Guest Author - Vickie Enkoff, M.S.

Do you have trouble locating your keys, files, or other important materials in less than 10 minutes? Do you find you have so much “stuff” that you are overwhelmed and can not get tasks done? Do you find yourself constantly running late because you can't find materials, tools or supplies you need to take with you.

Clutter zaps your energy. Having piles of things to manage can cause you to have negative feelings about yourself. Your negative self-talk can propel you into a sense of helplessness. You may label yourself as “lazy” or “disorganized” or “unmotivated” when you can’t get your “stuff” organized.

Clutter not only takes away your energy, it costs you in time and money. How long have you searched to find items you need? How many times have you bought a second item because you can’t find the first one? How much money have you spent on organization and storage containers?

By taking time to eliminate some clutter and organize the rest, you will get more done because you won’t waste time searching for items and you won’t waste time having to go buy duplicate items. As you find yourself having more time for your projects and tasks, you will find yourself feeling better about yourself which will give you even more energy!

It didn’t take a short time to accumulate too many belongings and it will take some time to regain control. Start a program that guarantees success. You can start by finding 5 things a day to throw away. Make a commitment to do this for 30 days and see how things look after that. If you have trouble finding 5 things, make a commitment to throw one thing a day away. If you are more ambitious, make a commitment to throw 15 things a day away or whatever feels comfortable for you. By doing just this, you are taking steps each day to reduce your clutter.

Once you master throwing something away every day, ask yourself what is the one thing that bothers you most. What can you do to make that thing easier to deal with? Break it down into small steps and work on it a little at a time. Even if it is just cleaning out one drawer every few days, you can make great progress!

I am running a focus group on organization. We will start with the basics and there will be a focus on organizing your art room or studio. If you would like to join the group and receive a free ebook, you can sign up at this weblink:
The Organized Studio