SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life: A Four-Step Guide to Getting Unstuck

Do you have trouble keeping new year’s resolutions? You’re not alone.  According to research on New Year’s resolutions, fewer than 50% of those who made resolutions are keeping them 3 months later.  I’m a relentless resolution maker, but I’m not even close to the 50%, and the reason is that I always try to tackle more than is realistic. The good news is that I’ll make 4-6 resolutions each year, and typically see success with one or two.  Some might be disappointed with a 30% success ratio, but I focus on the wins and simply try to learn from the missteps, so success is inevitable in time. 

One thing I’ve learned in 20 years of resolutions is that change sometimes requires thinking outside the box.  For example, budgeting didn’t work for me until I flip-flopped the process. Rather than assuming the left-over was for savings and emergency funds, someone suggested I set aside my savings, tithe and emergency funds, and I now limit my spending to what’s left.  Similarly, my goal for staying fit and having fun doing it didn’t work until Nintendo introduced the Wii, whose EA Sports program brings an encouraging “personal” trainer into my home for a fast-changing, challenging routine that makes me eager to go  to the “gym.”

Sadly, the resolution to get organized has been on my list for about the last 10 years, and a quick look at my work or home office reveals the truth of my deficiency in this area.  Not wanting to see that on my list for the next 10 years, I called Julie Morganstern, whose talents in this area were made famous through Oprah and more than 20 years of success.  Morganstern didn’t answer the phone, but a quick conversation with one of her consultants helped me take the problem seriously, as the hourly rates would quickly usurp my savings set-aside and destroy my budget.  I took the mid-range option she suggested, and enrolled in Morganstern’s WorkSmart workshop, which included a copy of Morganstern’s new book, SHED.

The workshop was pretty intimate, and provided some very concrete nuggets, which may also help you.  I like the interaction and personal accountability of a personalized workshop, but you can also learn about the topics covered through Morganstern’s blog.  Her advice not to check email first thing in the morning was probably the biggest “Aha!” for me.  I haven’t become consistent in this practice, but focusing the first part of my day on the most difficult tasks (vs. email) helps ensure those tasks are accomplished and I (vs. my email) maintain control of my day.

My resolution for this year is to implement more of these organizing principles and to begin to SHED those things that no longer serve me.

I spoke earlier about how we need to think outside the box when the existing strategies aren’t bringing about the changes or success we desire.  Through 20 years of delivering organizational support and advice, Morganstern wrote SHED because she encountered people who just couldn’t see clearly enough to clean up their surroundings.  This is often the case with people who have had very full lives and want to hold on to aspects of all of their lives even when parts of their lives no longer serve them.  She uses the example of her professional interests in theater/drama, which she no longer practices and needed to shed.  I quickly saw that my MBA materials and prior marriage memorabilia were a distraction and drain on my time and space.  Rather than holding on to past lives, and letting them take valuable space in our homes or lives, Morganstern wisely advises readers follow the principles in her book, SHED: 

S=Separate the Trash from the Treasure
H=Heave that which is no longer useful
E=Embrace the new you
D=Drive forward… make tangible progress on your current theme

I encourage you to buy the book, or take the survey to see for yourself the power of Morganstern’s out-of-the-box thinking on organization and time management, http://www.juliemorganstern.com/.  My hope is that I’ll be able to provide positive proof that her system works for the organizationally challenged.  I’m sharing this publicly because I know how much accountability helps, and you have permission to ask me for pics of both offices (no sooner than July) to attest to the value of Morganstern’s tools and SHED. :) 

--Reviewed by Mary Eggert

Comments

[Ken Krause]

Sort of reminds me of George Clooney's character in Up in the Air. He used a backpack as an analogy to show all the things you're carrying around with you all the time that are weighing you down. Empty the backpack and make your load lighter was his philosophy. He went a little overboard on it, but your post is making me think it's time to clean out the crawlspace and make room for new junk!

[Donna G.]

I've yet to find something that really works to get me organized. Mary, I'll be swinging by in July to check out the new digs. Maybe this just isn't a high priority for me. Do you think that I just have no motivation for this kind of upkeep? It seems that every time I try to organize a section of my work or home space, it doesn't take long for it to go back to the way it was. I applaud your efforts, but doubt I'll join your initiative! J.K. Rowlings claims to be one of the most disorganized people in the world and it doesn't seem to have hurt her one bit!

[Mary Conley Eggert]

I like the backpack, Ken. Many folks carry around their extra stuff, and it weighs them down like a backpack full of rocks. Remember not to refill immediately. ;-)

And, Donna, you'll be comforted by an observation shared by an expert in this area, who was coaching folks not to go overboard:
Q: What do you call a fanatically neat and organized person?
A: Anal

Q: What do you call a disorganized person?
A: Caring (because they're spending their time caring for the needs of others)

Knowing how well you care for others, I'm sure that you don't have a problem - just a different priority. :-)

Thanks for holding me accountable. I look forward to that July visit.