Have you ever heard the expression, “Attitude is Everything”? This is part of the title to a book by Jeff Keller entitled: Attitude is Everything: Change Your Attitude…Change Your Life. The first part of the title: Attitude is Everything is posted on the walls in several places at the gym where I go to workout. The owner of the gym firmly believes, as I also do, that your attitude as you approach something difficult determines whether or not you will succeed. If you change your attitude to a positive outlook you will accomplish more than you anticipated.
The gym owner believes that it’s good to challenge yourself when you exercise. He never gives someone an exercise that he knows they can’t do but he does challenge his clients to do one more repetition or to try a new piece of equipment. He wants his clients to take on these challenges with a ‘can do’ attitude.
Words are powerful tools
The language you use when you talk to yourself largely determines your attitude. When you call yourself derogatory names and put yourself down you defeat yourself before you even begin. Conversely, when you tell yourself that you can accomplish the task, you will.
Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t – you’re right”.
Words are powerful tools. Use them to change your attitude. Tell yourself you can. You may not get there the first time but when you believe in yourself and tell yourself that the task is possible you will get it done.
There was a public service ad that ran on television a few years ago. It went like this. A young father stands behind his daughter. She looks to be about 4 years old. She is standing on the vanity in front of the bathroom mirror. The father says to his daughter as she is looking at herself in the mirror: repeat after me: “I am smart. I am beautiful. I can do anything I put my mind to.” These may not be the exact words, but the image and idea presented are correct. It was a powerful message.
Think about your outlook, the results you seek, and your mindset. Are these in alignment?
Attitude and organizing
Let’s talk about how to change your attitude as it applies to organizing your home.
If you tell yourself that you are just a messy person and that you’ve never been organized so therefore it’s unrealistic to expect that you can get organized – you’re right. You will never be organized.
If you change the words you are using and tell yourself, you want to learn better habits so that you can be more organized you will get there.
Organizing a very messy room can be intimidating. You never, ever want to walk in a room and tell yourself to organize the whole room today.
That’s an unrealistic expectation.
One section at a time
If your outlook is that you want to be more organized, then go back to that very messy room and decide to organize one small section. Set a timer and work on that one section for about 20 or 30 minutes at a time. When the timer goes off, take a break, and leave the room. Keep working for short periods of time until that section is done.
Maintain the organization in that one small space and tell yourself that you accomplished it because you changed your attitude. You made the decision to tackle it and you won!
Keep the momentum going and pick another small section in the messy room to organize another day. Bit by bit you will get that room organized.
All about you
Just as it will take time to organize the room it will take time for you to change your attitude. Start by recognizing that you are many things. Make a list of all the things you can associate with yourself.
There’s your profession, your hobbies, if you are a parent, if you play sports, like animals and the list goes on. These are things you like and do.
What about your other qualities? Are you kind, patient, funny, sarcastic, or serious?
Change the way you think about yourself and the words you use to motivate yourself into action. You are not one characteristic. No one is. We are all a wonderful mix. That’s what makes life so interesting.
New self-talk
Remind yourself to use positive motivating words and ideas. If you start using derogatory or negative self-talk stop. Change your attitude and change your words.
It may help to post a few positive mantras around in highly visible places at first. These will remind you not to use the negative disparaging words to describe yourself.
Get more done
Most people do their best work and get more done in a positive atmosphere. If you’re looking to be more organized, praise yourself for leaving the house on time. Compliment yourself when you put the scissors back where they belong.
Buy yourself a small bouquet of flowers as a gift when you get the laundry washed, dried, folded and put away.
It’s so much easier to get things done when there is a compliment or reward waiting for you at the end of the task.
Change your attitude to a can-do attitude and watch what happens. Alter your language to reflect that you care for yourself.
In summary
Attitude is everything. The way you approach a task is defined by the attitude you bring with you. Change your attitude to one of positivity. If you are interested in the steps to take to incorporate better organizing into your life investigate the Clear Space for You virtual clutter support group. Use the new organizing card game: Organize Your Home 10 Minutes at a Time to motivate yourself to work on a space. Click here to read more blogs like this.
Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer® ,a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®, Master Trainer and owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release●Repurpose●Reorganize, LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing and in working with people affected by ADD, Hoarding, and chronic disorganization. Diane and Jonda Beattie are the award-winning authors of: Filled Up and Overflowing.