10 Ways to Avoid Distraction When Organizing

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

Organizing can be overwhelming if you get distracted, and that's very easy to do. Here are 10 tips for keeping distractions at bay.

How many times have you started an organizing project and 3 hours later you found you have made no progress and are in a bigger mess than when you started? Sound like something you have done before? It's all about focusing on the task at hand.

Check out these 10 tips to avoid distractions:

1. Mark your organizing project on your calendar just as you would schedule an appointment.

2. Try to disconnect yourself from social media.

3. Try to limit any other distractions, i.e, phone calls, pets, kids, spouse, tv, etc.

4. Focus. Once you start organizing it is easy to veer off and do other things.

5. Instead of picking up an item and moving it to another area of the house, keep piles. When you are finished move the piles to other areas.

6. Try to stay in the area you are working.

7. Don't spend too much time deciding whether to keep something. If you can't decide, put it aside and move on. Save it until the end.

8. If you are organizing paper, try not to read full articles or get started in reading magazines. Rip out articles that are important to you and move on.

9. It's ok to reminisce with sentimental items, but don't let it zap your time. Decide whether to keep or toss and then move on.

10. Try to limit your project to 3 hours. If it will take you more than 3 hours, schedule a lunch break in between. If you organize more than 3 hour straight, you are setting yourself up for burnout and stress.

Without distractions, your project will take you half the time. You will have finished with more energy. You will be motivated and energized to continue and move forward with the rest of the home or office. Organize! Energize!

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. Kristin spent several years working in retail management, medical offices, and was even a successful certified personal trainer for 4 years. She discovered that in each of these fields she had a natural ability to streamline spaces and processes. Through her organizing ability and her passion for motivating others to achieve their goals, Kristin created Organizing in RI. Kristin has appeared on air on www.talkstreamradio.com and Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio. Her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. She is also available for organizing workshops.