How to set an organizing date with yourself

Here I am sorting a client's history of parties and entertaining. 2022 marks our ten year anniversary of working together! For those of you who are asking "How could someone keep you busy for 10 years?" the answer in her case is that my steady presence keeps her home from ever crossing the line into sheer overwhelm.  We see each other at least twice a month, and in three hours we can usually get her caught up on much of what has piled up since my last visit. 

For those of you who can't keep a Professional Organizer in your life indefinitely, you'll want to master how to make organizing dates with yourself. This topic has come up twice with my clients in the past week. I have one client who I see every couple of months. Last week she expressed that she has a renewed vigor to organize between sessions, and wants to do so for one hour a day. It's a lofty, but realistic goal in her case. She has the time (well, as much as any of us have), and certainly has the motivation. 

I suggested that she mark the time somehow, so it's clear when that session with herself starts. Without that, it's easy to sort of organize and sort of procrastinate at the same time.  She immediately said, "I have the perfect thing! I'll organize while I watch John Oliver." Love it. When John Oliver is on, she's organizing. When he's not on, she's off the hook.

I just had another session with the gentleman I referred to in my post 9 Things I Learned About Organizing in 2021. (See #8.) He's now crossed the threshold into 300+ days of 15 minutes of daily paper sorting! How does he do it? He uses the Time Timer clock that I also use daily. 

In addition to turning on a specific show and setting a timer, here are some other ways to solidify your self-driven organizing sessions:

Accountability - If you really mean business, have someone you report to wether or not you kept your session with yourself. I've found that the least close someone is to you, the better. It's easier to let down a best friend or a family member than it is a person more removed from your life. We tend to not want to let down new acquaintances. Do you know anyone else - perhaps a Facebook friend - who also shares your organizing goal? Set up a simple system to hold each other accountable. Sometimes a simple "done" text is all it takes.

Music - Hitting play on a playlist that is reserved just for organizing is a perfect way to officially start a session. Check out my recent post, Ritalin for Your Ears for some ideas.

A Completion Journal - Of course I like the concept of writing down what you will accomplish in your solo session, but if you're not crystal clear on what you'll do, it feels like a burdensome step. Clarity is nice, but not necessary. Instead, at the end of your session, simply jot down what you did. How much went out the door? How many boxes were cut down? How many papers were shredded? Just jot anything. Keep it simple.

Aromatherapy - One of my clients is quite into aromatherapy and essential oils. Occasionally, she'll have a lovely blend of oils that support letting go flowing as we work. I think this is a lovely way to give your brain and body a signal that you're stepping into a different frame of mind. A link to her blend can be found in this post.

Photos - Getting into the routine of taking "before" pictures is a fantastic marker of the start of your session. You don't necessarily even have to take "after" shots, as today's "after" is tomorrow's "before." Even better, send that photo to your accountability partner.

Wake Up Earlier - Personally, when all else fails, I wake up earlier. I'm not saying this is easy. I'm saying it works. Yes, this means the real work takes place the night before when you need to turn lights out earlier. 

I love/hate the gym and have learned that way to see results is to go even when you don't want to. Putting my shoes on means I'm officially going. Putting on workout clothes does not. I can kill a shocking amount of time puttering around my home in workout clothes - no so much when the shoes are on. What do you need to do, however simple, to tell yourself that you are officially organizing?

You can wander your way into clutter, but you can't wander out. I follow the financial teachings of Dave Ramsey who says, "You can wander into debt, but you can't wander out." The same applies for getting organized. What are you doing already to focus your solo organizing sessions?  What can you add to this list? Please share in the comments!