Unmade decisions lead to clutter, disorganization.
Unmade decisions occur for various reasons and can impact (clutter) multiple areas of your life, both personal and professional. Recently I heard a victim of the California wildfires say, “Storage containers are full decisions that haven’t been made.” He was reflecting on all that he lost including the opportunity to get things out of storage. Instead of deciding what to keep or not, those items were now reduced to a pile of ashes. It sounded as if he gained valuable perspective that he would take forward. Can we all learn from this man’s experience or must we suffer regrets?
Unmade decisions lead to clutter in your space as well as your productivity
Does clutter show up in specific spaces such as:
- Office – too much paper, unopened mail, excess supplies, lack of adequate storage or workspace.
- Kitchen – expired or spoiled foods, lack of counter or cupboard space, unused household items or appliances.
- Does your cluttered schedule show up in your time management and productivity?
- Unmade decisions can negatively affect time management and productivity. For instance:
- Chronic lateness.
- Double booked or missed appointments.
- Missed deadlines.
- Compromised reliability and credibility.
- Financial penalties, fees.
Now is the best time to declutter, organize and rethink the things that you are still accumulating. Accumulation never ends. You receive mail on a daily basis, gifts during the holidays and throughout the year, print out emails and shop for personal and household items. The “stuff” coming end
Unmade decisions | Conquer them
Unmade decisions happen when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, confused or unsure. Try asking yourself:
- What would actually happen if you let it go? If it is an item, put it out of sight and put a date on it. If you haven’t needed, used or missed it by that date you can probably let it go. If it is a task that someone else can do as well or better than you, delegate it. Delegation is a form of letting go.
- How does having or doing this make you feel? If having an item makes you feel sad, stressed or negative in any way it’s time to let it go. On the other hand if it makes you feel secure, happy and positive it’s time to use and/or display it.
- What needs to happen for me to be able to do this? Another way of asking this is, what is holding me back from letting it go or saying no? Take small steps and test yourself. The anticipation or worry is often worse than the reality.
- Why do I keep this? As an Organizer I’ve heard the full spectrum of reasons including “I would feel guilty. My friend gave it to me. It’s worth a lot, or I spent so much on it.” Let’s do a reality check! Guilt is a choice. Put the item away for a month and see if you feel guilty when it is “gone”. Does your friend ask to see the item when she visits? If you think something is financially valuable, find out what it is worth. Check online resale sights or hire a reputable appraiser. Look at valuation guides from nonprofit groups regarding value and tax write-offs.
- When has this been easier? Some clients tell me that they “weren’t always disorganized”. If you are currently struggling with unmade decisions, letting go of things or responsibilities, or setting boundaries it is important to dig deep to determine the underlying reason(s). Working with the support of an experienced and qualified therapist or coach in tandem with a Professional Organizer can be very helpful. You don’t have to struggle alone.
Resources
I recently read a post from Endeavor entitled, Decisions Unmade The author highlighted the importance of having a clear workspace, focus, and being present during a task.
The Real Definition of Clutter