How to keep motivated while organizing?

This next post suggests a few tricks on how to keep going when you just don’t feel like organizing or you are feeling bogged down by the process.

Organizing is an ongoing challenge – as your needs and lifestyle change, so you may need to re-organize.  So don’t be discouraged at having to come back and tweak areas that you have already got organized! You may also find as you enter a new phase in your life, your needs change so much that you have to do a big re-organizing job. How to keep on being motivated with the organizing process seems like a mountain?

    (Photo by Buzac Marius on unsplash.com)

1.       Tackle One Small Area at a Time

If you are just not feeling up to a big organizing job it may help to focus on one small area at a time.  Start with a shelf or drawer or small area such as a counter top and when you have conquered that space don’t allow the clutter back there anymore. Try to keep doing one small bit a day (or even a week!). If you have read my earlier ideas about starting with your problem “hotspots” that might give you the encouragement to carry on when you feel the relief of a smoother running area.

2.       Set a Timer and Take a Break

On a practical note, it pays to set the timer for a limited time period, and then when your time is up, have a tea or snack break. Splitting the time up into manageable chunks with a reward at the end will help you see progress. You might also like to take “before” and “after” pics of the areas you have done with so you can actually see how much you have achieved!

3.       Get Help

It also might help to get an organizing partner to help make the whole process more fun! An extra pair of hands and an impartial eye might help to hone down the clutter faster too.

4.       Play Music

It can also help to line up some funky music to help maintain your energy levels while you get stuck in. Perhaps you could stack up a whole lot of CDs and then take a break after each CD is finished playing? Or if you use a playlist, then compose a selection of songs you love to listen to while you work.

5.      Look at Inspirational Pictures

Organizing doesn’t have to be dull – you can make it a fun and creative process where you challenge yourself to create a harmonious and beautiful space that functions well and saves you both time and energy.One of my favourite ways to stay inspired is to have a folder of magazine clippings and a Pinterest board devoted to inspirational photographs.When I need a bit of motivation I have a look at the lovely spaces that others have designed and it helps me to stay focused on creating a lovely space of my own.

What organizing challenge have you set for yourself lately? How have you kept yourself motivated?