What’s the most underused organizing tool?
I’ll give you three hints:
- It helps you remember.
- You probably used it within the last week.
- You may be holding it in your hand right now.
Any guesses?
One more hint: I used it for this.
It’s the camera on your smartphone.
Here are a few reasons why snapping photos will help you with organizing:
1. Photos help you see your environment in an unbiased way.
It’s easy to become blind to what your space actually looks like when you live in it. Increase your commitment to change by taking photographs of the areas you will work on. People often have difficulty problem-solving in their own spaces. Looking at a photo may make the items that don’t belong seem more obvious than when you are standing within the space without this lens.
2. Photos help others see the environment in an unbiased way.
If you live with someone who struggles to see the space objectively, take a photo and show them, but don’t be a jerk about it. This technique isn’t meant to convince someone how wrong they are; the purpose is to raise consciousness. People become acclimated to the way spaces look without realizing how much things have changed. Frame the photo-taking as an experiment. It’s better if the person who struggles with disorganization takes them. Give him or her plenty of space to process what is seen and felt. Above all, let them know you are in this together.
3. Photos help you remember how things looked before.
We may think we’ll remember the original mess, but often we don’t. No one but you needs to see the photos. Don’t let feelings of embarrassment keep you from marking where you were. As I talk about in my book, Who Am I Now? Realign Your Home and Life, an important part of the process is to be willing to acknowledge the truth of what is happening. Once you face that, you can create a new reality that matches your goals of a calm and organized space.
4. Photos help you feel proud of your achievement.
Taking photos of your organizing project creates a “before” version to compare to your “after” version. When I work with clients and we forget to take initial pictures, we always regret it. It is so much fun to be able to compare where you started with where you finish. Having proof provides a wonderful sense of accomplishment. That sense of accomplishment increases your momentum to keep organizing.
Taking photos on your smartphone of your spaces–whether that’s your office at work or your closet at home–is an effective tool to help you before, during, and after you organize. Best of all, you don’t have to buy anything to get started doing this.
I challenge you to choose one spot you’d like to get in order and take a photo of it today.
Have fun! Let me know how it goes for you.
Xoxo,
If you are on Facebook, please join my free, private group called Conquer the Zombies: Organize & Realign for more tips!
