Diagnosing,Clutter,Causes,and, DIY Diagnosing Clutter Causes and Beyond

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}Wantto delete clutter from your space and schedule? If “having a case of clutter”was a medical disease, you might go to a doctor for a diagnosis and solutionfor negating the unwanted effects. In reality, dealing with clutter isn’t anydifferent. The American Heritage Dictionary states that diagnose means “toanalyze the nature or cause of”.1 In order to most effectivelyremove unwanted clutter, the first steps are to figure out how the clutterhappened, what you want the space or schedule to look like, and establish a wayto get to the goal. Howdid that stuff accumulate in thoselocations? Here are some suggestions:It was the first horizontal surface with space.There wasn’t time to put the article in its’ home.It wouldn’t fit into the ….The item doesn’t have a home.The paper needs to be processed before it can be filed.You want to put the piece with other similar pieces but you can’t remember where they are located. Ifyour schedule is overstuffed, hereare possible causes:You said “yes” when you should have said “no”.Some tasks took longer to complete than expected.You want each assignment done perfectly.Delegating “isn’t your bag”.You added more jobs than you deleted.Procrastination. Youprobably have other reasons for the clutter accumulation. Take a little time tothink through them. It will save time in the long run because in order to realizeorganization with lasting results™,you have to attack the root of the problem. While we are discussing causes, Ineed to make a distinction between being disorganized and being chronicallydisorganized. If someone is disorganized, their space or schedule is “lackingorder or methodical arrangement or function”.2 Chronicdisorganization as defined by Judith Kolberg, founder of the National StudyGroup on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) “istheresult of the badfit between people who organize unconventionally andthe very conventional organizing methods which exist for them to use. In orderto determine whether or not a person has chronic disorganization, they must beable to answer “yes” to all three of thefollowing questions:Has getting organized been a challenge for you most of your adult life?Does being disorganized negatively affect your quality of life in some way every day?Have you been unable to sustain organization?” 3 Ifyou are chronically disorganized, you may findthat you need the assistance of a professional organizer or another supportsystem in order to begin and maintain organization. For additionalinformation about chronic disorganization including Facts Sheets, please visitthe website of the National StudyGroup on Chronic Disorganization. Regardless of the nature of your disorganization, you need todefine your ultimate goal. If you want the appearance of neatness, then hidingitems out of sight and straightening are your main activities. In the shortrun, it may feel good; in the long run, the clutter will likely return. Myguess is that you would like a functional space in which items are in logicalplaces for easy retrieval. What does this look like to you? Do you prefer anatheistic atmosphere filled with beauty or a more utilitarian environment? Howdo you want to feel when you are in the room?  The same principles apply when looking at a stuffed schedule. Do you want to spend time with family andfriends? What about learning a new skill or working on a favorite hobby? Wouldyou like to travel? Which activities in your schedule support your personal andprofessional goals? How do you want to feel at the end of the day, week, ormonth? After you have defined your organizing goals, it is time todevelop a plan. This can be as simple or as complex as needed. For some itmight incorporate big picture goals and individual objectives with specificdeadlines including consequences and rewards. For others who like greaterflexibility, having one or two activities to complete within a month may bemore practical. Still others may get excited by creating a collage of what theywant a space to look like and draw stars on each section as it is completed.  For more information on setting specific organizing goals, Get Organized This Year!http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=37232has chapters on setting organizing goals, decluttering techniques, and otherpractical strategies to “kick-off” your organizing. Stay tuned because infuture months, we will explore other tactics to bring you organization with lasting results™.  1diagnose. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage®Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton MifflinCompany, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diagnose(accessed: July 31, 2007). 2disorganized. Dictionary.com. WordNet® 3.0. PrincetonUniversity.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disorganized(accessed: August 01, 2007). 3 pp. 10, 8. Conquering Chronic Disorganization, Judith Kolberg, Squall Press, Decatur, GA, USA, 1999.