Reward Yourself

One of my favorite rewards is the note I get the day after reaching a milestone with or for a client.  When they step into the project space, realize how much work was accomplished, and choose to shoot a quick note of “Wow, I love it!” or “I can find everything!” to let me know they are excited about the progress, I feel rewarded – it is the best emotional compensation for a personal organizer.    

The other favorite moment is when six months have passed and I get a note saying the same thing.

I work with each of my client’s to find systems that work for them and every client is different so every system is different but the foundations are the same.   When there is a good foundation, the system will continue to prove successful.

I have recently talked about my current favorite work related book Atomic Habits. Although this book is not specifically a guide to tidying, James Clear’s Laws on Behavioral Changes are the foundation to organizational systems’ successes. Mr. Clear is concise and to the point and the book is a quick read – I recommend it. 

He says the following about how to build better habits:

·         Make it Obvious

·         Make it Attractive

·         Make it Easy

·         Make it Satisfying

I consider the following when creating a system to keep spaces organized:

·         Obvious – it should clear on how to use and maintain it (don’t over categorize)

·         Attractive – what does it look like (if it’s unattractive, it won’t be maintained)

·         Easy – take the extra procedures out of it (too many steps prevent follow through)

·         Satisfying – make the process feel good (otherwise it won’t be repeated)

That last one is right from Atomic Habits actually and I love the way Mr. Clear says it:

What is immediately rewarded is repeated.  What is immediately punished is avoided.

Find your organizational system that rewards you. 

It’s like getting a thumbs up every time you use it.