Latest / Simple Enough: Organizing, Productivity, and Mindset for Entrepreneurs / 2. The Real Reason You Aren’t Organized
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: Feeling stuck about the job of getting organized before you've even begun?
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: Stick around because it's actually smaller and simpler than you think.
- 0:09SPEAKER_00: If you're smart and capable,
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: but overwhelmed by too many decisions,
- 0:13SPEAKER_00: half-built systems,
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: and things you keep meaning to get to, you're in the right place.
- 0:19SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Simple Enough.
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: Overwhelm is what happens when you don't know what to do or where to start.
- 0:30SPEAKER_00: It happens when you are keeping track of too many things and not knowing what to do
- 0:37SPEAKER_00: or where to start.
- 0:38SPEAKER_00: And I can't remember the last.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: So it's
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: usually
- 0:50SPEAKER_00: one of two things.
- 0:52SPEAKER_00: One,
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: you have such a volume of things that you aren't even sure which things are going
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: to make a real difference.
- 1:01SPEAKER_00: And so you get a little bit stuck and you don't know where to start
- 1:04SPEAKER_00: and you feel like you need a little more information.
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: And it seems like there should just be a thread to pull and
- 1:10SPEAKER_00: that one thread will make everything else easier.
- 1:14SPEAKER_00: But you feel stuck until you know what that thread is.
- 1:17SPEAKER_00: Second reason is because it feels like it requires so much energy
- 1:22SPEAKER_00: and you just don't have it today.
- 1:23SPEAKER_00: And maybe you do another day.
- 1:27SPEAKER_00: Well, you think you might some other day.
- 1:29SPEAKER_00: I'm not really sure what that day is.
- 1:31SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's Tuesday and it's raining or Or,
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: I don't know,
- 1:35SPEAKER_00: maybe that day that everything becomes clear and it'll just magically open the doors
- 1:41SPEAKER_00: of motivation and you'll be able to get organized once and for all.
- 1:45SPEAKER_00: But it's really about being afraid of doing it wrong.
- 1:48SPEAKER_00: Really, both of those things,
- 1:50SPEAKER_00: having too much and not knowing what thread to pull to make it easy
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: and thinking there's going to be more energy a different day.
- 1:59SPEAKER_00: It's about not knowing.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: It's the uncertainty that you will be able to maintain it.
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: There's a fear there.
- 2:06SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've tossed some things in a rage organizing session
- 2:10SPEAKER_00: that you regretted later,
- 2:12SPEAKER_00: or I Maybe you didn't think through all the steps of a system and so it fell apart.
- 2:19SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you didn't realize that there is practice involved in making habits and
- 2:24SPEAKER_00: so you gave up too soon.
- 2:26SPEAKER_00: Getting organized is trial and error.
- 2:30SPEAKER_00: It's practicing.
- 2:31SPEAKER_00: It's repeating.
- 2:32SPEAKER_00: It's practicing some more.
- 2:35SPEAKER_00: See what works while adjusting, curating, trying a different approach.
- 2:40SPEAKER_00: And in the meantime, you are wasting time, energy, and money.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: And so we better get started.
- 2:48SPEAKER_00: The stuck loop happens when we think that getting organized is going to be harder
- 2:54SPEAKER_00: than just dealing with the mess, accommodating the mess, and Dealing with the
- 3:08SPEAKER_00: And then you realize you've wasted six weeks a year looking for your keys.
- 3:13SPEAKER_00: Added up five minutes a day looking for things adds up to about six weeks a year.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: And statistics say we actually spend up to two hours a day looking for things we can't find.
- 3:27SPEAKER_00: So what if we switched it around a little bit?
- 3:31SPEAKER_00: What if the secret to being organized is that someone took the time to set it up?
- 3:37SPEAKER_00: Not that they were better at using things,
- 3:41SPEAKER_00: but they took a moment to think through the process of how you would be using
- 3:45SPEAKER_00: the things you're working with.
- 3:47SPEAKER_00: The places where things would live in your home so everyone knew where the Band-Aids were.
- 3:53SPEAKER_00: It's weird.
- 3:54SPEAKER_00: We know where the ice cream is.
- 3:56SPEAKER_00: It's in the freezer.
- 3:58SPEAKER_00: Or it's melting on your counter.
- 3:59SPEAKER_00: One of the two.
- 4:01SPEAKER_00: But if you don't take the time to do that for every piece of item and thing
- 4:08SPEAKER_00: and stuff you brought into your house, you're gonna have a mess.
- 4:12SPEAKER_00: And then you're gonna feel overwhelmed.
- 4:14SPEAKER_00: And then you're gonna feel kind of incapable.
- 4:17SPEAKER_00: So waiting for things to settle down And be more energetic one day
- 4:22SPEAKER_00: or have less things on your to-do list so you can really focus isn't
- 4:27SPEAKER_00: the right approach.
- 4:28SPEAKER_00: We need to think about incremental improvements
- 4:33SPEAKER_00: that will exponentially improve your day-to-day life.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: Make things easier.
- 4:38SPEAKER_00: So let's go ahead and start because chances are you're
- 4:43SPEAKER_00: a perfectionist procrastinator and I'm here to break you of that.
- 4:47SPEAKER_00: I'm going to walk you through various ways of figuring out how to do it differently.
- 4:53SPEAKER_00: The fear of doing it wrong doesn't have to hold you back.
- 4:56SPEAKER_00: Just figure out a right way to do it and try that.
- 4:59SPEAKER_00: Also, you can't do it wrong because there's a bazillion different solutions
- 5:04SPEAKER_00: to every system problem.
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: The trick is finding the one that works for you.
- 5:09SPEAKER_00: And we've been using steps to get organized for years without really realizing
- 5:17SPEAKER_00: that you have to connect all the dots.
- 5:19SPEAKER_00: So I see it all the time online.
- 5:21SPEAKER_00: There is a way to optimize your day.
- 5:24SPEAKER_00: Well, that's great.
- 5:25SPEAKER_00: But if you haven't set up the things you need to do the work during that day,
- 5:29SPEAKER_00: you're still going to feel frustrated and feel like you weren't able to do
- 5:32SPEAKER_00: the things and that system doesn't work for you.
- 5:35SPEAKER_00: And so you're going to give up a little too soon.
- 5:38SPEAKER_00: So it's about learning how to connect the dots.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: And the process itself is part of the process.
- 5:48SPEAKER_00: The sooner you start, the sooner you get to start practicing.
- 5:52SPEAKER_00: And the more you practice, the easier every day gets.
- 5:56SPEAKER_00: You know where your things are, you know how to use them, and you know how to do things.
- 6:02SPEAKER_00: It's about the workflows.
- 6:04SPEAKER_00: And it turns out...
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: 90% of my clients spend a lot of time thinking they're getting organized,
- 6:10SPEAKER_00: just rearranging things.
- 6:14SPEAKER_00: They pull a bunch of stuff out, they spread it out, they sort it, and then they put it back.
- 6:20SPEAKER_00: They don't actually do a declutter.
- 6:23SPEAKER_00: They don't actually think about how and where and when they're going
- 6:26SPEAKER_00: to use something and what the step after that is.
- 6:30SPEAKER_00: So there's no perfect solution.
- 6:32SPEAKER_00: Again, we just start and we...
- 6:37SPEAKER_00: Get into it.
- 6:38SPEAKER_00: There's no shame of it.
- 6:39SPEAKER_00: We got to learn it.
- 6:40SPEAKER_00: It's a learned skill.
- 6:42SPEAKER_00: So I'm here to help you connect the dots and get through the steps.
- 6:48SPEAKER_00: I talked about one last time, dreaming.
- 6:51SPEAKER_00: You got to know where you're going and then you have to declutter and then you have
- 6:56SPEAKER_00: to design the system based on the things you have in your life.
- 7:01SPEAKER_00: And what you want to do with them.
- 7:03SPEAKER_00: And then you have to practice,
- 7:04SPEAKER_00: practice,
- 7:04SPEAKER_00: practice,
- 7:05SPEAKER_00: practice and practice some more because that's how you develop habits and developing
- 7:10SPEAKER_00: the habits and routines are what save you energy.
- 7:15SPEAKER_00: They save you.
- 7:16SPEAKER_00: You don't
- 7:23SPEAKER_00: have to think through all the steps of how you brush your teeth every day
- 7:27SPEAKER_00: or how you get in the car and back out of your driveway.
- 7:30SPEAKER_00: These things are now routine.
- 7:33SPEAKER_00: They are rituals you go through without having to think about them.
- 7:36SPEAKER_00: So the more of those you can put in place,
- 7:40SPEAKER_00: the more time you free up for deep and creative work.
- 7:44SPEAKER_00: And I know my people are creative.
- 7:47SPEAKER_00: You like to create things.
- 7:49SPEAKER_00: And in fact, you hate restrictions and don't like feeling constrained.
- 7:55SPEAKER_00: But here's the catch-22 of it.
- 7:58SPEAKER_00: Constraints set you free.
- 8:00SPEAKER_00: Systems set you free.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: And a system is a constraint that serves you instead of one that doesn't serve you.
- 8:09SPEAKER_00: When we're super creative or entrepreneurial,
- 8:12SPEAKER_00: we think we have a bazillion possibilities and we do not want to be limited.
- 8:18SPEAKER_00: But that leaves you stuck because you can't decide what to work on or you decide
- 8:23SPEAKER_00: on something and you can't find the stuff you need.
- 8:25SPEAKER_00: And so you're right back where you started,
- 8:28SPEAKER_00: stuck for 10 minutes looking for the thing so that you can do
- 8:32SPEAKER_00: the thing you really wanted to do.
- 8:34SPEAKER_00: Instead, put constraints that serve you.
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: Things around the space you have,
- 8:41SPEAKER_00: how you do the work,
- 8:42SPEAKER_00: when you're going to do the work,
- 8:44SPEAKER_00: these are about small incremental changes that lead you to be an organized person.
- 8:51SPEAKER_00: It can be as simple as moving a pen cup across the desk to free up a lot of time.
- 8:59SPEAKER_00: But let's get back to the permission to just start.
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: Turns out it doesn't really matter where you start,
- 9:08SPEAKER_00: but I usually suggest with what frustrated you the most today or what will create
- 9:14SPEAKER_00: a safe,
- 9:15SPEAKER_00: calm space for you to be outside of the overwhelm for in between your organizing
- 9:22SPEAKER_00: and your day-to-day activities.
- 9:25SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't matter.
- 9:26SPEAKER_00: Just pick one.
- 9:28SPEAKER_00: And then we want to think about starting small.
- 9:32SPEAKER_00: You can't pull everything out of your garage and expect to be organized and complete
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: by the end of the day.
- 9:40SPEAKER_00: It's too many things.
- 9:41SPEAKER_00: And that's probably the biggest mistake my clients make.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: They think they have to do an entire room or an entire area at once.
- 9:51SPEAKER_00: And really, it's about chunking it down into very small parts.
- 9:56SPEAKER_00: Is there a surface,
- 9:58SPEAKER_00: a drawer, a bin, a cabinet that can be examined and decluttered and thought through?
- 10:07SPEAKER_00: That's how you get organized.
- 10:09SPEAKER_00: One small space at a time.
- 10:12SPEAKER_00: And we don't then pull out a whole lot more and think, oh, I made space.
- 10:18SPEAKER_00: I'm going to put some of that stuff from the second place into the first space.
- 10:23SPEAKER_00: We don't organize by space.
- 10:25SPEAKER_00: We organize by function.
- 10:28SPEAKER_00: So when you're starting out,
- 10:30SPEAKER_00: start small, eliminate what's in the way from one space, and then leave that space.
- 10:36SPEAKER_00: Go to the next space.
- 10:38SPEAKER_00: Eliminate what's not necessary from that space.
- 10:41SPEAKER_00: And you continue going through and honoring each space as you complete it.
- 10:46SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you're going to know more of the system than others,
- 10:50SPEAKER_00: but the system will reveal itself because getting organized in and of itself is
- 10:55SPEAKER_00: a discovery process.
- 10:57SPEAKER_00: It's a giant experiment in how you want to live your life and what things you need
- 11:02SPEAKER_00: to live that life.
- 11:03SPEAKER_00: And just put your crap where it goes.
- 11:08SPEAKER_00: But you have to know where it goes.
- 11:09SPEAKER_00: And that's what we're going to do.
- 11:11SPEAKER_00: Define a holding place for the items in your life so you know where to put it.
- 11:16SPEAKER_00: Like the ice cream goes in the freezer, right?
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: No brainer.
- 11:20SPEAKER_00: You don't have to think about it anymore.
- 11:22SPEAKER_00: Pens go in the pen cup by the charging station or on the desk on the left-hand side
- 11:27SPEAKER_00: because you're left-handed.
- 11:29SPEAKER_00: Get what I'm saying?
- 11:31SPEAKER_00: It's knowing where something goes.
- 11:34SPEAKER_00: Means that you get to use it when you need it and how you use it,
- 11:38SPEAKER_00: and then you put your toys away.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: That's part of the constraint.
- 11:42SPEAKER_00: Knowing where it goes so you can use it when you need it.
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: It's really about keeping like things together.
- 11:50SPEAKER_00: And like things together can take a lot of different forms.
- 11:53SPEAKER_00: And we'll talk more about that in the future.
- 11:55SPEAKER_00: But...
- 11:56SPEAKER_00: If you know where your things are and how you're going to use them, it's easy, right?
- 12:02SPEAKER_00: Go get the ice cream.
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: I'll wait.
- 12:04SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 12:05SPEAKER_00: So the constraints will set you free.
- 12:08SPEAKER_00: Why that matters beyond just how much stuff you have is that you will then get to be creative.
- 12:16SPEAKER_00: You will get to use the things you really love and want to use in ways you want to use them.
- 12:22SPEAKER_00: It'll no longer be overwhelming.
- 12:23SPEAKER_00: It'll be freeing.
- 12:24SPEAKER_00: You will get energy on and motivation from the fact that you're doing what you want to do.
- 12:30SPEAKER_00: So on the other side of all this disorganization and lack of systems is going
- 12:36SPEAKER_00: to be much more fun and freedom to play.
- 12:40SPEAKER_00: Just getting started is is not that hard.
- 12:44SPEAKER_00: Make it small.
- 12:45SPEAKER_00: Do one small area at a time and methodically work around each space in your house
- 12:54SPEAKER_00: until you're done.
- 12:55SPEAKER_00: That's it.
- 12:56SPEAKER_00: I know it sounds super easy,
- 12:58SPEAKER_00: feels much harder,
- 12:59SPEAKER_00: but I want you to take one doable step,
- 13:04SPEAKER_00: one thing that makes it easy to Next time, easier.
- 13:07SPEAKER_00: It's about the be better mindset.
- 13:09SPEAKER_00: If you leave things better than you found them, it's easier the next day.
- 13:14SPEAKER_00: It matters that you do each step,
- 13:17SPEAKER_00: not necessarily in the same order every time,
- 13:19SPEAKER_00: but that you understand how the steps fit together.
- 13:22SPEAKER_00: How dreaming,
- 13:23SPEAKER_00: decluttering,
- 13:24SPEAKER_00: creating a system,
- 13:25SPEAKER_00: practicing the system till you develop the habit,
- 13:29SPEAKER_00: and then enjoying the system by delighting in your efforts.
- 13:34SPEAKER_00: So I thought it through and it feels like the act
- 13:37SPEAKER_00: of organizing itself is super satisfying when you do it.
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: And so you build that satisfaction and fulfillment muscle every time you practice organizing.
- 13:49SPEAKER_00: You get to be a better organizer each and every time you practice it.
- 13:54SPEAKER_00: And you get to live a more fulfilling and satisfying life because you're closing
- 13:58SPEAKER_00: that feedback loop for yourself.
- 14:01SPEAKER_00: I moved this over here.
- 14:02SPEAKER_00: I made a couple decisions.
- 14:04SPEAKER_00: Things are easier.
- 14:05SPEAKER_00: There's less clutter in the way.
- 14:07SPEAKER_00: Things are smoother.
- 14:08SPEAKER_00: I now know what to do,
- 14:10SPEAKER_00: where the things are,
- 14:12SPEAKER_00: and my brain is not exploding with trying to keep track of everything.
- 14:17SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about a simple, small thing you can actually do to help feel that satisfaction.
- 14:24SPEAKER_00: I want you to grab your wallet.
- 14:26SPEAKER_00: We're gonna just declutter your wallet.
- 14:28SPEAKER_00: It takes just a couple minutes.
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: You're gonna empty your wallet.
- 14:32SPEAKER_00: You're gonna take everything out of it.
- 14:35SPEAKER_00: You're gonna knock out all the crumbs and the nooks and crannies.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: And then as you put things away, you're gonna just...
- 14:41SPEAKER_00: We do it in a particular order because there are the essentials that we should have
- 14:45SPEAKER_00: in our wallets and everything else is extra.
- 14:48SPEAKER_00: So this is another little trick you can play with yourself as you look
- 14:52SPEAKER_00: at all your things and declutter.
- 14:55SPEAKER_00: You can put the money back.
- 14:57SPEAKER_00: And as you put the money back,
- 14:59SPEAKER_00: I want you to face and straighten your bills and fold them either all together or
- 15:05SPEAKER_00: by denomination into the right section of your wallet.
- 15:08SPEAKER_00: And then I want you to put your IDs in there,
- 15:11SPEAKER_00: any IDs you need for day-to-day living,
- 15:14SPEAKER_00: like your actual driver's license or official ID.
- 15:18SPEAKER_00: You may need a couple other IDs if you're a student or have work passes,
- 15:22SPEAKER_00: that kind of thing, but just the ones you need all the time.
- 15:25SPEAKER_00: And then I want you to put your debit card and primary credit card,
- 15:30SPEAKER_00: just one of the credit cards.
- 15:32SPEAKER_00: The others are extra,
- 15:33SPEAKER_00: and we're going to talk about that in a second,
- 15:35SPEAKER_00: but put back your primary debit card and credit card.
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: So designate one of the spots to put receipts as you receive receipts throughout your day.
- 15:45SPEAKER_00: You don't have to put back the ones that were already in there.
- 15:47SPEAKER_00: You're going to put those away elsewhere.
- 15:50SPEAKER_00: And then you want to put your in case of emergency details in there somewhere.
- 15:54SPEAKER_00: You know, that little note in your wallet that says contact this person in case of emergency.
- 15:59SPEAKER_00: And you want to tuck in your health insurance details.
- 16:03SPEAKER_00: Everything else belongs in a different place.
- 16:05SPEAKER_00: And I know you're going to tell me, but this is where I keep all of my credit cards.
- 16:10SPEAKER_00: And I will say, that is how you overspend.
- 16:15SPEAKER_00: Having a separate place for your other cards means you have to think
- 16:20SPEAKER_00: through purchases in a slightly different way.
- 16:23SPEAKER_00: It means you have a different spot.
- 16:26SPEAKER_00: I keep mine in the drawer of my desk.
- 16:28SPEAKER_00: And then when I plan to go to a specific store that I have a credit card for,
- 16:33SPEAKER_00: I grab that card for that particular purpose.
- 16:36SPEAKER_00: So...
- 16:37SPEAKER_00: Membership cards, the same thing.
- 16:39SPEAKER_00: If you go to the gym six times a week, of course it makes sense to keep it in your wallet.
- 16:43SPEAKER_00: But if not, you don't need to keep all your membership cards in your wallet.
- 16:48SPEAKER_00: We want to travel lighter, so we'll be faster.
- 16:51SPEAKER_00: Take out the gift cards until you're going to that store to shop.
- 16:56SPEAKER_00: I actually keep my gift cards in the glove box of my car because that way when I'm
- 17:02SPEAKER_00: at the store, I can go, oh, I have a gift card.
- 17:04SPEAKER_00: I can use it today, not carry it around all the times in between.
- 17:10SPEAKER_00: Also, at the end of every day, you're going to practice clearing out your wallet.
- 17:15SPEAKER_00: And it's not hard because you just decluttered most of it.
- 17:18SPEAKER_00: Now you get to pull out the receipts every day and put your receipts where you keep receipts.
- 17:24SPEAKER_00: Most of them go in the trash, people.
- 17:27SPEAKER_00: Occasionally they need to be reconciled or thrown in a tax file,
- 17:30SPEAKER_00: but that's a topic for a different day.
- 17:32SPEAKER_00: So just know you're keeping it light.
- 17:35SPEAKER_00: You are going to be developing a habit of pulling any receipts out of your wallet every day.
- 17:41SPEAKER_00: And you've now created space for money to come in and for flow to happen and
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: to be more considerate of the purchases you make in the first place.
- 17:51SPEAKER_00: Now go enjoy your week.
- 17:53SPEAKER_00: You can do another small area tomorrow.
- 17:56SPEAKER_00: To celebrate the launch of Simple Enough, I'm giving away four Streamline Solution prizes.
- 18:02SPEAKER_00: One grand prize winner will receive
- 18:03SPEAKER_00: the complete three-course bundle covering clutter, time, and paper.
- 18:08SPEAKER_00: Three additional winners will each receive one of the individual questions.
- 18:11SPEAKER_00: If simple enough resonates with you,
- 18:13SPEAKER_00: you can support the show by following,
- 18:15SPEAKER_00: sharing it with a friend, or leaving an honest rating or review where available.
- 18:19SPEAKER_00: Visit morethanorganized.net/podcastlaunch
- 18:36SPEAKER_00: for the official entry form and complete giveaway details,
- 18:39SPEAKER_00: remember to enter before midnight Eastern time on August 30th, 2026.
- 18:44SPEAKER_00: No purchase necessary,
- 18:46SPEAKER_00: subject to the official rules and eligibility requirements, void where prohibited.
- 18:53SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spending this time with me today.
- 18:55SPEAKER_00: Before you go,
- 18:56SPEAKER_00: choose one thing from this episode that could make life just
- 18:59SPEAKER_00: a little simpler this week.
- 19:01SPEAKER_00: Not perfect, just simple enough.
- 19:02SPEAKER_00: Come join me on Substack at morethanorganized.substack.com and remember,
- 19:08SPEAKER_00: organizing doesn't have to be so hard.
- 19:10SPEAKER_00: I'll see you soon.
- 19:11SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, have a delightful day.