Overview
This conversation features Tracy, an organizing coach, discussing practical approaches to organization in both home and business contexts. Key topics include defining organization, overcoming common challenges, and mindset shifts for sustainable organization.
Tracy’s Background and Experience
- Tracy is an organizing coach with 17 years of experience, helping individuals and businesses organize spaces and systems.
- She is based in Kansas City and is in the stage between having grown kids and potential future grandchildren.
Defining Organization
- Organization means knowing what you have and being able to find it when needed.
- Visual perfection (e.g., Pinterest-worthy spaces) is not the goal; practical function is more important.
- Being organized 80% of the time is considered sufficient.
Key Challenges and Mindset Barriers
- Common blocks include purging items, assigning homes, and maintaining organization.
- Emotional attachment, fear of scarcity, and childhood messages (“I’m messy”) often hinder progress.
- Mindset shifts, such as questioning old beliefs and allowing for individual preference, are essential.
The SPASM Organizational Framework
- S: Sort items by category to see everything you have.
- P: Purge using methods like "favorites first" and evaluating necessity.
- A: Assign homes for each item, considering zones and accessibility.
- S: Set limits using containers or physical boundaries; shop your house before buying storage solutions.
- M: Maintain by tying organizing tasks to existing routines (e.g., tax season, seasonal changes).
Overcoming Purging Challenges
- Recognize personal comfort levels with quantity (e.g., number of socks).
- Emotional strategies include taking photos of sentimental items before letting them go.
- Reframe letting go as giving items a new, useful life elsewhere.
Timeline and Project Structure
- Approach organizing as a project with a clear focus area and timeframe (e.g., monthly or quarterly goals).
- Break large tasks into smaller, manageable sub-tasks to build momentum.
- Accountability and defined end-points help sustain motivation.
Benefits of Being Organized
- Reduced stress and mental clutter due to knowing where things are.
- Sense of lightness and accomplishment after completing organizational projects.
- Increased confidence in managing new organizing tasks.
Individual and Relational Organization Styles
- Each person’s needs for organization differ; some thrive with more items or visible “lived-in” spaces.
- Challenges arise when sharing spaces with people who have differing tolerance for clutter.
- The relational aspect can be navigated with communication and compromise to meet everyone’s needs.
Organization as an Ongoing Journey
- Organization is a continuous process, not a one-time event.
- As life circumstances and interests change, periodic reorganizing is necessary.
- The goal is to maintain function and ease, not constant minimalism.
Resources and Programs
- Tracy offers two main programs: Organized Coach Academy (for business organization) and Organized Life Academy (for personal and home organization).
- Additional resources are available via her website (simplysquaredaway.com) and podcast (The Organized Coach Podcast).