It's Not The Heat, It's The Humidity

Living in Atlanta for the past nine years, I've heard that phrase a lot. I guess it means you might think it's the summer heat that makes you miserable, when in reality the heat wouldn't be so bad if you could just leave behind the humidity. How does that relate to organizing your life, you might wonder. It doesn't really, in a direct sense, but it got me to thinking that so many people believe that one aspect of disorganization is making them ineffective, unproductive and miserable. Yet it's actually something else.

They think if they just had the right tools, they could be more organized. So they purchase file cabinets, shelves, sorters, containers, boxes, and all sorts of other organizing tools. Yet still they are disorganized.

They think maybe it's their time management that makes them disorganized. So they buy a calendar or they take a seminar. Yet still they are disorganized.

They think if they just had more space, they'd be organized. So they buy a bigger desk, a bigger house or get a bigger office. Yet still they are disorganized.

They think it's their stuff's fault. If they could just declutter, then they'd be organized. They spend long arduous hours decluttering, sorting, culling out, and donating. Yet still they are disorganized.

This is beginning to sound like a children's book isn't it? Well just as children's books always have a lesson to teach, this has a lesson as well. Chaos is like a pie...there are many pieces that all connect. You can address one piece and that often helps the other pieces improve on their own a bit. However, there is no magic quick fix for chaos. It involves evaluating and fixing EACH PIECE to make as much overall improvement as you can.

You must address your time management and priorities, which means evaluating what you're saying yes to. You must address your space and storage potential to maximize what you have. You must address the amount of STUFFFFFFF you have in your life, how it got there, and how you can keep it from accumulating again. You must address your lifestyle and pace and whether it's working for you. And you must address your attitude, habits and behaviors, because until you can change your attitude, you can't change your habits and behaviors that caused the situation in the first place.

Remember that today is the result of your past thoughts, beliefs and actions. If you want to change tomorrow's results you have to change your thoughts, beliefs and actions today.