Organization isn’t something you are born with. It’s a skill anyone can learn, one small decision at a time. When you clear the clutter and create order, you give yourself the gifts of time, clarity, and peace of mind.
[Title Photo by Olena Bohovyk]
Martha’s Story: Drowning in Clutter, Delaying Her Dream
When Martha(*) first came to me for coaching, she carried a dream in her heart that had lived there for years. It was big, meaningful, and deeply personal, something she longed to do not just for herself, but as a contribution to others. She spoke about it with real passion. But as we worked together, it quickly became clear what was holding her back: her dream was being derailed by disorganization.
Martha wasn’t lazy. She wasn’t unmotivated. She simply didn’t have control over her stuff or her time. Piles of papers covered her desk. Her children’s toys littered the floor of her home office. Closets were packed with items she hadn’t touched in years. Her schedule was crammed with urgent-but-unimportant tasks that drained her energy. She was overwhelmed by the physical clutter in her environment, the time-consuming clutter of her calendar, and the mental clutter in her mind.
Whenever she tried to focus on her dream, something else always seemed more urgent. Bills to pay, papers to file, things to sort through, appointments to juggle. The clutter wasn’t just filling her home, it was crowding out her ability to take action on what mattered most.
What Martha hadn’t yet realized was this: her problem wasn’t a lack of talent or ability. It wasn’t a personal failing. She simply had never learned the skill of organization.
Once she began learning and applying a few simple organizing principles — one small step at a time — things started to shift. We didn’t aim for perfection. We aimed for “well-enough organized.” Martha began clearing space, physically and mentally, and as her surroundings became calmer, her thinking became clearer. With that clarity came the time, energy, and focus she needed to finally take real steps toward her dream.
A Skill, Not a Talent
Many people believe they’re either “naturally organized” or they’re not. This is a myth. Organization isn’t a talent, something we’re born with. It’s a learnable skill, made up of small, simple habits that anyone can practice.
In the Excelerated Life™ framework, Excelerated Organization™ is part of the Life Management principle because being “well-enough organized” frees your time, attention, and energy to pursue meaningful, higher-level activities that create well-being, purpose, and contribution.
Organization doesn’t require perfection. And it brings clarity, peace of mind, and the ability to find what you need when you need it, so you can focus on what truly matters.
Why Is This Important?
When you’re disorganized, everything takes longer. Simple tasks become complicated. You spend precious time hunting for lost items, juggling cluttered schedules, and managing unnecessary stress.
Disorganization drains mental energy and creates background anxiety. The clutter around you often reflects the clutter inside your mind. And as the saying goes: As within, so without.
When you create external order, you create internal calm. That calm allows you to:
- Make better decisions
- Think more creatively
- Focus your time and energy on meaningful goals
- Experience peace and satisfaction rather than stress and overwhelm
The Myth of the “Organized Person”
Have you ever heard anyone (maybe yourself?) say something like this?
- “I’m just not wired that way.”
- “I don’t have time to get organized.”
- “Organization is rigid, boring, or obsessive.”
None of these is true. Organization is simply a series of learnable skills that any of us can manage:
- Decision-making (what to keep, what to let go)
- Grouping and categorizing
- Creating a home for every item
- Setting up simple systems and routines
- Maintaining and reviewing
These are skills anyone can develop by starting small and building over time.
Excelerated Organization™: The Core Principles
The practice of Excelerated Organization™ is built on several key ideas:
- “Well-Enough Organized” Is the Goal.
You don’t need a perfectly color-coded closet or alphabetized pantry. The goal is to find what you need, when you need it, without unnecessary stress or wasted time. - Simplify Before You Organize.
Clutter isn’t solved by better containers. It’s solved by removing what no longer serves you. - Systems Over Willpower.
You don’t need heroic bursts of energy. You need simple systems that run themselves once you’ve put them in place. - Maintenance Is Part of the Process.
It’s important to remember that organization isn’t a one-time event. Small, regular resets keep you on track. - External Order Supports Internal Calm.
When your physical space is peaceful, your mind can follow.
Building the Skill of Organization
Here are practical steps you can take to begin developing your organizing skills:
Start Small.
Choose one drawer, shelf, or surface to tackle today.
Decide Ruthlessly.
Keep what you need, love, and use. Let the rest go.
Create a Home for Everything.
Every item should have a designated PLACE.
Establish Simple Routines.
Daily resets (5-10 minutes) and weekly reviews help maintain order.
Use Containers and Labels.
Make things easy to find and return.
Schedule Maintenance Time.
Put regular organizing time on your calendar.
Practice Letting Go.
The fewer items you own, the easier it is to stay organized.
Apply the “One In, One Out” Rule.
When something new comes in, let something old go.
Example / Suppose
Imagine this. Suppose you start today with that stuffed-to-overflowing kitchen junk drawer. You take everything out, sort by category, discard or donate what’s no longer useful, and designate a clear home for what remains. You add small dividers to keep items contained.
Now, the next time you need scissors, batteries, or a screwdriver, you know exactly where to find them, saving you time, energy . . . and frustration.
Small wins like this build momentum. One drawer leads to one closet. One closet leads to one room. One room leads to a calmer, more peaceful home. And a clearer mind.
Actions
With that example in mind, here’s your first step:
- Choose one small space to organize today.
- Schedule 10 minutes for your first organizing session.
- Decide what stays, what goes, and where each item belongs.
- After 10 minutes, you may stop. Or if you’re on a roll, you may want to continue till you finish in that space.
Build the Skill of Being Organized
Organization is not something you are born with. Or without. Like Martha discovered, organization is a skill anyone can learn, one small decision at a time.
Ready to get started? Download your free Excelerated Organization™ Quickstart Checklist to begin your journey today. Or for a deeper dive, try the Excelerated Organization™ Excelerator.
When you clear the clutter and create order, you give yourself the gifts of time, clarity, and peace of mind. And in that space, you’ll be one step closer to becoming the person you are meant to be. There you’ll find the freedom to embrace your Excelerated Life™!
How are your organizing skills? What step could help you improve them?
How could you begin taking that step today?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Excelerated Organization™ — being clutter-free and well-enough organized (able to find what you need when you need it) — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Footnotes:
(*)Martha (not her real name, of course) is a composite of several clients I’ve worked with to help them overcome the lack of organization that prevented them from pursuing their BIG goals.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.