Once in a while I hear something that makes me think of the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s traveling companions. They truly wanted to help Dorothy, but each of them thought they were lacking in something essential. Lion wanted nerve. Scarecrow a brain. Tin Man desired a heart. And they sang a similar chorus, “If I only had…”
Today, there’s no wizard to find, no flying monkeys to avoid, no witch to defeat. But I still hear a chorus of ifs that are just as troubling.
OK, I can hear some of you now. “Sue, hold on a sec! What in the world does the Wizard of Oz have to do with being organized?”
“If I only had more space!” says the mom.
“If I only had more time!” adds the dad.
“If we only had more money!” cries the kids.
Believe it or not, in more than three decades of organizing homes and offices across the country, I have never found any of my clients who genuinely had lack of space or time or money. Don’t misunderstand me. I hear clients say this all the time and many of them believe it is true. “If I only had…” is a built-in mindset of the human condition, isn’t it?
It isn’t easy for any of us to face the seemingly stark reality of our personal situations, that the root cause of our inability to manage our lives lies squarely within ourselves — in that guy or gal we look at in the mirror each day. Just like with Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man. And Dorothy, too. Remember the ruby slippers? The ability to go home had been within her power and on her own two feet ever since her house set down on the Wicked Witch of the East.
New Years is upon us, and it’s a great time to face yourself in the mirror and change your thinking. Stop saying, “if only…” and start saying “with only…”
- With only a little bit of space, you can organize a closet using every wall surface to it’s fullest potential with hooks for hanging and installing more shelving.
- With only a little bit of time, you can organize your kitchen or desk by setting aside 15 minutes a day and in two weeks it’s done.
- With only a little bit of money, you can organize a whole house. I once decluttered and organized a four-bedroom home in Utah using only $55 of boxes and containers.
It’s not the lack of space, time or money that’s our enemy, it’s how we think about what we already have. So transform your thinking from “If only…” to “With only…” and just imagine what you can accomplish!
I hope to hear your success stories in this New Year.