you get back on track?

Are you outgrowing your space?  You may be making mistake #7.

Mistake #7:  Keeping too much.   More stuff requires more space and more of your time for maintenance.  If you are having a difficult time maintaining organization and out growing your space you might be keeping  too much stuff.

Solution:  Be ruthless when sorting and purging.  Ask yourself some questions about each item.  Do you even like it?  Do you use it/wear it?  How long has it been since you used/wore it?  What would be the worst thing that would happen if you didn’t have it and how bad would that be?

Have containers near you for trash, recycle and donations when sorting and purging.

Have you organized an area only to have it return back to it’s original state within days?  Mistake #6 might be the cause.

Mistake #6:  Lack of systems

Solution:  Systems will help you maintain the areas you have already organized.  Think of a system as a routine or procedure for maintaining the area.  You probably already have some systems in place for maintaining your home.  For example, after dinner you might empty the dishwasher, fill it with dirty dishes, and clean off your counters.  You pay your bills and sort your mail on a regular basis.  These systems or routines ensure you have clean dishes and paid bills.

Scroll thru the blog posts to read the first 5 mistakes.

What systems do you currently have in place that help you stay organized?

Save yourself time and money by avoiding mistake #5.

Mistake #5:  Purchasing containers before you begin organizing.  Let’s face it, it’s fun to shop for cute containers or buy them when they are on sale.  Most  of us have a stack of empty containers somewhere in our home, waiting to be put to use.  We thought it was a good idea to purchase the containers but once home could not decide what to contain.  You are not alone if this has happened to you.

Solution #5: Sort and purge before purchasing containers.   You may discover you need fewer containers since you have less stuff or you have created empty containers, while sorting and purging, that will then be available for reuse.  Now it’s time to determine whether you need  containers.  Shop at home for containers before heading to the store.  If you need to buy containers, be sure to measure the space so you buy the correct size.

Next time you need a container, look around your closets and basements.  You may find just what you need.

Click on the numbers for previous posts: #1, #2, #3, and #4

There are 9 common organizing mistakes.  Previous posts focused on Mistake #1,  Mistake #2 and Mistake #3.  This post will cover mistake #4.

Mistake #4:  Tackling too large of an area. Do you feel overwhelmed when looking at the photo above?  Where would you even begin?

Solution #4: Break your large project into small projects.  The photo above is a very large project,  but not if you break it into mini projects.  Sort one box or one shelf at a time and allow several weeks or months to complete the project.  Now it’s doable and not so overwhelming.

Are you facing a large project?  Break it down and tackle a little at a time.

Organizing mistakes are common.  They may cost you valuable time, money and stress.  I covered Mistake #1 and Mistake #2 in previous posts.  Today we will look at Mistake #3.

Mistake #3:  Perfection.  Does perfection prevent you from getting organized?  Do you think, “it won’t be perfect so why even try?”

Solution #3:  Stop It!  Done is better than perfect.  Good enough is good enough.  Let go of perfectionism and strive for your best.  You may always return to the area you organized and tweak it if the system isn’t working.

Attempt to do your best today.

Would you like to avoid common organizing mistakes?  I’d like to help you succeed by providing solutions to the 9 common organizing mistakes.  Today we will look at mistake #2.  Click here for mistake #1.

Mistake #2:  Believing you will need to set aside a large chunk of time for your organizing project.  False!  You can organize in short spurts.  In fact, it’s good to take breaks.

Solution #2:  Block off 1 hour to get started or if that is too daunting, set a timer for 15 minutes.  When your time is up, you may walk away.  Reward yourself for your progress, no matter how big or small of an area.   You may have even gained momentum and want to keep right on organizing .  Imagine that!

Has this belief stopped you from getting started?  Set your timer right now and GO!