Self-Sabotage Can Hinder Your Path to an Organized Home, but a Professional Home Organizer Can Help You Stay on Track

Since launching my professional organizing business, The Marshall Method, I’ve helped numerous clients to take control of their clutter and restore a sense of calm in their homes. During this time, I’ve worked with a variety of clients—college students to retirees, apartment renters to homeowners, and skill tradespersons to C-suite executives—and found that self-sabotage can affect anyone’s mindset when it comes to organizing their homes.

Achieving an organized home is a goal many people strive for, but self-sabotage can often stand in the way of this aspiration. Self-sabotage refers to behaviors or thought patterns that undermine one’s efforts and progress. Here are some ways self-sabotage can hinder your path to an organized home:

1. Procrastination

Procrastination is a common form of self-sabotage. When one delays tasks that contribute to organizing their home, clutter accumulates, and the task becomes more daunting. Some people may think that they will get to it later, but "later" often turns into "never.” Breaking free from procrastination can be as simple as contacting a professional organizer for help.

2. Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be paralyzing. Some people say that they want everything to be perfect before they start organizing, but this mindset can prevent them from making any progress at all. It's important to remember that organizing one’s home is a process, and small steps can lead to significant improvements. Think of a professional home organizer as your personal concierge that helps you through the process.

3. Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk can undermine one’s confidence and motivation. Imagine, if you constantly tell yourself that you are not capable of maintaining an organized home, you may start to believe it and act accordingly. A professional organizer acts as a compass and points to you towards your truth and helps set realistic goals.

4. Fear of Change

Change can be uncomfortable, and some people may sabotage their efforts to organize their home because they fear the changes it will bring. A professional home organizer acts as your “positive-change coach” and helps you overcome this barrier by encouraging you to embrace change, accept it as an opportunity for improvement, and imagine the new possibilities that will be available to you.

5. Lack of Planning

Without a clear plan, it's easy to get sidetracked and lose focus. Some people may think that buying the latest bins, baskets, totes, and drawer organizers are the key to easily organizing their homes. But what they quickly—and frustratingly—realize is that it is just not that simple. The key to organizing success comes from creating a detailed strategy that takes experience and time. A professional organizer is your strategy expert who outlines your goals, analyzes challenges, prioritizes tasks, and identifies organizing solutions to ensure your space meets your needs.

6. Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work required to organize one’s home can lead to frustration, confusion, and avoidance. Overwhelm is one of the most common feelings clients have before organizing their homes. Whether you want someone to come in and organize your home for you, or you want to work with someone to organize your home, a professional organizer can take away the feeling of overwhelm. Consider a professional home organizer as your organizing cartographer who plots each step and breaks it down into smaller, manageable actions which makes the whole process less intimidating and more achievable.

Conclusion

Self-sabotage can significantly hinder one’s path to an organized home, but recognizing these behaviors is the first step toward overcoming them. With the help of a professional organizer, you can create a more organized and harmonious living space without the derailing effects of self-sabotage. Do you live in the greater Madison, WI area, Southwest Wisconsin, or greater Dubuque, IA area and are ready to tackle your clutter and create a calming space? I’m ready to help you! Contact me, Carrie Marshall at The Marshall Method, today for your free consultation.