By Figen Genco, BA.
When people decide to get organized, very often what they do is rush to buy products which they think will help them get organized. Those products get buried under the piles of stuff, becoming part of the clutter. This is because “organized” is related to people more than it is to places.
“Organized” is about people’s habits, lifestyles, personalities, what motivates them and how they function. If spaces are given all the attention without taking people who are using them into consideration, what is achieved is aesthetics without functionality. And this is why conflicts arise when one person who thinks he knows better creates an organization which becomes a total confusion for the other party.
Below are sample set-up phrases while working on emotional challenges originated from others’ inputs:
Even though my husband thinks I am a mess…
I love and forgive myself for not being able to match up to my husband’s standards
I love and forgive anyone else who has contributed and contributes to my mess.
Even though my wife thinks she is better than me because her desk area seems less cluttered…
Even though my children think I am a pack rat, and that they will have to deal with everything I saved when I pass away, I am open to the possibility of forgiving myself for all the things I gathered throughout the years.
Even though I feel guilty whenever I see other people’s cubicles so nice and orderly, I am open to feeling good about myself.
And a few phrases for the other end of the spectrum….
Even though my wife thinks I am a neat-nick…
I love and forgive myself for being obsessed.
Before you can get organized, you need to understand your ways of doing things. A conscious observation period is vital to be able to find solutions and create systems which will not crash and which will be used and maintained easily. In my practice, I ask many questions while I am creating systems with my clients. They work along with me, and by watching, listening, observing, and understanding; I come up with different options that they can choose from.
Look around your space:
* Do you have “homes” for your belongings?
* Are there a lot of homeless objects and a papers floating around?
* Are there stray objects in the “homes” which are created for other things?
Watch yourself and figure out how you do things:
* Are you a Perfectionist?
* Are you a Procrastinator?
* Do you follow the rules you create?
* Do you put things back?
* Do you shop without thinking?
* Do you work on changing and adjusting spaces, and rules first instead of trying to change the person?
Answers to all these questions will be your road map to the system that you will create.
Setup Phrases for this Phase
Even though I want to do everything in a perfect way and I don’t have time to be able to do so; and I choose not to do anything, I am open to the possibility of deeply and completely accepting myself. Maybe I can remember this quote from Ernst Fischer “As machines become more and more efficient and perfect, so it will become clear that imperfection is the greatness of man.”
Even though I am afraid that if I create a system, it won’t work, and I will fail again; I chose to love myself anyway. After all, Edison tried over 10 thousand ways to create a light bulb until he found the correct way.
I will accept myself even if I end up putting the folders on top of the filing cabinet rather than inside of it. I will figure out a way to still be able to function without the place looking perfect.
Even though whenever I walk in the house I throw my jacket on the couch rather than hanging it in the coat closet, I forgive myself. Maybe if I clean out the coat closet first, and make room for currently used jackets, I might be more inclined to want to open the closet door, and hang my jacket in there.
Even though I don’t have the faintest idea how to organize my stuff, I choose to be open and learn instead of giving up on myself. Maybe if I watch myself and learn my habits, I might be able to come up with brilliant ideas with my creativity.
Figen Genco, BA.
EFT/Feng Shui/Organizing Consultant
About the Author
Figen Genco, BA Holistic Professional Organizer Intuitive Guide 215 354 0275 www.lovethewayyoulive.com www.lovethewayyousell.com