Getting,Motivated,Get,Organize business, insurance Getting Motivated to Get Organized

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"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keepsyou going." --Jim RohnWhen I get calls from prospective clients who say they wantto get organized, I often ask, "What's motivating you to getorganized at this time, and what will be possible once youget organized?" I ask these questions because I've foundthat without a compelling reason, there's little or nomotivation to change the habits necessary for lastingresults.My first year in business, I got a call from a woman (I'llcall her Kelly) who said that her husband wanted her to getorganized. As I walked through their home with her, Kellytold me what her husband wanted me to do. Among otherthings, he did not like the clutter scattered throughout thehouse -- stacks of unopened mail, piles of newspapers andmagazines, unfolded laundry, and dirty dishes. Afterlistening for a while, I asked, "Who owns the problem here?" With a bewildered look on her face, Kelly responded bytelling me that her husband wanted her to "clean things up."Although Kelly was the one who was primarily responsible forcreating the clutter, and she was the one who was asked todo something about it, I came to the conclusion that Kelly'shusband was the one who owned the problem. Why? Because hewas the one who did not like the clutter, and she wasperfectly content with the way things were. She was not theleast bit motivated to change any of her personal habitsthat created the clutter in the first place.Under the circumstances, I decided not to take Kelly on as aclient. Although working with this client could havegenerated a significant number of paid consulting hours --as well as fostered a dependency on my ongoing services tokeep things organized -- I would have felt out of integrityto work with Kelly when she was not ready to commit to theprocess. Without her readiness to take ownership of theproblem, my working with her would not have helped in thelong run. Had she and I de-cluttered and organized theirhome, I'm convinced it would have reverted back to itsoriginal state in a matter of weeks.Who Owns the Problem?I'll share a story to illustrate what I mean when I ask "whoowns the problem." When our daughter was about four yearsold, I was the one who took her to day care on my way towork. Every morning I'd ask her to get dressed and be readyto leave the house by a certain time, and I'd give her a10-minute and a 5-minute warning. And every morning when itwas time to go she would not be dressed. My husband and Iwere taking a parenting class at the time, and I mentionedthe problem in class one night. The instructor asked, "Whoowns the problem here?" I said, "I do, because I am latefor work." He asked me why I was late for work, and Irepeated that I was late because our daughter would not getdressed on time. The instructor asked what would happen ifI let her own the problem.The next morning when it was time to leave the house and ourdaughter was not dressed, I put her in the car in herunderwear, strapped her seatbelt on, and put her clothes ina bag on the seat next to her. It was January and it wascold in the car! Guess what? By the time we got to daycare she was completely dressed (and with her seatbelt stillon)! The next day she was dressed when it was time to go,and it was never an issue again. From that day forward, shewas ready when it was time to go. By allowing her to ownthe problem, she had an investment in finding a solution. She was motivated to get dressed because she was cold anduncomfortable, and because I was no longer willing to own orsolve the problem for her.Experience has taught me that when someone says they want toget organized because someone else wants them to do so,lasting results are not likely. Why? Because without thatinternal motivation, one is not likely to change the habitsnecessary to stay organized. If you don't own the problem,you won't have a vested interest in finding a solution. Sometimes fear, shame, or intimidation can generatetemporary motivation, but it usually doesn't last.Inside-Out OrganizingMy most successful clients have been those who want to getorganized because they see something on the other side oftheir clutter and disorder -- something they desperatelywant. Their desire and passion for whatever it is thatthey want creates the motivation that propels them forwardand supports lasting change. Success has nothing to do withthe depth of the piles of paper or the length of time onehas been disorganized; it has everything to do with having acompelling reason to get and stay organized. I call this"inside-out organizing."Most people are motivated by one of two things: a desire toeither increase pleasure or decrease pain in their lives. That's what inside-out organizing is all about - gettingclear about your internal desires...what you want more orless of in your life -- and then working outward to achievethe desired outcome.In Kelly's case, although she has created the clutterproblem, her husband owns it. Until she is ready to own theproblem, nothing will change in their household. So how canKelly become motivated to take ownership of the problem anddo something about it? Let's revisit the question, "What'spossible for Kelly once she gets organized?" To illustratehow this works, I've made up three scenarios in which Kellycould explore the answer to that question:1. Kelly and her husband sit down together and add up theactual costs of the clutter and disorganization -- latepayment fees because the bills are not getting opened andpaid on time, purchasing duplicate items because they can'tfind what they need, canceling subscriptions to magazinesthat do not get read, etc. Then they determine somealternative ways to spend the money they'll save ... perhapsfor a vacation they've wanted to take, or for a homeimprovement Kelly wants that they cannot afford. Motivatingfactor: Freeing up more disposable income to use for thingson the wish list.2. Kelly and her husband are both committed to caring foreach other in meaningful ways. She recognizes that order isimportant to her husband and he is important to her. Therefore order becomes important to her for the sake ofnurturing their relationship in a way that is meaningful toher husband. Motivating factor: Building a more satisfyingrelationship with her husband.3. Kelly has a hobby that she has not done for years becausethere's no space in the house to work on it. She has arenewed energy and passion for resurrecting this hobby, andthat serves as a motivation to begin de-cluttering theirhome. Motivating factor: Following a passion of hers anddoing something she enjoys.In each scenario above, Kelly might be motivated to changesome habits if it's worth the prize that awaits her on theother side of the clutter.Being organized is not about how your environment looks, butabout creating an environment and a schedule that enablesyou to work, play, and live exactly as you want to. Stephanie Winston, author of The Organized Executive,reminds us that "a good system expresses the organization ofyour mind in the environment."To assess your current level of organization at home, answerthe following questions:* Can you find what you need when you need it?* Does your environment express and support who you are andwhat you value most?* Does your schedule express and support who you are andwhat you value most?To assess your current level of organization at work, answerthe following questions:* Can you consistently find what you need within a fewseconds?* If you work with others, can they quickly find what theyneed in your office when you're not around?* Does your current system keep you focused on what's mostimportant and remind you of important follow-up?* Does your current paper & information management systemwork? Do you like it?If you answered yes to these questions, you are doing justfine, even if your environment doesn't look organized toothers.If you answered no to any of these questions, ask yourselfwhat you would gain if you organized your time and yourspace around what's most important to you. Whatopportunities do you miss out on or turn away because of acluttered schedule, cluttered environment, or a clutteredmind? Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/whatitcosts.html tofind out what disorganization costs you or your company.Someone once said that "one definition of insanity is tokeep doing the same thing and expecting different results." If you were to get and stay organized, what differentresults would be possible? What will getting organizedenable you to do that you are not doing now? Once you areclear about the answer to these questions, keep your eye onthe prize and you'll have the motivation to succeed!April is Stress Awareness Month, and the week of April 15this National Organize Your Files Week. When you aremotivated to reduce your stress by making a change in yourenvironment and/or your schedule, I can help you getstarted. E-mail me at mailto:[email protected] to schedule acomplimentary consultation or coaching session. Article Tags: These Questions, Husband Wanted, Stay Organized