1. You can enlist a friend or relative. This may seem like an obvious choice, but people often feel guilty about asking others for their time or are concerned about being judged by people close to them. So maybe that’s not for you.
2. Use professionals in the media as inspiration and motivation. Watching a show like Hoarders can motivate you to eliminate things, be vigilant about how much you bring into your home, or at least compel you to tidy up. A recent arrival on Netflix is a new series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, from the professional organizer and spokesperson behind the KonMari craze. A couple episodes of that could be your inspiration.
3. Then there is the option of a real-life Professional Organizer, knowldgeable and sensitive to your plight. You can hire one for a couple hours to help you develop a plan and get you started. Or he or she can work with you from beginning to end, whether it involves specific rooms, paperwork, photos and digital documents, or a whole house clean-out. If you can’t find an organizer in your area, some even work virtually, through Skype, email, phone and text. You can search for one through NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.
Whatever motivation you need, once you take that first step of calling that friend, turning on the TV, contacting a Professional Organizer or just putting that sweater in the donate bag, you’re on your way to getting it done!
