Get Organized: The Biggest Organizing Mistake of All

You’re sure to find a perfectly organized home when you open up any magazine. And those pictures make you think: Man, I wish my house looked like that!

Of course, the ideal home doesn’t have to be in a book, in a magazine, or on TV. You may need to look no further than your next door neighbor or your own family to find the poster child for neat freak-i-ness. And that person makes you think: Man, I wish my house looked like theirs!

With organizing, as with most things in life, it’s sometimes easy to compare yourself with others. And when this happens, it’s important that you give yourself a reality check.

The perfectly organized home? The perfectly organized life? Here it is:

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A perfectionist mindset is the biggest organizing mistake of all because it stops you from having the clutter-free lifestyle you’ve always wanted. Why? You become so fixated on how to “get it right” that you ultimately decide not to start or follow through on your organizing projects.

That’s why being perfectly organized should never be your goal. Instead, focus on creating organizing systems that fit your daily routine and help you have quick access to your belongings.

Of course, doing this is one of those things that can be much easier said than done. So it’s a good idea to remind yourself of the “imperfect action” principle … every single day!

A simple way to do this is to print off this article and cut out the phrase < NO IMAGE AVAILABLE >. Then tape it to a spot you see all the time, like your bathroom mirror, or nest it inside something you use a lot, like the loose change in your wallet. You’ll automatically know what it means, and it reinforces the idea inside your head, which is a key step to believing it – and putting it to good use.