Being a Professional Organizer, I often get asked what my office looks like, so I decided to give in and post a photo. (click image to enlarge, if you must…)
This is my favorite room in the house, and I love the robin's-egg-blue walls and my yellow flowers. There was a time, however, that I was "swimming in beige." I was afraid of color… afraid of painting my walls, wearing non-neutral colors in my clothing, and buying anything more than sensible brown and black shoes. And it was not that long ago, really. The last house I lived in had beige/off-white walls in every single room. My house today has a kelly-green laundry room, a dark red burgundy entry and dining room, and a Tuscany-orange kitchen. What a difference!
Why was I afraid of using color? Because I didn't have a lot of experience using it in my house and my wardrobe, and I was fearful of making a mistake with it. I was simply stuck, and I needed other people to nudge me in the right direction. I kept going with what was safe and comfortable.
Many people are the same way with getting organized. They are very capable of doing the work required, but they are STUCK. They feel unfamiliar, overwhelmed, and paralyzed. They just need a nudge in the right direction, and they could make big breakthroughs… like I did with color. 🙂
Here are five ways to get unstuck and push through the fear of making mistakes:
1. Pay attention and ask questions. Sometimes awareness alone makes change happen! Notice other people's filing systems, day planners, kitchens, smartphones, closets, playrooms, garages, etc. ASK people in a sincere way what they do to make it work. For me with my "fear of color," I started noticing my friends' clothing and decorations. I paid attention to what colors I liked and made mental notes.
2. Start small. Decide to experiment a little and see what happens… in my case, I bought some colorful accessories before painting walls. A red cell phone instead of a silver one, oh my gosh! If you are trying to get organized, take on a small project and get some success with it that will carry you forward, like a single drawer or box.
3. Study and focus. Find a book on the subject and start reading about what you're trying to do. Of course it would be silly of me to not mention my book, The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life
4. Get help from a friend. The method that made the most difference for me was getting friends to push me out of my comfort zone. My best friend I have known since I was six years old once set me straight and said I was wearing boring stuff, and that I needed to have some sexy shoes! She took me shopping and made me try on and buy colors and styles I would never have looked at before. When you're stuck with an organizing problem, a friend can often help tremendously– because the missing factor you don't have is OBJECTIVITY. A friend can see your stuff differently and challenge you about it. Trade favors with a friend and provide that objectivity back to him or her. It's more fun that way too!
5. Get help from an expert. The best way of all to get unstuck is to hire an expert–someone who does this all the time and knows exactly how to fix your problem. I have hired both interior decorators and image consultants at this point, because I wanted to get closer to mastery of the subjects. For me it was a fantastic shortcut. Now I actually have a "color fan" I carry in my purse when shopping so I know exactly what colors look best on me. Think experts are expensive? They don't have to be! To get unlimited support from our team of organizers in our member message boards, it costs the same as ordering a pizza– $14.95 (is that less than some pizzas? I think so). Our experts are in there 7 days a week, and you can upload photos and show us your space–we'll tell you what to do and keep helping you until it's done. I am actually about to go in there right now and answer some questions. (Click here to read more about our online coaching program)
These five suggestions are in order of "intensity"– but if you're ready to plunge ahead, by all means, go for it! There is no need to wait. What are you afraid of changing in your home or office? Are you stuck with an organizational problem? Tell us about it in the comments, and then tell us which one of these methods you're going to use to move forward!
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Oh how funny! I finally broke down and hired an image consultant as well a few years back–one of the best decisions I ever made! Cleared out my closet and now I know I always have business clothes that look great. (Haven’t done so well with the round-the-house casual clothes!)
Have to admit though, people look at me funny when I say I’m not allowed to wear black or jewelry that’s silver.:)
But I’ve never minded color on my walls.
Expert advice helped me a lot, too. I had all white walls until I worked wit a wonderful feng shui consultant; now my office is sort of yellow, with an orange accent wall. I love it!
And I paid a pro to “do my colors” a few years ago, and it was money well invested. When I wear my colors, I really do look (and feel) better. Tracy, I can’t wear silver jewelry, either – black clothes are OK, white are not. And Lorie, I carry my color swatches with me almost all the time – never know when I might happen across something, and need a quick check to make sure I’ve got my colors right.
This room is absolutely beautiful. The contrast between the colors is great and would be the perfect office. I’ve always worried about the use of colors in my office as well, but I’ve been told light soft colors are great and don’t lead to distraction.
I can’t wear silver jewelry, either – black clothes are OK, white are not. And Lorie, I carry my color swatches with me almost all the time – never know when I might happen across something, and need a quick check to make sure I’ve got my colors right.