Marvel At It! Remembering to Enjoy Your Progress

On one of our recent weekly project plans in our online organizing program, we tackled the Master Closet. I was organizing my own closet, and I really enjoyed the results-- so much that I found myself going back in there repeatedly over the weekend to admire my work and sigh. The clean rows of clothing that were all things I really like and wear... the new shelf I had figured out for my tall boots, sitting there like soldiers... It was truly dorkalicious. And oh so satisfying.

My best friend's dad always jokingly says, "Marvel at it!" when he is showing our kids something that should impress them. I was laughing at how much I was "marveling at it." I do know that marveling at your work really does help, though, by giving you momentum to continue.

One of our members just said in our message boards: "When I start thinking I'm not making any headway I go back to the area that has been found and sit and admire it. I remember that it is the little things that will add up to bigger results." 

I had another client who told me that after we organized her closet, she would go in there when she was feeling overwhelmed and just breathe and feel peaceful and know that soon the rest of the house could be like this too. 

We need to celebrate our successes and let them carry us forward into more. Here are a few ways you can maximize the marveling:

• Take Before & After photos when you do a project. Just for you! Not only are they wonderful to remember your progress later, but the Before photos can also help you see the room from a more objective perspective when starting the project and give you some ideas for tackling it. Members of our program can post their Before photos anonymously in our message boards, where our expert team of Certified Professional Organizers® gives them suggestions and consults with them on how best to get it done... and then our members are so proud to post the After photos too, so we can ALL "marvel at it!"
• Keep a list of your organizing projects and cross them out when finished. Many of our members keep a Clutter Diet binder with our weekly plans, our handouts, and our workbooks printed out for handy reference. In one of our workbooks we have a Success Journal where you can write down all the projects you've finished. For our members who are trying to tackle an entire house or several rooms, looking back on this journal reminds them of how far they've come when they are feeling discouraged.
• Organize with a friend. Trading organizing favors with a friend not only makes it more fun, brings in more objectivity, and makes the work go faster-- it also makes the celebration better when you're finished! Give yourselves a treat when your project is done-- going out for coffee, a drink, or dessert together, or taking a walk. Your friend can also remind you of your progress when you are needing a boost.

We tend to focus on what remains to be done rather than enjoying what has already been accomplished. So this week, don't forget to MARVEL AT IT!

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Comments

[heatherK]

Thanks for posting this. When we moved into our new house a year ago, there were several projects to be done. One of the first I accomplished was to reconfigure the existing shelves (and buy some new ones) in the Master Closet to make it work for me. After I got it done, I was so pleased that I kept going in there just to admire how neat it looked and how well it worked. Seeing it gave me so much satisfaction and peace. I felt like a dork. But thanks to your post, I now know I shouldn't feel so dorky. :)

[Paula McIntyre]

This is a rally good article. So many people struggle to keep clutter under control.

[Marla Lewis]

Laurie,
Following your recent advice about using a few minutes here and there to “De-Clutter my Master Closet”, I have almost finished the project and it feels so exhilarating to be able to have easy access to my clothes again! I was at the point that I could no long hang up even one more item on the rods. Clean clothes were often hung on a wall peg or the door until I had the time to struggle putting them away! Time for Clutter Diet!

I used several one or two hour time frames to do a section at a time. Yes - it is a big closet with an embarrassing amount of clothing in it, so it took an amazing amount of time to do each section. I removed each and every item from the section, tried it on, inspected for wear or soil, and piled the clothes into five groups: Keep, repair or clean, consignment, or donation. I found a few items I deemed perfect for a friend who need clothes so my fifth pile is to share with a friend!

I still have one more section to do, but I too, find myself smiling now when I look at how organized and un-cramped the space is. I only have two more closets to tackle before I have the courage to "help" my husband clean his!!!

Thanks for your newsletter to keep me de-cluttering!

~ Marla, Cheyenne, WY

[Carole]

I teach housecleaning, and one piece of advice that I give is not to waste time admiring your work until you've finished the job at hand - whatever your task for this time slot is. Then you can marvel all you want! And you should. It feels good to see the results.

Cindy - congrats on having that strength. At one point I had 3 houses full of stuff in here. It looked like an antique store!

[DebraC]

Celebrating your success is definitely a must. After a hard day's work of eliminating clutter,go out for a family meal to celebrate. It helps to keep you motivated for the next home organization project that you and the family decide to tackle.

[Cheryl]

Thank you for the great article! I can relate...once upon a time I organized all clothing into color categories AND put everything in the closet on white plastic hangars. I was forever going in there to admire the tidy-ness of it all, even took dinner guests in one time to appreciate it!:)

[All Women Stalker]

This is a very good advice! I love your blogs