The hardest part of getting organized is getting started.

There are so many reasons why it’s hard to get started. Often, people simply don’t know what the first action should be! Other times, they don’t have a vision of what they want to achieve, so they can’t plan where to go in the first place. And of course, shout out to all my perfectionists who don’t want to start until they have a complete plan and don’t want to do anything unless it will come out just right!

But the key to decluttering is to just start somewhere. Anywhere.

Let me tell you about a client I had a couple of years ago. I was working with them to organize paperwork in their home office. The client had been struggling with piles of paper, notebooks, mail, and drawings for years. It often takes time for someone to get to the point where they are ready for change and ready to accept help, and that’s where I come in!

Something I see a lot when people don’t know where to start is that they are visibly uncomfortable and very chatty. This client was no exception! But my job is to normalize the decluttering and organizing process, and to support the client as they move at their own pace. So during our first organizing session, we chatted and did some light decluttering of things that were NOT actually paperwork in the home office, which was easier for the client to approach.

That was the start. Did you miss it?

It wasn’t earth shattering. We didn’t transform their home office in a day. But we did start the process of decluttering and organizing.

pen cup, gold notebook, candle, and plant arranged in an acrylic tray on a white desk with polka dot background

I know this because when I returned for the second organizing session, the client was ready. We got into the meat of a years-long backup of mail and filled multiple trash bags with shredding and recycling. We made a huge amount of progress.

All because we started with what might have looked on the surface to be a minimally effective organizing session!

But wait, there’s more!

When I went back for the third organizing session, the client was energized and ready, and couldn’t wait to tell me about all the work they had done in between sessions. Not only had they continued to work on their office, but they were decluttering in other areas of the home as well! Just by getting started, they were seeing results that they (and their spouse!) could never have imagined.

That’s what happens when you give yourself permission to just start. You pick up momentum, and you want to keep going.

It doesn't matter where or when or why you start decluttering. All that matters is that you start. Because once you start, you’ll pick up momentum, and you’ll be able to create the organized space you’ve always wanted!

LMW

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