Being Organized Meets Money and Success

Kim Wolinski, MSW
“Dr. DeClutter” www.drdeclutter.com

Being Organized Meets Money and Success

- Are successful people more organized?
- Does clutter stop you from being focused?
- Do you have to be organized to be successful?

TOO MUCH STUFF
Suze Orman, speaker and author of “The Courage To Be Rich” and many other books on wealth says, “Having too much stuff keeps wealth from flowing into your life.”

So then, it’s true. Too much clutter and stuff keeps us from being successful, right? Maybe, maybe not! I think there’s a bigger picture than just stuff and things around us that support us or distract us from success. I see it as the “Inner Clutter” issue more than the “Outer Clutter.”

I believe that if you know (Inner Knowing) who you are and what you want, what you are doing and do it with focused attention it doesn’t matter what your environment (Outer) looks like, you’ll be successful.

It has a lot to do with your learning personality as well. If you’re more a visual learner you will find it hard to file paper, put things behind doors, in drawers or in cupboards because, “Out of sight, out of mind.” You will need to find and create “outside and open top” systems to organize where you can see it, but not let it pile up so much that it keeps you from getting your work done, losing time and energy (which equates to money) trying to find things.
"Your house is your home only when you feel
you have jurisdiction over the space."~ Joan Kron

I knew a very prominent attorney years ago who upon my visit to his office I saw beautiful oak and glass bookcases filled with law books, a big oak desk and a beautiful old overstuffed burgundy leather couch and chair. He was a very well known, organized man with a very successful law practice. Oh, did I mention… I couldn’t sit on the couch or the chair because they were piled with over 3 feet of client case files?!

NOT ENOUGH STUFF
What if you don’t have enough of what you need to succeed? Consider the Olympic Games. As a storyteller, I’m a story collector. I’m most interested every Olympic season to hear the awesome stories of some European skater(s) or other Olympic athlete who had none of the sports equipment, space, trainers, environment, tools (or sometimes even food) with which to practice (or to worry about organizing!). Sometimes having to dodge wartime or terrorist bullets daily, working full-time and still making time (not finding time) to practice their burning desires… organizing their time and energy (Inner Work) around their focused desire… to then walk away with the gold or other medals at the games.

I catch Oprah once in a while and recently she interviewed guest, Tyler Perry, writer of and actor in the movie Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Within a six-year span, Tyler Perry went from being homeless to selling out theaters wherever he goes. He has become America's most successful young playwright, grossing, $75,000,000 in the box office with seven productions, five in which he also acted, directed, and produced. Organizing not stuff and things, but his thoughts, beliefs and choices… Inner work.

WHEN IS CLUTTER AND DISORGANIZATION A PROBLEM?
So then, when is clutter and disorganization a problem? Answer: When it’s not functional… when it’s a problem for you!

I’ve been in perfectly appointed homes and offices where outer clutter was not the problem. I’ve been in messy offices and studios where it all worked for the person who lived and worked there. Clutter and mess is only a problem when it stops you from functioning in the best possible way. When it distracts you from “flowing” and getting your plans into action. This then can again be more an issue of Inner Clutter for some than Outer Clutter.

“One of the advantages of being disorderly
is that one is constantly making
exciting discoveries.”
~ A. A. Milne 1882-1956

HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE FOR SUCCESS
Clutter and too much stuff around can be distracting, as well as safety hazards depending on how much you have. Take a test: Visualize your home, office or work place and space completely empty. Now, put back only those things that are truly helpful to you in being peaceful, joyful, calm, happy, productive and functional. You may put back very little, you may put it all back… and more!… it’s up to you!

“Living clutter-free does not mean
living in a sterile environment;
It means getting rid of the excess
so that everything around you is there for a reason.”
~ Stephanie Roberts, Clutter-Free Forever!

ONE STUDY SAYS… MESS MEANS MONEY!
According to a new survey from Ajilon Professional Staffing, a New Jersey firm, the messier the desk, the higher the income! It says 66% of those making $35,000 or less call themselves “neat freaks,” compared to 11% of those earning $75,000 or more. Younger workers are neater than older ones (60% of those 18-24 say they keep their spaces neat, as opposed to 36% of those 55-64). Only 16% of college grads say they’re neat. And women are more organized than men. “Some people do work best in a controlled clutter environment,” admits Ajilon President Neil Lebovits.

“Organizing is about designing your space
so that if reflects who you are and what’s important to you
and arranging things logically and efficiently
so that staying organized will be easy for you.”
~Julie Morgenstern, Organizing from the Inside Out

So, to my friends who tell me to get rid of some of my many books (I’m a reader and writer), to clean up my office paper piles (I’m a writer and speaker), and to organize my closet (I have limited space and it works for me) I say, “Thank you for sharing!”

©2005 Kim Wolinski – Dr. DeClutter

Need help getting your space (house, office, barn, backyard – thoughts, mind, time, schedule, priorities, or life) decluttered and re- organized? My new video “BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, AND OTHER ORGANIZING TIPS AND TOOLS FROM DR. DECLUTTER” is a great help. You can find out more or order BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN at http://www.redecisionsinstitute.com/kims_store.html

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