When you’re in the minimalist state of mind you want to organize everything, and everyone. You want to declutter your spouse, the kids, parents, family members, and friends. You want to declutter bedrooms, clothes, knick knacks, supplies, bathrooms, kitchen, living area, garden, baby’s room, sheds, storage, garage, limited space, kids, small children, car, drawers, pantries, cabinets, visitors, decor items.

Paring down, by yourself, with family, and friends, will take three times as long, as having a professional organizer to help you. An organizer will guide you quickly and efficiently through the process of decluttering.

Organizers will help you create space, and see space you didn’t know you have. Also professionals will teach you how to maintain the home long term. You will see your home in a whole different light, through the organizers eyes. The joy of organizing, with a professional organizing crew, is how quickly your space will shift and change to accomodate what you own.

You will be organized in ways you never imagined. Professional organizers help you with new interior design ideas, efficient ways to set up a desk, how to deal with mail, financial management, filing, business, paperwork, bills, creative storage, mind clutter, and what to keep, throw away or donate.

The consequences of not being organized cause confusion, stress, loss of time, loss of items, and feeling overwhelmed. Clutter chaos causes lost items, taking too much time too find things, and a waste of money. Buying storage containers and organization tools, yet not using them becomes frustrating. Buying too much stuff on-line, and on sale, and buying the same things over and over becomes costly, and can border on “shopping addiction”. Most people buy so much stuff yet they don’t remember what they have. This buying cycle causes crazed feelings, fatigue, and disappointment. The result of being disorganized is misplaced documents, not getting things done on time, missing appointments, missing celebrations, bills, mortgage or rent not getting paid on time, poor credit, depression, anxiety, funk, worry and embarrassment.

So getting organized is a good idea. Here are some tips to make organizing easier by understanding what gets in our way.

How We Think
What is on your mind? Kids, building an empire, laundry, cleaning, organizing, a recent new relationship, having no relationship, an argument, yesterday’s lovemaking, a family member who is ill, the past, the future?  Where ever your mind is you will be too. Your mind may be on certain challenges you are facing, whether physical, emotional and or mental.  When you focus on decluttering you want to be clear about the goal of keeping things that are important, and discarding items that are useless.

How We Talk
I hear more people say “i need” today than any other two words in our language.  “I need” to go shopping, to pick up the kids, to buy some shoes, to talk to my mother, to do my hair, to exercise, new clothes.  I need, I need, I need!!!  We are needling ourselves to death.  Bottom line the only things we need are to breathe, eat, sleep, drink, have shelter, sun, and go to the bathroom, period.  The other words in place of “I need” are “I have to”.  Means the same thing.  “I have  to” do this and “I have to” do that.  Bottom line is you either want to do something, you don’t want to do something, or you’re not sure about doing something. It is that simple.  Start saying “I will”, and your goals become clearer.

Unclear Values
What do you value? Most people are stumped when I ask them this question, or they cock their head, and look at me as if I am asking them a question involving quantum physics.  Funny enough, an old acquaintance, Dick Feynman, an expert at quantum physics, and the scientist who worked on building the atom bomb, and who solved the shuttle problem, once asked me “Marla, what is love?”  I thought quick and hard and said “It is a feeling of passion, closeness that can sometimes feels so overwhelming it hurts, and a bond that never dies once it was there, no matter what”.  He loved that answer. Anyway getting back to what we value.  Do you value family, friends, money, power, fame, fortune, relationships, art, travel, independence, autonomy, rest, sleep, solace, children, your looks, health, leisure time or religion, spirituality, creativity or yoga? What do you value? Until you figure out the top ten things you value, you will not be motivated to organize. Without knowing what you value doing in life, you won’t know what to keep. For instance, if you value a new relationship, to get married and have kids, and your place is always a mess, and therefore you won’t invite anyone over, do you really want to go forward in having a relationship, or do you value independence more?  Figure it out and you will start to enjoy your top values more often.

Marla Stone is owner of www.i-deal-lifestyle.com and the Clutter Remedy Expert. Call Marla, Professional Organizer, Lifestyle Coach, Business Coach, Décor and Feng Shui Specialist for a free 30 minute Lifestyle Consultation.