Before rolling your sleeves up to physically starting to tackle the clutter let’s talk mindset of getting started. I am sure many of you have mental blocks whether it be ‘I just don’t have time’, ‘I don’t know where to start’ ‘I am overwhelmed by the size of the task’ ‘I know there are some tough decisions to face that I am dreading’. These thoughts can be paralysing and prevent us from getting started.
Before you do anything else we want you to stop and ask yourself this question
WHY am I thinking about decluttering and organising?
We want you to get really clear on this question. This is such an important question, which impacts how you get started and how you go about setting and achieving your goals. Whether your motivation is to reduce stress, gain more time, creating a calmer living space, finding things more easily, improving efficiency or achieving a desired aesthetic, it is crucial to be clear on your why.
Here are two exercises that can help you really get the bottom of this;
Visualise your ideal space- Find a quiet moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath. Picture your ideal space. Take notice; how does it feel? how you are using the space that is different from now? what things are different to the space now? This exercise allows you to take a mental picture of what you are working towards.
House walk through- set some time aside to walk through your home, but this time, do it with the sole purpose of considering what works and doesn’t work for you and your family. This exercise will help you identify the areas that need the most attention.
When you have your why- write it down!
If you are struggling to get started large goals and action plans etc can add to the overwhelm. Our advice, is to start by setting yourself one thing to do just one. but make sure it is something that you will notice immediately and regularly to give yourself a boost. For us the hallway is a great place to start. It has a clear purpose and walking into your home, feeling a sense of calm and pride that you did it even when it felt hard will give you that rush. This is the motivation that we want you to start with and hold on to.
So now you have your why and that little motivation boost from having achieved something and you are already on your way- you have done it, you have started. So next up think about being realistic about the time and energy that you have to dedicate to this and be kind and realistic to yourself. Now is the time to breaking your goal down into smaller achievable chunks. Having smaller targets will help you achieve your overall goal, but it will also give you a boost along the way.
Now, let’s talk about the feeling of not having enough time, which in reality is likely to extend far beyond not having time to tackle the junk drawer or the overflowing linen closet. We get it, like really- we get it! As busy working mums it can feel nonstop and hectic and sometimes like grabbing a cup of tea is a luxury. But getting organised will give you more time back, we will say that again- getting organised will give you more time back.
Clutter means you are spending more time tidying, moving stuff to clean, shoving things in cupboards before visitors arrive, it not taking aggeeessss to find things- or being the only one that knows where anything! Honestly how much time do you think you waste in a week with ‘mum, where is XXX’?
In summary, the key to getting started with decluttering and organising is to unlock the right mindset. Understand why you are doing it, what your ideal space is like, get started and make a plan. As you progress, you’ll discover that the more time and effort you invest in getting organised you will ultimately give yourself more time back. So take that step, you can do it.
Hopefully this has given you the boost, but if you need a little more inspiration and then sign up to become a morganised VIP and get all things morganised straight to your inbox.
If you want that little bit more support to get you started, then why don’t you reach out about our services or booking a consultation then drop us an email us at contact@morganised.co.uk
Whatever you decluttering and organising challenge, just remember, we get it and we’ve got your back
Stay morganised
Ellie & Lucy x x