Why is it that when you go to put things away, the article never seems to end, or stay, where it belongs? You definitely remember holding that item in your arms, piled with other things, and yet where-oh-where did it go?
The towels for the bath are nowhere near the shower when you go out. The linen closet was stocked with everything BUT towels. You shake your dripping wet head in amazement: How did the pile of bills and magazines end up there?
And where did the fresh new bottle of cleaning spray go? It’s certainly not under the sink where it was supposed to be. Oh but I found the shampoo and nail polish that I bought weeks ago and couldn’t find.
You know how it goes: You start out in a bedroom, closet, or drawer, and before you know it, you’ve got the whole house in a mess of clutter and piles. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be, and in every room you enter, you find more things that should go elsewhere.
Like that trash can in the kitchen that has everything you didn’t know what to do, so you put it in there. Drums, rubber bands, pencils, hair clips, light bulbs, nail clippers, toothpicks, masking tape, tools, recipes, warranties and the list goes on. A stunning jumble of unrelated things.
Then you realize, as you go round and round, that each room looks a lot like the garbage can – a jumble of unrelated things that numb your mind. And nothing seems to be where it’s supposed to be.
In fact, you no longer have a clue what things should go where. Your mind races with the madness of how hard you work to keep up, and the hours and hours you’ve already spent organizing it, storing it, dumping it, or hiding it.
How did it get out of control and become disorganized so quickly? I’m pretty sure, you tell yourself, that I’ve been constantly putting things away or throwing things away.
All that hustle and bustle and yet so little to show.
Could it be that you have mistaken constant movement and hustle for real progress? Perhaps you have made the same mistake that many of us do, which is to assume that movement equals productive action.
It really is a common mistake and it is very easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we are really making progress.
How can you tell if you are? Ask yourself this simple question – And, be honest, this is not a test – Is my destiny getting any closer?
You may need to redefine what being productive really is and what it means to you. And, in doing so, consider doing only those things that have the greatest impact on your default outcome.
What you assume that you have decided, planned and are clear about your outcome. But, what if you are not clear about that? Well then start there. That would be your first productive action. To be very clear about what you want it to be or want it to look like.
Be careful … by the time you decide to focus and take productive action, chances are you will stumble upon and experiment with these five spoilers. They will definitely divert you from the trail.
Saboteur # 1. Sedatives. Those things that make you sleepy. I’m not talking about what your favorite drug of choice might be here, but about all the other calming things. Activities like social media, watching TV, talking on the phone, playing games, or even reading a book. Check out your favorites and be on the lookout for when they pop up and steal your progress.
Saboteur # 2. Shiny shiny objects. Or, as my friend used to say, “Look, there’s a chicken!” In other words, anything that distracts and grabs your attention that seems much more enlightening than what you are currently working on. An example of this, when ordering, is finding and buying that perfect container to help you organize. You haven’t even been clear on the result or have started purging, and yet, ready and done, you go to the container store.
Saboteur # 3. Land of dreams. You spend hours and hours dreaming about what it will look like and never take productive steps to achieve it. The vision board he created hangs there, and yet it’s no closer to the vision above it. Don’t get me wrong, dreaming and planning (and a vision board) is a necessary and more critical first step. However, at some point you must take an action step to achieve this.
Saboteur # 4. Information Seeker. You feel driven to search and gather more and more information or inspiration before you even start. And the meeting never ends. You take another class or workshop, read another instruction book, or watch another video, AND you never take another step toward the outcome you want.
Saboteur # 5. Resistance. Every step of the way you meet opposition, challenge, and obstacles. That could be frustration, fatigue, anger, or other dramatic events that stop you. Chances are your mind is screaming at you, “This is taking too long. I’ll never make it. This is useless! This is too difficult.”
No matter which saboteur shows up, chances are all five of them at some point or another will recognize what it is. Discomfort. Or maybe even fear.
Unfortunately, there are no magic answers to ward off discomfort and fear. However, the best and most valuable guide I can give you to defeat the saboteurs is what they gave me to guide me. Two simple ideas.
First: get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Anything worthwhile in life will push your comfort zone. Take a deep breath, acknowledge that you feel really horrible, and move on.
Second: do it with fear. When fear rears its ugly head, face it, deny it, and keep submerging. Like the boogeyman under the bed, he’s rarely real.
And in turn, as you drive away those spoilers, you’ll experience how determined action is the best way to get rid of clutter and stay orderly.
