Are You Prone to Piling?/h2>
What to do when your stuff adds up
Paul is a cool guy. If you met him, you'd have at least an hour-long conversation about a variety of interesting subjects.
He is an accomplished organizational development consultant who works out of his home. In fact, now that he's retired, he is earning more in his part-time freelance career than he did as a full-time employee of a large union.
In his spare time, he is a soccer referee, a voracious reader, an avid oenophile, and just completed his master's degree. Paul and his wife travel regularly to visit their daughters in Philadelphia and Italy. Paul's life is full and delightful.
And, like a lot of people I work with, Paul's office is a complete wreck. He'd be the first person to tell you so.
But he's about to move his office into a new room that's significantly smaller than the current one. Not surprisingly, the tower of retirement statements, soccer schedules, and who-knows-what will not fit into the new space.
Paul has a problem. If you can relate, you're certainly in good company. If you'd like to see a shift, though, here are some...
Ideas to Try:
If you've got some piles to tackle, there are a few ways to downsize and keep it from feeling like drugery. Thank goodness!
Make a Date
Yup, that's right. Schedule a little quality time with your office space. Put it on your calendar, dab on some cologne, and show up with flowers.
This really helps you take your workspace seriously and acknowledge its value in your life.
Plus, when you schedule a date, it means there's an end time on the horizon. You get to stop when the time's up.
Make it Fun
Some of my clients find it really helpful to put on their favorite music and play it very loudly. Maybe something fun and cheezy from your high school days.
Having this auditory distraction helps you make speedier decisions about what to keep or purge. This is great as long as you don't throw out important tax documents.
Make a List
Speaking of decisions: to keep or recycle, that is the question. Some people have a hard time deciding what to get rid of and what's really important.
I created this little list of questions when I cleaned out my clothes closet last month. When I tried everything on, I read each question out loud and it was a lot easier to get rid of that scratchy sweater.
What kind of questions would help you? When you've given it some thought, write them down, make a date, and turn on the tunes. Your office will love you for it!
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