I wasn’t born “organized”. I didn’t line up my toys in rows or color code anything.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  And for many years I had a deeply invested relationship with the internal and external chaos in my life.

I lost my mom at the age of six, I had a tumultuous teenage hood,  I struggled with having a healthy body image and experienced many other things that contributed to my inability to “be” in the present moment.

At the age of 18 I packed my bags and for over a decade I lived in three countries, created businesses and as most workaholics do, enjoyed wearing this socially acceptable badge well into the 14th hour of my average work day.

And although I owned very few personal items over the years, I finally recognized that I was carrying one very large item with me everywhere –  my very own personal treadmill – the one that I couldn’t get off!  And that’s when I started to explore how I was creating the chaotic experience I was having in my life.

Each one of us has our own story and I share mine with you for a very specific reason.

The organizing industry is a billion dollar industry filled with systems, tools and quick fix solutions. But what it rarely addresses is our relationship to the chaos that we are responsible for creating in our lives.  And the impact that this relationship has on our ability to make sustainable changes.

The Truth: if we don’t change this relationship then we ultimately will attract and create more situations that will fulfill our need to remain in a state of chaos.

We need to recognize that our attachment to busyness, chaos and perfection may stem from an aversion to simplifying and slowing down for whatever may lay beneath.

Ultimately, the root cause for this perpetual motion is fear on some level. Fear of the unknown, success, failure, fear of looking at ourselves and our lives.

In my work with my clients, it is without fail that at some point we inevitably land on this side of the equation.

Strategic planning,  systems and tools will absolutely help you organize and structure your life and business but only you can choose to thrive!  

So the next time you feel yourself getting sucked into the inner chaos, the drama,  the perfection, take a moment and ask yourself the following three questions:

1. What am I afraid of?  Really?

2. What do I need to do to let go of?

3. What specific action can I take and thoughts can I embrace that will immediately decrease the chaos and propel me into action?

Becoming aware of this inner dynamic is your first step in empowering yourself to truly create the experience that you want!

I know this one well and I guarantee it will serve you better than the latest super organizing system out there!