Organize + Energize: 5 Reasons You Can’t Get Organized

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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

A few months ago, I conducted a survey and polled disorganized people on a variety of questions.  One of the questions was:  You’ve made attempts at getting organized in the past. Why can’t you follow through with the projects? 

Here are the top answers that were received:

Get started and can’t seem to finish.  The biggest reason most organizing projects fail is because people get distracted and lose focus. There are numerous reasons why they can’t stay on task. The phone may ring, they hear something fascinating on the TV, they feel the need to check social media, they receive a text, they leave the room they are working in, they may have ADD, and the list goes on and on. Some projects are very overwhelming to most people. They get halfway through their project and shut down because they get stressed, overwhelmed, or they get tired. 

Didn’t have a good system.  The system looked great in the beginning and now nobody in the household is following the system and the system has fallen apart. When you get organized, it’s not just about using pretty containers and making things look pretty. Once you remove everything from the space and declutter, and categorize, take a step back and look at your empty space. Think about how you utilize the items that you are placing back into the space. It’s all about functionality and being able to maximize the space. Really think about your system.  Re-visit your space in a few months. If the system is broken; don’t continue to work with it. Create a better system based on how you functioned these past few months. 

Systems were too difficult.  Keep it simple.  The systems don’t have to be elaborate. The simpler the system, the easier it will be to maintain. The more complicated the system, the more likely it is to fail.  If it’s your child you are working with to get organized, incorporate them into the process. Ask them how they want to function. You may be surprised that they will know the answer to that question.  

My family didn’t follow the systems. If you are creating organized systems in an area that the entire family utilizes, you have to get everybody on board with the system. You can’t create a system and assume everybody will be able to follow it if they haven’t been informed. Once your systems are created, walk your family through the system. Follow up every month for a few months until the systems are learned and everybody is in a routine. Once they learn the system, it’s a matter of putting things back where they belong. 

Realization that the skill set wasn’t there.  You were able to declutter and categorize, but then you got stuck. Many people get overwhelmed and shut down at this point. You may not have the organizational skill set, and that’s ok. That’s why there are professionals to help transfer that skill set to you.  

If you are relating to this article, you are not alone. Many people struggle with all of the above.  Work on limiting your distractions and staying focused. Create easy to follow systems that can be maintained by everybody in your home. Re-visit your systems and if they aren’t working, tweak them to make them work better for you. If you are lacking the skill set, bring in a professional to get you to the next level. 

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. on http://www.talkstreamradio.com.

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