Why is organizing so hard? 5 obstacles and how to overcome them
I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy organizing and decluttering. Of course I like the result when my home looks great. But it’s definitely not my favorite thing. Getting rid of things is so hard! And getting everything organized is hard too! So how do you get the motivation to do it?
First you have to figure out what’s holding you back. You may have valid reasons for why organizing is so hard, and you can find ways to work within those limitations. Or it may just be a mindset. But the good news is that you can find ways to work through that, too. Here are some of the most common hurdles. (Note that these are all excuses I’ve used!)
Obstacle #1 You’ve tried to organize before but weren’t successful
If you’re like me, you’ve tried — and failed — over and over, so you think you’re doomed to failure. You weren’t born with the neatness gene, and you don’t feel like you’re “normal” (like the rest of the world who keeps their spaces nice and neat).
Solution: Maybe you weren’t born with the organization gene (I’m sure that’s the case for me), but you can learn. Organizing and decluttering are skills, and just like any other skill, some people seem to have a knack for it while others don’t.
But also like other skills, you can learn. It just takes a little effort and lots of practice. You may have to work harder at it if it doesn’t come naturally, but you can get there if you keep trying. And best of all, while you’re practicing, you’re making progress.
Obstacle #2 You don’t have the organization tools
You need all that cute stuff like organizing bins, baskets, shelves, carts, label maker, etc., etc., and you don’t have money to buy them, much less know which ones to buy.
Solution: Good news, you don’t need them! In fact, you shouldn’t even have them at this point. Once you’re to a point where you’ve decluttered and everything has a home, then you can see what kind of containers you may need. You may not even need any. In the meantime, you can use cardboard boxes to keep things in order while you’re working through your organizing journey.
The only real “tools’ you need for organizing and decluttering are knowledge of what to do and how to do it. That’s it for now. Really.
Obstacle #3 You don’t have unlimited time.
You know this isn’t something you can knock out in a couple hours after work. And you don’t even have a couple hours after work most days.
Solution: The truth is that none of us do! But the other truth is that decluttering and organizing don’t have to take huge chunks of time. Start small and spend a little time each day. Then put habits in place that keep from adding to your clutter and disorganization to maintain your progress.
The best part is, once your home is more organized, you’ll spend less time on things you need to do every day because you have fewer things to work around and you won’t have to spend time searching for lost things. Then you’ll have time for the things you really want to do.
Obstacle #4 You don’t have enough space to organize everything
Where are you supposed to put everything when your house doesn’t have enough storage? Even larger houses don’t seem large enough.
Solution: I used to think this was my problem. Everywhere I lived, it seemed like there was never enough space. I was sure that if I had a bigger place, everything would be neat and organized. I was wrong. It turns out I didn’t need more room. I needed less stuff. Even when I moved to a bigger space, it wasn’t long before it was stuffed full of things and looked like a disaster.
Be realistic with what you have. Your home (house/apartment/room) has a certain amount of space, and most of us can’t just up and move to a bigger place. And you don’t need to spend good money renting a storage unit to store stuff you don’t even use. You need to accept the size of your home and work to eliminate things until your home is comfortable. Having things stuffed in everywhere but bursting at the seams isn’t comfortable.
Decluttering gives you more space and more peace. You’ll be surprised at how much bigger your home seems when there’s less stuff in it. Then work to make it a happy place to be in.
Obstacle #5 You can’t even get started
You don’t know where to start or how to start. You can’t start organizing until… (fill in the blank: you paint the walls, your kids grow up and leave home, your spouse stops leaving dishes in the living room, etc., etc., etc.). You’ve stopped before even starting.
Solution: Just start. You’ll never be in a perfect situation where everything will just fall into place on its own. Kick your perfectionism to the curb and set the goal of just making things a little better each day. Progress, not perfection. Celebrate small wins and build on them. See my post on How to Start Organizing a Messy House to get started.
Overcoming obstacles to organizing
So do any of these obstacles trip you up? I understand. I’ve been there, and all these obstacles got in my way too. But I had to change my mindset and learn how to conquer my clutter, and as I made progress and started actually seeing some open spaces, I realized that I really can do this!
You really can do this, too. Once you change your mindset, you’ve taken a big step.
It’s not easy, I agree! And there may be other obstacles you face as circumstances change. But believe in yourself and your ability to change and enjoy your home. Be encouraging to yourself and talk to yourself as you’d talk to a good friend. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying.
Now go take action and don’t give up!