Why searching for the perfect organising system is just holding you back 

I’ve talked a lot about this on my social media channels as I know how debilitating it can be. You can spend hours scrolling Pinterest and Instagram looking for the ‘right’ storage or the ‘best’ decluttering process, and end up achieving nothing. 

Alternatively, as a lot of my clients find, you’re less concerned about storage solutions but you really care about where your discarded items are going and what environmental impact they are having. And searching for the ‘perfect’ low-impact solution is stopping you from decluttering. 

Let’s take a stand, and get a few things clear:

It’s ok to make mistakes 

There is no way to avoid it: you are likely to get rid of at least one item you later think “ah, I could have used that!”, but don’t let that stop you from starting. Accept it will happen, move on, and forgive yourself when it does. Which leads me to my next point…

The only wrong decision is no decision

Even if you do feel like you’ve made a mistake, it won’t actually be ‘wrong’ it might just create a ‘less-good’ outcome. The majority of decisions in decluttering aren’t binary - there are no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ decisions, instead there are ones that are helpful, that support us, or ones that lead us on to another new path. 

Accept the messy middle

When you’re mid-way through decluttering and organising and are surrounded by mess, feeling like you’re getting nowhere, and asking yourself ‘why on earth did I start this? I have no idea what I’m doing!’ – don’t panic! You’re not doing it wrong! It’s likely that the first place you decided to store stuff in didn’t work out (see point no.1), so you’re going to need to rethink (see point no.2). Keep trying options out, don’t fret about the pace of progress, and you’ll come out the other side. 

Someone else’s solution isn’t always the one for you

Comparison really is the thief of joy – just because a colourful Kallax was the ideal solution for your friend, or ‘everyone’ on social media is arranging their books into rainbow order, focus on how you want to live your life and what is going to support your personality and preferences. And keep reminding yourself of point no.3 – it’s all a process and you’re just evolving through it. 

Do you need some support to get you past your perfectionism and on the path to a clutter-free life? Then let's chat...