Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Detail-Oriented
On one of my favorite exercise DVDs, the perfectly toned instructor constantly reminds us, “It is a tiny motion, no more than a quarter of an inch. Focus on the details.”
I think about focusing on the details all the time when I am with my clients. Most of them have the big stuff right: good jobs, nice homes, great kids—but the details elude them. Moreover, while they are clearly able to focus on what fascinates them, they lose interest when it comes to filing and closets.
I try to get them to focus on the details: What is the system you have in place for mail? Where do you keep kids’ school records? Where do you store linens?
Tiny details—get rid of the envelopes, make a file folder for each kid, tuck the fitted corners of the sheets so they fold neatly—make life run more smoothly. And just like tilting your pelvis and inhaling at the right time in a sit-up, you get a lot more out of the time you spend organizing when you are both focused and detail oriented.
It’s amazing sometimes how a tiny adjustment can make a big change. Spend five minutes right now thinking about the last few times you were irritated about something in your home (not your partner’s or children’s stuff, but an area you can control). Now ask yourself: What tiny adjustment could resolve the problem and alleviate further irritation?
If every morning you put your empty hanger on the right side of your closet when you get dressed, that will eliminate rifling through your closet looking for hangers.
If you keep the batteries in one spot, you will be able to find them and never run out.
Instead of a grand resolution this year (no sugar/carbs/wine/beef), what tiny detail can you focus on in the New Year that will produce a big change?
You’ll be amazed at the impact focusing on the details can have.