I have been helping clients organize their lives since December, 2003.  Since then, I’ve heard countless people lament about their being disorganized, that they don’t know where to start, and that they couldn’t have done it without my help.  So in 2011, I put together what I call The 10 Commandments of Organizing, a short list of the main bits of advice I tend to give most often.

1. Thou shalt not beat thyself up!  We all have different talents, and we all can’t be good at everything.  One of my talents happens to be organizing.  Yours may lie in the creative arts or medicine.  I certainly can’t do what you do!

2. Thou shalt know that changing old habits is difficult and be mentally prepared to let go of the past.  (Sometimes we find that the way we used to do things no longer serves us.  Sometimes clutter is caused by deferred decisions or the desire not to hurt someone’s feelings.)  Breaking the emotional tie to objects and being mindful of how you want to live today is hard and takes work.

3. Thou shalt prioritize your projects to derive the biggest benefits from your efforts.  Let’s be honest – time is precious.  Try to tackle the organizing project that bothers you the most so you can see immediate results and stay motivated.

4. Thou shalt start small.  Take 15 minutes and tackle one area at a time, such as one drawer or shelf.  See how it feels.  Have time to do more?  Go on to the next.  Maintain your system going forward so you avoid having to go back and redo what you’ve already done.

5. Thou shalt make it fun!  Not everyone thinks that organizing is fun.  (They don’t??)  If it isn’t fun, we won’t do it.  So make lemonade out of lemons.  Open the curtains and let in the light, crank up the tunes, do whatever it takes to make getting organized even slightly more palatable.

6. Thou shalt enlist a buddy to keep you accountable.  And to help make it more fun!  Having a pal to talk to and keep you company gets the job done faster and makes the time fly.

7. Thou shalt not buy any containers until you know what will be contained.  Once you see what you have, what you really need or use, and what you can pare down, then you can choose how to contain your stuff.  You may already have the perfect container on hand!

8. Thou shalt return your focus to the task at hand if your mind wanders.  See #1.

9. Thou shalt know what you will do with purged items.  Many clients hold onto things they no longer want or need because these items are still in good condition, are useful, and the clients don’t want to just through them out.  That feels wasteful.  Knowing charities in the area or opportunities to share or recycle things assures clients that their things are going to a new home.

10. Thou shalt reward thyself!  It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.  Sometimes an organized space is its own reward, but it never hurts to have a long soak in a bubble bath, take a walk with a loved one, or do something special to celebrate a job well done.