Ask for Help When You Are Overwhelmed with Clutter
by Lorraine Brock
As a professional organizer, making decisions for my clients about clutter does not overwhelm me. I see through the clutter of papers, toys, unpacked boxes, and unwanted gifts and confidently assist them with disposal, repurposing, or creating organizing systems.
However, I cannot say that about selecting fabric for my own living room curtains. About 8 months ago we updated our living room with new paint color and texture, and purchasing new furniture and carpet . Click here for carpet cleaning services. The last big decision is the curtain fabric and I made plans to pick up samples from fabric stores and bring them home to show my family. This was the point I realized that I was overwhelmed and indecisive. It was challenging to decide on my style, and my family did not agree on any of my samples.
I went out to try again and came across one store that had books and books of themed/styled fabrics in groupings of colors and textures. I decided that this method would be much easier as I could pick a book based on a style I liked, and narrow down the fabric selection quickly. This would have worked if I could have made a decision on my style.
As my frustration mounted, I tried to think with my organizer mindset. I had a dilemma, I didn’t have the skills or information to find the solution, so I knew I needed help. You’ve heard the saying, “Many hands make lite work”. So it was time to enlist more “hands” to help me find the right style of fabric for my living room.
I did not like the feeling of being overwhelmed and lacking in confidence, but it did make me think about how our clients feel when they are overwhelmed with clutter. The daunting tasks involved in finding organization under their clutter is often something they cannot imagine planning or executing.
At that moment in the fabric store, I texted one of our organizers who has an eye for style and design and scheduled a time to meet with her to pick out fabrics. I needed a sounding board, a second set of ideas, and someone who was willing to make suggestions that would work for me.
That brings me back to the feeling of being overwhelmed by my situation. This feeling can stop you in your tracks and make you ignore your “clutter” for other less important things. Everyone is good at something, but no one is great at everything. So if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, as I did with my fabric decision, call in the troops who could be friends, family members, or even a professional organizing company.
Making a choice to get help will put your focus back on what is important. Clutter in your home is costing you time and money, and even more money if it has taken over your garage (leaving your car outside) and you may be paying for an external storage unit you might not need. Think about the piles of papers from the mail coming into your home. If you put off dealing with them long enough, they will cost you in late fees.
If you decide you can do it yourself, begin by putting a few work days on your calendar. Then, just as I have done with my fabric hunting, find an extra set of hands to help you through the clutter. If your budget is tight, you might be able to trade decluttering help for babysitting your friend’s kids or delivering them a meal one evening.
Once you have your date scheduled and troops on the ready, gather about a dozen empty boxes to be used for sorting your clutter. You can get free boxes at a grocery store or a drugstore during the evening stocking hours. Pick one room, label your boxes by category such as, Office, Jewelry, Home Décor, Donate, Sell, and Trash, and start sorting.
Once you are done sorting, make decisions on what to keep and what to part with. Items with limited value can be sold at garage sales or on eBay. If you have a lot of valuables such as jewelry or antiques that you want to part with, you might need additional help from an expert appraiser. Making money from items you do not need or want is a great incentive to get the job done.
I have learned a valuable lesson this past month which has changed the way I relate to my clients. I know that feeling overwhelmed makes me unproductive and in this case, so frustrated that I almost gave up. Recruiting someone to help me find a solution has encouraged me to move forward. I recommend you do the same and I know it will build your confidence and help you in your quest to gain control of your cluttered life.
Lorraine Brock is a professional organizer, family coach, speaker, and founder and owner of Get Organized! Get Organized! is a professional organizing company in the Dallas, Texas area. Get Organized! specializes in organizing and de-cluttering homes as well as implementing systems in the home for better family management. A popular media guest, Lorraine has appeared on Dallas’ two top morning television shows: Good Morning Texas and Good Day Fox, and has been featured on various radio outlets. She has been hallmarked in many local, regional, and national print and online magazines, such as the Dallas Morning News, The North Texas Kids Magazine, SheKnows.com, and Daily Candy Kids. To get more information about Lorraine, visit www.GetOrganized.ws. You can connect with Get Organized! on Facebook, follow Get Organized! on Twitter and connect with Lorraine Brock on LinkedIn.