Stuck in a Rut? Get Organized!

If you feel "stuck" in your life, and need new inspiration, getting organized can change everything. When your rooms are filled with clutter, you feel frustrated and disappointed in yourself each time you enter. Your energy level falls with the weight of all the stuff surrounding you. Conversely, when you walk into a clean, organized room, you'll feel lighter. No matter what is happening in your life, you'll feel as if you can handle it; you'll feel good about yourself and your space, and thus feel motivated to make other necessary changes in your life.

Make Way for New Changes.

Often, we're so busy in our lives we don't take the time to really look at our environment and decide if it's working for us. Take a look around each room and answer these questions:

What's the first thing you notice when you walk into your room? Is it something that fills you with joy, or apprehension?

How do you feel in the space? Do you feel happy and energized, or do you feel tired and drained?

Look at the items in the space - on your desk, bed, counter tops: are these items used often? Are they items that you really like and actively enjoy?

Does your space reflect who and where you are now, or does it reflect where you were a year ago or more?

Find What Inspires You.

Now that you've answered the questions above, you should have a better sense of how your space is truly working for you. Now comes the fun part: deciding what to do with your space. It's important to reconnect with your true desires and goals - and do so regularly. As our lives change, so do we; it's important that our environments reflect who and where we are today.

There are several ways to do this. Buy a couple home and garden magazines and flip through, looking for images that make you feel good. It doesn't matter what these images are or what they look like - just clip out images that speak to you. It can be a color, a specific scene, a page layout - whatever floats your boat. When you're done, look for patterns. Do you like brilliant flashes of color, or do you prefer more muted, earthy tones? Have you chosen images of nature, or gone for more of a city vibe?

Now, take a walk. You can bring a notebook if you want. Take note of everything around you; what grabs your attention? What kinds of things make you feel warm and happy? What things tend to make you feel anxious? All of these reactions are clues as to how to create your new space. Compare your notes from these exercises to what your space currently looks and feels like. If there is a discrepancy, change is needed.

If nature is important to you, make sure you have elements of nature in your home. If you are drawn to bright, primary colors, spice up your space with some new throw pillows, curtains, etc; you get the idea.

Decide What to Keep, What to Throw Away.

Clutter can just be clutter, but it can also indicate what areas of your life need more attention, and which areas need to be laid to rest. For instance, let's say you have boxes of old financial statements from a past business venture that didn't work out. Each time you see them, those boxes can trigger feelings of frustration, guilt, and failure. If you no longer need those statements for tax purposes, consider shredding them. You might have a box of old bills you never paid, and you feel guilty each time you see the box. If you still haven't paid your bills, call each company and ask for a current statement. Once the statement arrives, toss the old bills. Pay your balance, and move on.

Many of my clients hold onto items they received as a gift - things they don't really like but they feel guilty about throwing them away. Honestly, it's up to you whether or not to keep these things, but if an item isn't bringing you joy, consider tossing it. This is all about new beginnings.

Room For What You Love

Once you've decided what you really want to keep, you'll find you have a lot of extra space. The first thing many of us do when we clear some room in our homes is fill it with more stuff. Our society promotes the purchase of many needless items; try and temper your urge to fill the space - sometimes an empty area is just what a room needs. Think about each room as a part of your life: the items that fill your life should be things you love, that feed you with a sense of happiness. Quiet time without the distractions of the "real world" is crucial to your well-being. Make space in your home, make space in your life.

It's easy to believe that we don't have a choice; that the clutter in our homes is there because we "need" all those things and don't have the space, or that the clutter in our schedules is there because we need each event that's on the calendar. But really, it comes down to a series of decisions. We live in an over-scheduled, over-stuffed society where nothing we can ever buy or do with our time is enough. Once you realize this is a myth, you can start clearing space in your home and in your life - without any feelings of guilt.

Robin Galante is a freelance writer and professional organizer based in San Francisco, CA. You can find out more about her services at: [http://robin2therescue.wordpress.com/]