Today’s post is the second in a series on using the STYLE process to take your organizing to the next level. Last week, we focused on the “S”: Start with successes. This week, we’re moving on to “T”: Take small steps.
Pixabay (2014), CC0 Public Domain
My desk — or the clearing off thereof — has been on my list for several days. Unfortunately, it’s merely annoying and not time-sensitive, so it keeps getting bumped to the bottom of the list by tasks that have actual due dates. Meanwhile, I do what I can as I work — filing this paper, recycling that one — until I have time to dedicate to giving the surface my full attention.
We all know that getting organized is a time-intensive task. It’s easy to forget, however, that staying organized also requires a time commitment. It’s easier (and faster) to just put something down on a flat surface (the desk, the kitchen counter, the dining room table) than it is to put it where it belongs, but the time we save in the moment isn’t really saved time. We spend that banked time when it comes time to put away the things we set down in a convenient spot.
We can take small steps in lots of ways. We can:
- spend just a few minutes tackling a hot spot, or work to improve our habits (Don’t put it down, put it away!).
- set small goals, tackling one spot, one drawer or one shelf at a time until the whole area looks just the way we want it to.
- pick up as we go, concentrating on making things just a little bit better.
- focus on finding one container that does double duty by creating a home for wayward items and looking pretty in the process.
- take out-of-season items out of a closet or finally get that bag of donations out of the trunk of the car and to its destination.
No matter which step(s) we take, it’s important to pay attention to the improvements we make. Taking small steps can get us to our destination, but only if we recognize that we’re on the right path.
What small step did you take today? Acknowledge it, congratulate yourself and pay attention not only to where you’re going, but also where you’ve been.
Copyright 2017 Lisa Hess. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2017 Lisa Hess
