How to Start an Organizing Project When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

How many times have you opened up your closet (or your pantry or a junk drawer) and said, "I really need to get this organized," then walked away? If you recognize yourself in this scenario, you are not alone. Understanding how to start an organizing project when you’re feeling overwhelmed is a challenge we see all too often. 

I recently had a discussion with a reporter at Apartment Therapy about why it is difficult to start the organizing process. My take: we often look at organizing as one huge project that will eat up an enormous amount of time and energy.  When we are overwhelmed, we justify that it "really isn't that bad" and inertia sets in. The best way to work past anything overwhelming is to shift your mindset and break up a big project into small, manageable tasks. Accumulating your belongings did not happen all at once, so why should the edit?

When you start small and acknowledge that every bit counts, change happens. Here are a few effective and creative approaches to help you take that first step:

1. Gamify the decluttering process. Commit to letting go of two things every day for a month.

2. Recruit a Declutter Buddy. Chances are you have a friend who is fed up by her clutter, too. Agree to text each other a picture each time either of you cleans out a drawer or sets something aside for donation. Support from a friend helps you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

3. "Hook" an organizing task to a daily habit. For instance, clean out your junk drawer while you wait for coffee to brew or purge expired meds from your bathroom drawers while you wait for the shower to heat up.

4. Tackle just one category. When you declutter one category per session (for example, just shoes or coats), you are done before the boredom or overwhelm sets in. Try this: take out all of your shoes. Line them up and decide which ones you still love, and which ones you don’t. Bag up the donations. Put the keepers away. Get on with the rest of your day.

5. Keep your to-do list short and sweet. The longer your list, the less motivated you are likely to be when it comes to completing it. Set goals for yourself and focus on just a few things at a time. Whenever you cross something off your list, add something else that you want to tackle next.

Remember, a house is not a container for stuff. It is a place for living. Decluttering should be an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Once you understand how to start an organizing project and see the fruits of your labor, you will be motivated to do more. You can also book a session with us for professional support and extra motivation to jumpstart your organizing projects!