Developing an Organized Mindset

We grind into children's brains the importance of putting their toys back where they found them and many parents ask their kids to only play with one toy at a time. Why do we do this with kids when most grown-ups don't follow suit? With grown-ups, of course, it's not about toys. It's about bills, papers, the disheveled cupboards and the messy buildup. It seems that somewhere along the way that adults have lost that mindset of "pick up after yourself."

Something that comes natural to me that is not found in most people is an organized mindset. I've been realizing this more and more every time I meet new people and go into new people's homes. It seems as though people just aren't thinking about what they're doing and how their habits are contributing to their disorganization. We all need to be more aware of our actions and what we are thinking about when we throw the mail in the huge pile, or cram another thing into the refrigerator.

Taking on a huge organizational task is a major project that requires a lot of motivation, mental strength and commitment. Most people can scrounge up the motivation to get started and the strength to keep at it, but they lack the commitment to keep it up after the overhaul takes place. This I see all the time. It is quite frustrating for me to watch because I don't understand why you would even care an ounce to work so hard at creating an organized space and then turn around and go back to your same habits and let it fall apart. The most important part of creating a new organized space or revamping your organization throughout the house is commitment. The organizing isn't the hardest part - it's not falling back into your old rut that should be concentrated on. Seriously. Again, I ask, why in the world would you waste all of that time cleaning out and organizing if you allow the space to go back to being disorganized and you haven't changed your mindset? What a waste.

That was a little rant, but really, you need to change your mindset. Follow through on the commitment you made to yourself while organizing your home, office or your life. Keep it up. Being organized and living in an organized home most certainly improves your quality of life. Why would you want to jeopardize that for sheer laziness? So, follow through and maintain your commitment to yourself. Change your mindset and the way you think about putting your belongings away.

Here are some tips:

• Don't allow piles to build up. Bring the mail in, open it, recycle what you don't want and file your bills. No messy piles allowed!

• After you organize a space, you deserve a reward. If you maintain the exact same organization for a month, six months, a year.... you deserve another reward for following through.

• Put your dirty clothes in the hamper, not on the floor. Follow through with that. Nothing looks worse than clothes laying around on the floor.

• Write yourself notes in areas of your home to remind yourself to keep it organized. Figure out where you are most prone to relapse and write a poster saying "keep it organized" or "I live an organized life" or something. Hang it in your closet, your cupboard, your basement... wherever!