Peace of Mind Organizing

Focus on what you've accomplished, not what's yet to be done

29 August 2012

I did the first of what will be a number of team organizing jobs for a client recently. In that first session, my five-person team made some amazing progress. To me, it seemed like life-changing progress. I was thrilled.

At the end of the session, the client was happy, but didn’t seem over the moon. I chalked it up to her being tired after five hours of decision making.

Then I received a lovely note from her in which she explained that as happy as she was to get started in the process, at first all she could focus on was what was still left to be done.

That’s a common pitfall and just part of human nature. But, as a glass-half-full kind of gal, I so urge my clients (and you) to resist that temptation.

If you’re dealing with a large decluttering project, one way you can focus on what you’ve accomplished is to take before-and-after pictures. It can be a little emotionally difficult to take the before pictures if you’re living with severe clutter, that reminder of how things were can be helpful. Then take after pictures each step of the way and you’ll be able to see your progress.

You can create a private online album, so you have easy access to this valuable reminder of you what you’ve accomplished.

My client has decided to do this and, when the process is completed, to have a photo album printed of her journey. She’ll have every right to be proud. As she wrote to me,

After all, being clutter free will be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

Tagged with: decluttering, emotions, empowerment, encouragement, photographs

Comments