For me, as a professional organizer, organizing anything is enjoyable, relaxing and a task that I can easily achieve. It ‘s something that gives me great energy whether I’m organizing in my own home or helping a client virtually or on-site. There are, however, clients that need my help because they feel the exact opposite. For those clients, organizing is definitely not enjoyable, it’s overwhelming and exhausting. All of those feelings make organizing even the smallest of things unattainable.
I can’t make organizing something that my clients love but with SMART goals, I can help make it achievable!
Have you every heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals? For those who have not, S.M.A.R.T. goals were developed by a man named George Doran, and two other colleagues, back in 1981 as a way to write management goals using the acronym S.M.A.R.T.
Chest - Before
Chair - Before
Be Specific
Instead of management goals, you can apply SMART goals to your organizational projects. First of all, be SPECIFIC about what you want to accomplish when deciding to organize. Don’t say, “I want to get organized.” That is too general of a goal. Instead, say, “I want to organize the clothes and other items laying on furniture in my bedroom.” Doesn’t that sound more attainable?
Chest - After
Chair - After
Make it Measurable
Next, be sure your goal is MEASURABLE in a way that allows you to measure your progress and success. One of the best ways to measure your project’s progress is to take a “before” photo. So get that SMART phone out and snap several pictures of the space you want to organize before you begin. As you make progress you can refer back to the photos for inspiration. Then, when the project is complete, take an “after” photo and measure it against your “before” photo. You’ll be impressed with the difference!
Make it Achievable
Make sure your project is ACHIEVABLE. Choose something to organize that’s attainable in the amount of time you can give to the project. On Tuesday night, if you only have 30-40 minutes to dedicate to organizing, choose a smaller space (or project) such as cleaning off a nightstand. Deciding you want to organize the garage when you only have 30-40 minutes at your disposal is setting yourself up for failure and isn’t achievable.
Make sure it’s RELEVANT
Organize something that is RELEVANT and important to you. Choose something that’ll have a big impact on you and your daily life. Why not organize the desk you so badly want to use for paperwork but you can’t because there’s no visible surface available? If the desk is an area that has been bothering you, that sounds like a more relevant project than the hallway coat closet!
Set a realistic deadline
Set a TIMELY, but realistic, deadline to get your project completed. Write that deadline down and put it somewhere that you will see it every day until that project is completed on time!
I hope these SMART tips will get you started on your organizational journey! Start small, don’t be hard on yourself and celebrate your successes!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or post your questions or comments below.
Join me next time. We are going to talk about the “Elephant in the Room”; your junk drawer(s)!