What's keeping you from getting organized?

What does being organized mean to you? Is it perfectly labeled and color-coded filing systems? Or lots of matching containers and bins in every storage area?
 
Organized living means something different for everyone. We all have varying levels of comfort with stuff in our environment. You should strive to be comfortably organized, not necessarily perfectly organized.
 
What are the thoughts that are keeping you from getting organized?

“Buying containers will make me organized.”
The right containers will certainly help keep things ordered and neat, but all the containers in the world will not help a space that is too cluttered and lacks a clear purpose. A common mistake that people make is buying the containers before decluttering and sorting an area. Buying containers that are not right for the space or buying too many containers will only make the chaos worse.
 
“Getting organized takes too much time.”
Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. Pick a small area in your home to start with, like a drawer or cabinet. These successes will give you the motivation to move on to something bigger. Set a timer for 30 minutes. You are free to stop once the timer goes, but you may find you want to keep moving forward.
 
“If I could only get organized this one time, I would be set.”
Wouldn’t that be nice?! It’s hard to completely stop the continual stream of mail, papers, toys, clothes, and other items into your home. Setting up systems to manage these things is a one-time process but it does require daily maintenance. The good news is that if you’ve done a good job organizing, the work to keep things under control is minimal, especially if done on a regular basis.
 
“Being organized means being perfect.”
The need to be perfect gets in the way of even trying to be more organized. Life is rarely as pretty and perfect as Pinterest. As long as you are comfortable, can find the things you need, and function well in your space, your organizing efforts have been successful. Progress, not perfection!
 
If you are still having trouble getting started, a professional organizer can help. They can create an organizing plan customized for your home, teach you the skills to stay organized, and provide you with new ideas and solutions that fit your space.