How To Follow Through and Finally Get Organized

Are you somebody who writes down “declutter” in your planner but never follow through? You have every intention to do it …because you know it will make your life better …but it’s so hard to do something you don’t really want to do! Right?

I do the same thing with things I know I should do but don’t really want to do either. Sometimes the problem is that I’ve made the project too big. It feels unattainable, so I don’t do anything about it.

I recently learned a strategy 4 piece strategy to follow through on projects that you can definitely apply to decluttering and organizing. The funny thing is, I’ve been unconsciously using this strategy all along by using the Powersheets from Cultivate What Matters.

And it works.

Use this 4 step strategy to follow through on decluttering and organizing that breaks up the project into smaller, attainable steps.

01. Set a smaller, very important goal.

I like to think of the really big goal that I’m trying to achieve as my destination. In order to reach my destination, I need the directions to get there.

The first step in this strategy is setting up the turn by turn directions –the smaller, very important goals. 

For instance, if your goal is to organize your kitchen, set up smaller daily decluttering goals. Do the pantry one day, the refrigerator another, the corner cabinet another day, and so on.

Breaking it up piece by piece makes the goal more achievable.

02. Tally how many times you do it, not how much you do.

The saying is typically quality over quantity …but that’s not the case here. In order to make progress on goals, it’s more important to tally the number of times you work on it. Consistency is key.

So, going back to the kitchen organizing example, if your goal is to organize the kitchen in 2 weeks, plan on doing just one small thing per day.

By the end of the first week, you’ll feel better that you did something every day instead of lamenting that you only got so much done.

Shift your focus to how often. It’s all consistency.

03. Keep a scoreboard.

Have you ever heard Jerry Seinfeld’s advice about not “breaking the chain”? 

Another comedian once asked him how to write better jokes. Seinfeld told him to get a big wall calendar and mark a big “X” on every day he writes a joke. Eventually, you won’t want to “break the chain.”

You’re creating physical evidence of your progress. 

Willpower and focus will fall away. But if you can stay consistent, and not break the chain, you’ll make significant progress toward your goals.

04. Stay accountable.

When I think of accountability, I think of accountability partners. But you don’t need a partner to stay accountable.

Here are 2 ways I keep myself accountable:

At the end of each week, I review what I did to push toward my goals using a CEO Report.

Every morning, I write down my goals. This keeps me focused, and I remember what it is I’m working to achieve.

Both of these ways are quick and easy and doesn’t require finding a time to talk with a partner. (But you can do that too if you want to.)

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These 4 easy steps can help you follow through on decluttering and organizing. It doesn’t have to be a pipe dream you write into your planner!