Welcome to the Guest Blog Series!
My aim with these pieces is to highlight the experience and expertise of other badass female small business owners who have something worthwhile to share!
I hope that in reading these, you learn something, feel motivated or inspired, or just enjoy a short read on an unexpected topic.
My next guest in this series is a colleague and friend - Jolin Polasek!
Jolin and I met a few months ago working as professional organizers and quickly clicked. She is the owner and founder of her own professional organization company since 2015 - Sage Organization & Design!
Jolin loves helping clients realize the true potential of not only their spaces but also their lives! She is a master of solving puzzles and working with her clients to ensure they feel comfortable and happy with their space. She is also obsessed with cats and saving the planet.
In this month’s blog, Jolin is going to give you 4 action steps you can take to not only get organized but also STAY organized!
Take it away, Jo!
Get Organized, Stay Organized
Let's talk commitment. *Every reader shudders*
I know, it’s a four-letter word to a lot of people but I’m not talking about interpersonal relationships. I’m talking about between you and your STUFF! Committing to getting your stuff organized is a big deal but what happens after you get organized? There is a misconception out there that once you get a space organized, it’ll just stay that way... WRONG!
Being organized is a lifestyle. Just because you organize your sweaters one day doesn’t mean you are suddenly Marie Kondo. Although, wouldn’t that be amazing? Committing to a lifestyle of organization means changing your habits. Here are four action steps you can start doing today to start transforming your lifestyle to one of organization!
4 Steps to Committing to a Lifestyle of Organization
Identify where the disorganization begins
To change your habits, you must start by identifying where the disorganization begins. Do you have a habit of throwing your clothes on the floor instead of in a hamper? Do you have a habit of allowing your mail to pile up for weeks, creating a cascading mound of bills, junk mail, and magazines? Do you have a habit of tossing your shoes in a pile by the door? Identifying individual habits of disorganization around your home will allow you to compartmentalize which issue to address and the order of importance to you.Focus on one habit at a time
Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say! Why should we have to take on our entire home at once? That’s completely unrealistic, even for the professionals. When I’m working with clients, I break it down space by space. We pick which space is the deepest pain point for everyone in the family and start there. Giving yourself an attainable goal, like organizing one space or changing one habit of disorganization will reinforce the idea that change is possible! Once you see that you can get organized and STAY organized in one space, you’ll be able to apply it to any other space in your life!Figure out the WHY
Once you pick which habit of disorganization you’d like to change first, you must figure out the WHY. Why are you leaving your clothes on the floor instead of putting them in the hamper? Why aren’t you opening your mail? Why are you leaving your shoes at the door?For your clothes, maybe the hamper is in an inconvenient location. Move it to exactly where you undress at the end of the day and the likelihood of getting those clothes in the hamper, instead of on the floor, will increase dramatically. For your pile of mail, maybe the pile is in a spot where you forget it's even there. Try moving it to where you eat dinner each night. At the end of your meal, you can take five minutes each day to address the mail from the day and your pile-up is eliminated. For your shoes, maybe you need more shoe storage. Consider adding a shoe shelf or an over-the-door solution. This will create a home base for your shoes to live, instead of in a mound on the ground!
Commit to new habits
Addressing the whys of disorganization are so important in figuring out the solutions. Once you’ve solved the issues of why, you’ll be able to set yourself up for success in creating and committing to new habits of organization. Organization is a commitment that gets easier and easier because it becomes a habit. It's just like learning any other skill. It takes time. Obviously, it’s easier said than done. I’m not here to tell you there is a magical fix or that it's going to happen overnight, because it's not. You need the determination, self-discipline, and WILL POWER to change the pattern; to change the habit. Your level of commitment and awareness of your choices will directly impact your probability of success. The more committed you are to changing your previous habits, the more successful you’ll be!
You also need to BELIEVE it's possible to make a change. If you truly believe in change, the probability of success increases even more! Habits are what you CHOOSE them to be. Take learning to play the piano, for example. When you first start, you can’t read music, don’t know where any of the keys are, you’re constantly checking the page to make sure it's right. The structure is there, but you’re not familiar with it yet. Over time, you become better and better, you look at the keys less and less, you memorize the way it feels, and you just PLAY! It becomes a learned habit.
People frequently ask me how I find the time to stay organized. I respond, “I don’t even think about it anymore.” It just happens because I’ve created the habits and you can too! Imagine that?!
If you are looking for some extra help to get organized, head over to the Sage Organization & Design website by clicking below!
And make sure you follow Jolin on Instagram for more organizing inspiration, motivation, and encouragement!