Patience is a virtue

"Have patience. All things are difficult before they are easy."- Saadi, Poet

Patience is absolutely essential to getting organized.

In fact, patience is essential to successfully accomplishing most things.

You must have patience with yourself, the process and the unexpected interruptions that crop up when trying to get (and stay) organized. Because they will crop up.

As will your feelings.

When you start to unstuff a closet or a cabinet or a drawer, it gets bigger before it gets better.

You may be amazed that you managed to get so much stuff into such a small space. You're not alone. It happens to everyone.

Every one of us has cleaned out a space and been completely overwhelmed at the piles of stuff that keeps growing until it seems to take over the room.

It gets worse when you start to recognize that you haven't seen or touched most of this stuff in weeks, months or even years.

And then the stories start up.

How much did it cost?

Why did you buy it or where did it come from?

Why do you still have it?

Is it any good?

Should I keep it for someday?

Maybe I should start using it now that I've found it.

And on and on.

The bottom line is you HAVEN'T used it or seen it for a while.

The quality of your life has NOT been diminished by its absence.

It may be just the opposite you were fine until you found this thing. You didn't miss it or have any questions about what to do with it. It truly was out of sight, out of mind.

Why then should you start to struggle to make a decision about something you hadn't even thought about until 10 minutes ago?

Story.

Story starts you doing bad math in your head, calculating how much you spent on something you never wear so you second guess yourself about giving it away because you spent so much money or so little money ... all the while knowing you'll never wear it.

When your stuff gets bigger during the organizing process and you start to feel overwhelmed, think about this for a moment.

Whatever momentary discomfort you feel right now is NOT how you're going to feel for the rest of your life. It just feels like it is.

Focus instead on how you'll feel when you aren't crowded out of your home by things.

When everything has a home and you can find anything in 30 seconds or less.

Then take whatever object you were struggling with and release it. Know that wherever it's going next, the person who receives it is going to really need it.

And you already determined that YOU don't need it.

Embrace the challenge and be patient with yourself.

What once was difficult has become easy. Or easier.