One of the most common challenges my coaching and organizing clients mention is getting started on challenging tasks. Whether decluttering, donating items, or breaking important projects into realistic steps, it can be difficult to go from thinking to doing. It makes sense; it is much easier to dream about all the ways we will accomplish an important goal or remove a demoralizing roadblock than actually to take action.

If the executive function of getting started on tasks is a struggle, it is worth asking why you want to spend time on this task in the first place. This is especially true if the task is onerous. Does it really need to be done? Before working with clients, I drill down deeply into why they want to declutter, become more productive, or improve their ways of working with executive functioning challenges.

I’ve read countless books on organizing, decluttering, ADHD, procrastination, habit formation, hoarding, and related topics. Nevertheless, one of my favorite quotations about doing tasks comes from a book published in 1993. It is a bit eye-opening:

“If you say, ‘I really should clear off my desk,” you aren’t recognizing you’ve actually made a decision not to do this work. You’re saying, “I really should, but I’m not gonna--but I am going to feel guilty about it. And because I feel guilty about it, I must be a conscientious person.” In a way, you’re fooling yourself. . .  “Whenever you say, “I have to do that,” ask yourself, “Why do I have to do that? What makes me think I have to do it?”

You’ll probably answer, “I have to because I want to get certain results.” That changes the statement. That statement is now, “If I want A, then I have to do B”--and that statement alone can make a tremendous difference in your life. Then you need to decide whether or not you really want to do it. “

(Reprinted from “Organizing for the Creative Person”, by Lehmkul, D., & Cotter Lamping, D., 1993, p. 184, New York, NY: Three Rivers Press)

So when you seem glued to your chair, ask yourself why you really want to get to that task that you have not yet started. You may tap into a surprisingly emotional reason that can catapult you into action.

Here are some other tactics that can help overcome inertia:

The First Two Minutes:
Did you know that a necessary yet challenging task gets easier after the first two minutes of engagement? There is a particular part of our brain, the insular cortex, that lights up when we think about doing something we are loath to do. After two minutes of starting that loathsome task, that part of the brain calms down, and wit ceases to become loathsome. When you can make it past the first two minutes, congratulate yourself because you are over the hump. It will be much easier to continue working for your allotted time, whether it is five, fifteen, or thirty minutes.

Stand Up:
Whether washing the dishes, putting laundry in the dryer, or planning the steps for your office decluttering project, it can feel like moving a mountain to get out of a comfy seat. Stand up instead of forcing yourself to jump from that chair and immediately start the task. That is it for now; stand up. You are more likely to get into action if you are already in the action mode of standing. You may not actually do the task at that moment. Still, with enough repetition, you will ease yourself into starting your task.

Train Your Brain to Equate Action with Joy:
A while back, I was listening to an old Tony Robbins audiobook while exercising. I became intrigued by one of his stories. He spoke about a time in his life when he was overeating and had gained too much weight. He linked the act of eating until satiety with a pleasurable experience. As he listened to his favorite song, he simultaneously pushed himself away from the table. After repeating this process multiple times, his brain started to equate eating only until satiety with the energy and happiness he felt when his favorite song played. Eventually, resisting the urge to overeat gave him the same joy as listening to his favorite music. He no longer needed to hear the song to feel that joy, and he kicked his overeating habit.

Get Moving with Music:
Music can certainly affect our mood, especially when it is our favorite. If you can move to your favorite music, you can easily tip into action. I have used this tactic when inertia has tied me to a chair. I put on some of my favorite songs, started dancing, and felt the rush of happiness as I moved to the beat. I was then able to transition into the task more easily. It was so much easier to get started when my heart was pumping, I felt energized, and I had a smile on my face.

Five-Four-Three-Two-One:
I do not follow Mel Robbins, but I once heard her explain her Five-Four-Three-Two-One tactic. When she does not want to start a task that she knows is in her best interest, she will count down from five. By the time she gets to one, she forces herself to start the task. Counting down to five limits the time you can talk yourself out of action. Various individuals have affirmed the effectiveness of this method, and I have tested it as well. You may want to give it a shot.

Use External Accountability:
There are times when we do not have enough internal motivation to start working towards a goal. Why not enlist outside help? Tell a friend that you will start a task at a particular time today. Better yet, ask them to check in with you by a set time. Bonus points if this is the type of friend who will not easily let you off the hook.

 Make Your Social Media Account Work for You:
If you are already spending time on social media, why not make the platforms work for you? Announce that you will work on the avoided task by a particular date and make a particular amount of progress by a second date. Promise to donate a certain amount of money to a cause that you abhor if you do not stick to these dates. Ask those on your social media feed to hold you to that promise. Suddenly, inaction seems too costly, and action seems easier. Those on your social media account who also loathe that group will probably hold your feet to the fire. An external deadline with real, painful consequences can ignite action quickly.

Get Professional Support:
If you still feel like you are slaying the inertia monster after repeatedly trying these tactics, it is time to connect with an ADHD Coach and Certified Professional Organizer like myself. I am extensively trained not only in decluttering but also in working with various executive challenges that impede progress toward longed-for goals. Getting into action is one of those executive challenges. You are definitely not alone in your challenge to start, and you certainly do not have to white-knuckle it on your own! 

What is fear-based inaction truly costing you in your life? Daily, it may not feel like much. Project that daily inaction into years and decades, though, and the cost becomes monumental.

Although facing our fears may not be complicated, it does not mean that simple equates with easy. What if there were a way to make it easier? What if we had a tool to help with the heavy emotional lifting of facing our fears?

You are in luck because many years ago, I read The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. One exercise in particular resonated with me so much that I still think of it to this day. I even use it to help clients shift perspective and gain momentum.

We all have fears that keep us from taking action on projects that we know will benefit us in the long term. Change can feel scary since our brains are hardwired to keep us safe. The challenge with this fear, though, is that it is completely myopic. Fear is so focused on the possible negative outcomes of an action that we miss the rest of the picture. We miss the compounded negative effects of inaction. When we expand beyond that fear-based hyperfocus, the results of inaction can be much scarier than the act of moving towards our goals.

Tim Ferris’ “Fear-Setting” exercise is a tool that can help us face our fears. It works so well because it highlights the massive negative ramifications that may result from failing to act in our own best interest.

Since this exercise seems deceptively simple, I have broken this article into multiple parts so that we can do a deep dive into each section. The second (and the most powerful) part will be available in my next newsletter.

 Four Parts of the “Fear-Setting”: 
There are three simple yet powerful questions in his exercise, along with one directive:

1. What do I fear about doing x, y, z?
2. What might be a positive outcome of trying to succeed at x, y, z?
3. What is the cost of not doing x, y, z?
4. Weigh the options

I will explain these steps through the lens of decluttering, and simultaneously use common sentiments that clients have expressed over the years:

1. What if I declutter my whole home? What am I so afraid might happen?

Tim instructs us to lay out the worst thing that could happen if we take action towards the goal we think we want. This is where our imagination runs wild, so we may as well get the ruminating thoughts out of our heads and onto paper. Write down twenty of these worst-case scenarios.

The next step is to ask ourselves how we could avoid or reduce the likelihood of those worst-case scenarios.

The last step of this section is to focus on “repair.” If that worst-case scenario were to play out, how would you repair the situation, or get help repairing it? Most likely, someone else has been through a similar situation, so fixing the situation is not impossible.

For the sake of dear readers’ eyes, I will only list five worst-case scenarios:

First Worst Case Scenario: 
What is the worst that can happen if I declutter my whole home?
I will fail and feel even worse about myself than I already do.

How could I avoid or reduce the odds of this worst thing happening?
I will avoid doing everything all at once.

I will remind myself that if something doesn’t work as intended, it doesn’t mean I failed. It just means I have to try a different approach.

I will create a plan of ridiculously easy steps that are almost as easy to do as to not do.

I will give myself a real pat on the back with each action in the right direction.
 
If this worst-case scenario comes to fruition, how could I repair it or ask for help in repairing it?
I will remind myself that working towards my goals is not a failure, no matter the result. I will focus on the great efforts I made.

I will analyze, without self judgment, where recurring roadblocks appear and brainstorm how to move around them.

I will enlist support of a friend, a professional organizer, or coach if I get stuck. I know there’s no shame in asking for help and it may help speed up the entire process.

Second Worst Case Scenario:
What is the worst that can happen if I declutter my whole home?
 I will succeed and then I’ll feel even more pressure to keep up with the new status quo

How could I avoid or reduce the odds of this worst thing happening?
I imagine it will actually take less time to keep things tidy than the time it takes to deal with the current state of affairs.

I think I will truly enjoy the calm, peace, and joy that the relaxing space will impart. I think I’ll want to keep it that way because it feels so good.

I will remind myself that aiming for perfect maintenance is the only way I can fail. I will maintain my new systems and calm space in a realistic and doable way.

If this worst-case scenario comes to fruition, how could I repair it or ask for help in repairing it?
Hmm, if I start feeling pressure in maintaining my success, I will do my 4-7-8 breathing exercise to calm down and then notice why I’m putting pressure on myself. I will challenge whether that pressure is necessary.
​
I will ask my friends and family to help me shift my perspective from perfection to “good enough is good enough.” They’ll be happy to help because they’re always saying I’m too hard on myself anyway.

Third Worst Case Scenario:
What is the worst that can happen if I declutter my whole home?
I will waste all my time decluttering and never have any time for fun activities.

How could I avoid or reduce the odds of this worst thing happening?
Realistically, I don’t allow myself to do my hobbies now anyway, because I feel that I have to declutter first. So it wouldn’t feel any different. Even so:

I will put strict time limits on decluttering sessions.

I will set multiple types of alarms so that my hyperfocus doesn’t turn into marathon sessions that result in burnout.

I will schedule my fun activities first and plan the decluttering sessions around them.

If this worst-case scenario comes to fruition, how could I repair it or ask for help in repairing it?
Ok, so let’s say I went on a decluttering bender and came out of it a month later and had not done anything remotely fun, even reading a book. I will immediately stop, write down five fun, uncomplicated things I could do and do one right away.

I will call someone and schedule time to get together in the next few days.

I will look at my calendar and schedule at least one fun activity for each of the next four weeks.

Fourth Worst Case Scenario:
What is the worst that can happen if I declutter my whole home?
Once my place is decluttered, I’ll actually have to have friends and family over.

How could I avoid or reduce the odds of this worst thing happening?
I will remind myself that decluttering is first and foremost for my own pleasure. If I decide that I don’t want to host Thanksgiving or book club this year, that is ok! Doing this work solely for me is good enough.
 
I will write the pros and cons of having friends and family over. Then I will decide which situations sound fun and which don’t. I’ll make decisions accordingly.
 
If this worst-case scenario comes to fruition, how could I repair it or ask for help in repairing it?
Uggh, in my excitement to show off my decluttering efforts, I impulsively offered to host the next book club meeting. Now I’m feeling pressure because I haven’t hosted company in so many years. Ok, here are some  things I can do:

Remind myself that my book club friends are non-judgmental. In fact, many have talked about their own clutter issues, especially around books.

Ask my closest friend in the book club to help me break down preparation into easy, non-scary steps. She’ll probably offer to help me with last minute prep on meeting day as well, since I helped her do the same when she hosted the meeting a few months ago.

I will explain my situation to the book club host and see if we can meet at a coffeeshop instead.

Fifth Worst Case Scenario:
What is the worst that can happen if I declutter my whole home?
Once the clutter is gone, I’ll no longer have my coping mechanism that currently helps me avoid uncomfortable thoughts, even though the clutter is causing its own pain.

How could I avoid or reduce the odds of this worst thing happening?
I’ve been working with Clutterers Anonymous and I was in the Buried in Treasures group. I have so many tools that I’ll start using today so I can manage emotions as they come up in the future. By the time my place is decluttered, it won’t feel scary to face my emotions.

I’ll remind myself that I’ve done hard things before, and decluttering is no different.

I’ll continue to seek support of friends, loved ones, CLA, and BIT so I don’t feel alone.

If this worst-case scenario comes to fruition, how could I repair it or ask for help in repairing it?
Ack, I’m no longer spending so much time decluttering so I have more time for rumination. I think I’ll try these tactics:

Schedule fun activities that will get me out of my own head and into fun engagement with others.
I will continue doing my breathing exercises, journaling, and other activities that have always helped me cope before.

I will bring this up at my next therapy session so we can work through these thoughts and I can get into a more comfortable headspace.

Scenario Forecasting:
Ok, that is plenty for now. I do not doubt that some readers have thought of even more imaginative worst-case scenarios. Remember to apply the same creative skill that you used in the first column to the second and third columns above.

Speaking of which, the second and third columns are essentially an exercise in scenario forecasting. By preparing ourselves for the obstacles we anticipate during our project, we are helping our future selves navigate past them and keep working towards the goal. Scenario forecasting is a great way to support success, especially when applied to projects where executive functioning challenges can arise.

Now on to question #2:

     2. What might be a positive outcome of trying to succeed at decluttering my whole home?
Tim Ferris instructs us to spend at least fifteen minutes answering this question. The answers should be a conservative appraisal of the benefits. Sadly, my own book notes do not specify why we should be conservative, but my educated guess is that we want the benefits to be attainable so that we actually believe them. I would add that you would benefit from not only writing for fifteen minutes but also making sure that you list at least 20 positive outcomes here as well.

Here are some of the benefits that could come out of decluttering the whole home:

Wow, if my place is finally decluttered, I will feel like I can relax when I come home. I won’t constantly feel like the only way to relax is to close my eyes to avoid seeing projects and tasks staring back at me. I’ll be able to come home, kick my shoes off, and maybe even finish that book club book on time, which sounds so relaxing.

I’ll be able to have the plumber over to fix the leaky bathroom faucet before it gets so bad that I have replace molded baseboards. I don’t even want to think about how much that would cost.
I can barely imagine only needing twenty minutes to tidy up so my sister or friend can pop over to catch up. That would feel amazing.

I would stop fighting with my partner about the stuff, which would be such a relief. We could have more time and energy for fun date nights like we used to have before the clutter took over.
I would finally have space to work on that painting I’ve been meaning to start; I’ve been itching to pull out my acrylics again.

I would have the headspace to focus on that project that my coworker is convinced will lead to my promotion at work.

I’ll have an excuse to bake decadent desserts again because I can serve them when I have my friends over.  

I’ll feel so much more confident that I’ll feel ready to tackle those other life-altering goals that I know will bring me such joy.

I’ll feel calm and relaxed.

Conclusion: 

Answering question#2 feels much better than answering question #1! What is coming up for you as you follow along with your own example? Are some perspectives starting to shift? Stay tuned for my next newsletter, where I explain the most powerful part of this entire exercise!

In Part 1 of my series about ADHD and procrastination, I introduced Dr. Thomas E. Brown’s executive function model for ADHD.

In my last article, I spoke about procrastination and how focus challenges can lead us down a path of avoidance.

The third common EF challenge that Thomas E. Brown discusses in his book, Smart but Stuck, is “Effort.”

He explains effort in terms of “regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed.”

Regulating Alertness:
Regulating alertness can undoubtedly be tricky when one has a tough time falling asleep on time. This is a common refrain from many ADHDers. Drowsiness, though, may occur during a mundane or sedentary task, even if someone got plenty of sleep the night before. Dr. Brown mentions that this drowsiness can especially appear when one must do a task that requires very little movement, such as writing or reading. Given the situational variability of ADHD, though, if the subject matter is of substantial interest, the ADHDer will not experience this symptom. They may be able to hyperfocus for hours because the task is of interest. If the interest is low, though, they may find it hard to stay alert; try as they might.  

Most individuals I meet do not enjoy dealing with paperwork. They find it monotonous. It also requires a lot of sitting still and reading. Imagine that an individual needs to organize his papers before a friend comes over to help him get a better understanding of his financial situation. This individual may procrastinate on pulling the necessary papers together because he knows that if he waits until the last minute, he will feel sufficient urgency to stay alert while doing the task.  The challenge with this strategy is that the individual risks running out of time and thus having an unproductive meeting with his friend, which will leave them both feeling dissatisfied.

In what other way could this individual raise the alertness without relying on stress? He may do exercise to raise his energy level right before sitting down to the task. Not only will he feel more alert, but he may be able to better focus afterward as well. He can turn on music that energizes him and wakes up his senses. He might sort the papers while slowly walking on a treadmill under his desk. He might race the clock to create some artificial interest. Perhaps he sprints through the task in many lighting rounds. All of these tactics help raise the alertness to get the job done.

Sustaining Effort:
Someone with ADHD may have trouble staying on the course until they reach a goal. In the example above, the individual sits down to organize the papers but has difficulty continuing the monotonous task long enough to complete it. He may abandon the ship sooner than required to complete the task. Without an immediate reward, the individual may procrastinate on returning to the task after a break because his friend is not coming over for another week. The reward of feeling relief after meeting with his friend is too far in the future to make a difference.

In this case, he can set up multiple short sprints of paper sorting. Each session would last as long as he could remain focused. He may raise interest by creating a more immediate reward. Better yet, he may reward himself for each sprint. In this way, he does not have to wait for the distant future reward of feeling that anticipated sense of relief after meeting with his friend.

Processing Speed:
ADHD may affect how quickly one processes information. In an area of low interest, it can take someone much longer to read or write than their neurotypical counterpart. The low interest may not only feel boring but also take quite a bit of time to complete. If the individual who must sort his papers is unaware of this, he may severely underestimate how long the task will take. He risks not having the paperwork project completed before his friend arrives. In this case, he can do himself a favor by tripling or quadrupling his initial time estimate. When he catches himself wanting to procrastinate, his new estimate will reveal less time available than he initially thought he had.  

Does this executive function of effort create a challenge for you? If so, can you pinpoint which three subcategories (regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed) are present? If so, then go ahead and create multiple strategies so you can sustain your efforts long enough to reach your goals and feel great as a result!

So, you made a fabulous jump into readiness to tackle your project. Excellent! You immediately look at your calendar to block off time for the week. Then, the week stops you in your tracks. You cannot undo any of the commitments in this week’s calendar. You scan the month for the next long weekend. Alas, nothing is coming up. You really want to capitalize on your motivation to start before other projects grab your attention. What to do?

Looking for significant time gaps to devote to decluttering, organizing, and paperwork is logical. The challenge is that those lengthy gaps can be difficult to find, especially during a busy week. If you find a big gap, you may be too tired by the time it rolls around or want to relax after a long week.

Why not try the opposite? Set an alarm for between five and fifteen minutes. Work on that project for no more than fifteen minutes. Your alarm goes off, and you stop.

I typically hear the pushback: “What can I possibly get done in fifteen minutes? This massive project will take me forever if I only devote fifteen minutes at a time.”

The resistance is natural; we absolutely cannot finish most organizing projects in fifteen minutes. So, why bother with such short segments of time that we presuppose will be unsatisfying? Why not look for larger blocks of time?

I am often told that when that large block of time rolls around, it is so intimidating that the project stops before it starts. It is simply too big and scary.

Why would I encourage so many of my clients to employ this strategy if I get so much initial pushback? Simply put, it works. Clients who use this tactic are genuinely shocked at how well it works.

We have already established that waiting for a large time gap does not typically work. You are much more likely to find fifteen or even five minutes of free time in a day. You might surprise yourself with what you can do in those short minutes. Plus, those short minutes add up.

Imagine you find and devote five minutes today, five minutes tomorrow, and ten minutes the rest of the week. By the end of the week, you have worked on your project for sixty minutes! Now, you are sixty minutes closer to your decluttering goal than you would be waiting for a two-hour gap and finding none.

Fifteen minutes a day is one hundred five minutes by the end of the week. That is four hundred twenty minutes by the end of the month. Suddenly, manageable fifteen-minute increments turned into seven hours of accomplishments in one month’s time! Seven hours! Meanwhile, had you waited for that two-hour gap, you would only have managed two hours by the end of the month.

Why else does this strategy work? Fifteen minutes is far less intimidating than hours at a time. This approachability is essential. If a large gap of time feels scary, we will move away from it. You can start with five minutes and work up to fifteen minutes. The more you practice, the easier it becomes. Ripping off the band-aid and exposing yourself to the initial discomfort of decluttering and letting go becomes much easier when you only do it a few minutes at a time.

The most important reason this tactic works is habit. You expose yourself to doing the work by repeating the fifteen-minute practice daily. The more you repeat it, the more natural it will feel. You are practicing decluttering and getting rid of extraneous items daily. With time, it becomes the norm. Eventually, you become anesthetized from the initial discomfort of letting go. You may even start viewing it as a way to care for yourself, like brushing your teeth.

So why not give it a shot this week? Grab some garbage bags and a timer and see how much easier decluttering can feel fifteen minutes at a time!

Decluttering is not a panacea for all trials and tribulations in life, but it can be downright transformative. How do I know? Over nearly a decade as a professional organizer, I have repeatedly seen emotional transformations with my clients.

Clients start with excellent reasons to get organized, only to find that the benefits of decluttering and finding organizing systems that support their lifestyles trickle into other unexpected areas. Decluttering and success in day-to-day life management lead to happy surprises. Additional goals come to fruition. Delight appears. Here are just a few examples of unexpected benefits that I have seen over the years:

• Shedding pounds by being able to use kitchens again.
• Deciding to move and getting paperwork organized to transition from renting to owning.
• Getting married.
• Improving levels of marital satisfaction.
• Discovering cash, jewelry, and other items that help offset costs of future care or improve the lives of estate beneficiaries.
• Finding long-lost mementos.
• Discover hidden strengths.

These are impressive, unexpected benefits that are solely in addition to the direct goals that clients aspire to and achieve as they successfully declutter and organize their lives in ways that work for them.

Here is a sample of common goals that my clients hope for and achieve by getting on top of their clutter and improving their ability to manage the day-to-day:

• Improve Finances:
  • Stop buying more stuff to organize the stuff.
  • Deposit previously lost checks.
  • Stop purchasing duplicates when originals are lost.
  • Stop paying late fees.
  • Redeem unclaimed property with the state.
  • Review unboxed items from a previous move to prepare for an upcoming move.
  • Reduce volume for an upcoming move.
  • Turn in receipts for medical reimbursements.
  • Extend a vehicle’s life by using the garage again.
  • Turn in tax returns for multiple years.
  • Clear out storage units rented for years and even decades.
  • Move to cheaper locales.
  • Downsize to smaller homes.
• Increase Free Time, Relaxation, and Calm:
  • Reduce overwhelm and end procrastination, even with tedious or daunting tasks and projects.
  • Reclaim space to read and unwind.
  • Return to creative endeavors, such as writing, playing instruments, painting, knitting, sewing, and cooking for friends and family.
  • Experience comfort and calm at home.
• Increase & Improve Relationships:
  • Reduce relationship stress.
  • Improve relationships with romantic partners.
  • Deepen familial and friendly relationships.
  • Enter new relationships, both platonic and romantic.
  • Increase free time to spend with children.
  • Reconnect with family members and friends.
  • Feel more connected.
• Increase Health & Well-Being:
  • Organize new homes to support goals.
  • Reclaim rooms for exercise.
  • Create a safe and relaxing environment in anticipation of recuperation after surgery.
  • Successfully manage day-to-day living at home without stress.
  • Reduce ADHD friction points.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Gain confidence.
  • Improve self-esteem.
  • Feel more like themselves.
  • Increase peace of mind.
  • Increase life satisfaction.

These are a small subset of goals that clients reach. All this is to prove that you, too, can declutter and arrange your daily life to achieve those essential WHYs behind your goals! Look at all the fantastic results waiting to reveal themselves to you as you undertake your journey!

In Part 1 of my series about ADHD and procrastination, I introduced Dr. Thomas E. Brown’s executive model for ADHD, which is focused on what Dr. Brown calls “activation.”

This article deals with the second executive function in Dr. Brown’s model: “focus.”

Distractibility and hyperfocus, the intense focus that blocks out cues to task switch, are two of the more well-known hallmarks of ADHD. How can both be true for ADHD when they are seemingly polar opposites? My ADDCA (ADD Coach Academy) training explains that this ADHD variability is explained at least partially by interest. If interest is high, the ADHDer can focus or even hyperfocus. If interest is low, the ADHDer experiences excessive distractibility from the environment or internal thoughts.

Dr. Brown also mentions a lesser-known focus challenge: retaining attention long enough to complete a task. I’ll discuss this in more detail later.

It initially seems that unintentional focus challenges are unrelated to the purposeful delay of procrastination. However, as we look a bit more closely, we find that focus challenges play a part in procrastination.  

Hyperfocus and Shifting Attention:
Here is an example showing how the challenges of hyperfocus and shifting attention relate to procrastination.

Meet Sarah. Sarah must file taxes. She finds the project mind-numbingly boring. It is as if almost every cell of her being is protesting, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

She needs a week to gather her papers and run through the entire process. She tells herself she will start at two p.m., even though she only has four days left to finish. She knows that starting so late will create unnecessary stress and mistakes, but she also knows that adrenaline from an urgent deadline makes a tedious task much easier.

She feels an immediate sense of relief. Simultaneously, though, she feels a twinge of guilt. On some level, she knows that reading the news online or chatting with her friend will only increase her guilt. So, to eliminate the discomfort, she tells herself that she will fill the time by cleaning out her closet, which she has avoided for two years. Although she previously dreaded that closet project, it suddenly feels like a cakewalk compared to tax prep. She grabs some bags and empty boxes from the garage. “I knew these boxes would come in handy someday!” she chuckles as she heads to the bedroom.

Hours later, Sarah can be found in the dark recess of her closet, wearing a triumphant smile. She marvels at the growing mound of donations and the number of beloved items she has found. She is understandably proud of her progress.

The challenge is that it is now six p.m., and her energy is about to take a massive nosedive. She last ate at nine a.m., and her brain is desperate for more energy from a meal. It is also about to retaliate after nine hours of intense concentration.

Fast-forward twenty-four hours. Sarah has recuperated from the marathon decluttering session and is now ready to tackle the taxes. She scrambles for two days straight and finishes in the nick of time. Exhausted and feeling like a zombie, she crawls into bed with her favorite pair of pajamas she found a few days ago.

A full fourteen hours later, Sarah reemerges from her room. Although refreshed, she feels ashamed that she has repeated the pattern. She promises to do better next year and makes a note on her calendar to speak with her ADHD coach and professional organizer about the incident.

We all feel for Sarah, right? Most of us have succumbed to procrastination and can empathetically see where Sarah got tripped up. What she initially deemed an innocuous few hours of productive procrastination resulted in an unintended case of distracting hyperfocus that caused massive stress and exhaustion. Not to mention the money she lost. By having to cut corners to save time, she ended up paying the IRS more than she would have if she had additional time to prepare. This lost savings is an example of “the ADHD tax.”

However, Sarah is a smart cookie and talks to her ADHD coach about the incident. As she processes the situation, she realizes that she needs some sort of obnoxiously loud alarm to shake her out of hyperfocus.

“The more annoying the sound, the more likely I am to stop and turn it off. I think this will help me pause long enough to remember that I need to switch gears.”

“Problem is, I’ve already tried turning up the volume on my phone’s alarm. Half the time, I lose track of my phone, so that’s out. It’s almost as if I need a robot to follow me around and tap me on the shoulder when I need to move on to something else.”

She and her ADHD coach chuckle at the image, but she really is on to something. Although she knows that tips and tricks will not solve all her problems, she asks her coach about ADHD-friendly alarms that would work better than her phone. Her coach recalls a product invented for heavy sleepers that could work in this situation. She has no affiliation with the product and is impartial whether Sarah decides to use it but shares her knowledge about clocky*.

It is an obnoxiously loud alarm that can jump off nightstands and move around a room. It forces the alarm-ee to stop what they are doing and look around the room to turn it off. Sarah is sold on the idea. They then talk through other more powerful strategies that Sarah thinks of to avoid this problem next year.

Armed with a new sense of confidence, Sarah comes out of the meeting with an action plan for how she will set herself up for success the next time an arduous task tempts her to procrastinate, and she inadvertently fall into hours of hyperfocus.

Distractibility and Sustaining Focus:
Speaking of arduous projects, it is important to note how boredom and distraction can go hand in hand. While procrastination does not solely affect ADHDers, their boredom tolerance is lower than that of neurotypicals. As such, ADHDers will face higher levels of distraction (whether thoughts or external distractions like surrounding conversations) when they face a tiresome task. Anything more interesting than what they intend to be doing at any given time could tempt them into procrastination.

They might participate in procrastination more frequently since they feel more uncomfortable with tedious tasks. This is precisely why Sarah avoided organizing her closet for two years but immediately jumped on it when she faced the more arduous and boring task of tax prep. 

How could Sarah tackle this conundrum? After thinking out loud with her ADHD coach, she decides to use additional support and structure when a boring project is on the horizon. She will call her friend, who is always good for a pep talk. She will also set up body-doubling sessions with her coach to help her stay on task, even with distractions that could tempt her to procrastinate.

This wraps up the “focus” section of Dr. Thomas Brown’s Executive Function model for ADHD and how it relates to procrastination. Next, we will examine what Dr. Brown identifies as “effort” and how that relates to delayed action.
 
*Just like the ADHD coach and professional organizer in this story, Judith Dold is not affiliated with or connected with clocky. She just happens to think it's clever.​

While everyone procrastinates at least some of the time, many ADHDers struggle with it more than their neurotypical counterparts. Procrastination is commonly referred to as “immediate mood repair” for a good reason: while it helps us feel better at the moment, it leaves us feeling guilty, dejected, or what many of my clients describe as “lazy” in the long term.

While we all experience at least periodic unwillingness to put effort into something, the root cause of procrastination often resides in the part of the brain that manages “executive functioning.”

In his 2014 book Smart but Stuck, ADHD expert Thomas E. Brown clearly explains how ADHD can impact the brain’s executive functioning. Page 17 displays a helpful graphic and synopsis of the EFs.
Do you have a hard time estimating how long a task will take and always run out of time? That’s executive functioning.

Feel like you need a massive fire lit under your feet before you can start an onerous task, especially those that peers seem to speed through? That’s executive functioning as well.

Does everything feel equally important, making it hard to know which task to do first? You guessed it, EF has a hand in this, too.

There are times when procrastination can become so entrenched that working with a therapist becomes necessary. Quite often, though, I help clients with this. Below is the first in a series of articles about executive functioning challenges related to procrastination in the organizing realm.  

Activation:
Determining the duration of a new task involves some guesswork. Often, though, the more pressing issue for my clients is the struggle with time estimates for repetitive tasks that continually trip them up and take a toll on their self-esteem.

Take laundry, for instance. It involves many steps, each of which can break down the chain of events until the piles feel impossible to tackle. Laundry is not a task but rather a series of steps woven into the ongoing project we call “laundry.”

On page 37 of “Getting Things Done,” author David Allen describes a project as “any desired result that requires more than one action step.” Task lists become muddied by overwhelming projects masquerading as simple tasks, laundry being a good example.

Nailing down the steps of a project uses the executive function that Dr. Brown calls “activation.” For ADHDers, taking time to identify all the steps needed to complete a laundry cycle can feel excruciatingly mundane and mentally taxing. The brain’s amygdala senses “danger” and thus logically avoids this perceived pain by shortcutting the process and throwing out a wildly optimistic “spitball” estimate.

The optimism leads to what feels like logical reasoning to kick the can down the road. When the deadline nears close enough to elicit sufficient urgency to start, it is often too late to complete the task entirely or without too much angst. Stress kicks in, the brain senses yet more danger, so it avoids the task again, and the cycle continues.

So, how to solve this conundrum?

Triple all those spitball estimates that the brain makes. Although it might sound excessive, it works.

Tripling in Action:
Let us imagine that during the tail-end of an organizing session, my client “Jerry” realizes he has to wash some pants before tomorrow when he embarks on a two-week business trip. His boss hinted that if all goes well, he will likely receive a promotion, so he needs to make a good impression.

“Oh, shoot, I have to wash those pants before packing them,” he says.

“It will only take a few hours to wash them, so I can do it in the morning.”

Jerry just made a generalized spitball estimate. Unfortunately, he forgot to think through the steps to remember that the pants have to be line-dried. His initial estimate will leave him arriving at a crucial meeting looking disheveled, not exactly the look he is aiming for.

Thankfully, we had previously discussed the benefits of tripling his first gut-level estimates. He initially resisted the idea because it felt like overkill, but he realized that the alternative often left him running out of time and perpetually postponing more interesting projects he wanted to pursue.  

Jerry has been practicing this tripling tactic, so he immediately catches himself and triples his estimate.

“Oh, wait a minute, I forgot to triple the estimate. I’ll be right back. I’m going to pop those pants in the washer now.”

A few minutes later, he returns to the room we are decluttering.

“That was close!” he remarks. “I had completely forgotten that I have to hang those pants up to dry. That triple estimate strategy may have just saved me that promotion!”

We wrap our session, and Jerry remarks that this might be the first time he has not had to scramble when packing for these trips. He smiles: “I might actually be able to sleep in a bit and have a decent breakfast for once before a trip. Amazing!”
​
Go, Jerry! It is pretty exciting when these tools reap even more benefits than we originally intended.

​Why not triple your estimate next time you hear yourself saying, “Oh, that will only take five minutes.” I bet you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!

You might have declared, “This year will be THE year I get organized!” Excellent! There is nothing like the rush of a new year to capitalize on excitement and propel ourselves forward with incredible momentum. We will succeed!
 
Try something that might sound odd at first blush. Stop before you start.
 
More explicitly, pause. Take some time to think about exactly why you want to get organized. Grab a pen and paper and write down the reason. Now, dig deeper. Then deeper again. Why? That more significant reasoning is often a more powerful motivation than our first reason. That more substantial reason is the gold that will keep you going.
 
Here is how it might play out:
John wants to organize his dining room table to serve meals there once again. He briefly examines this because he can think of ten other projects he would rather do than tame the mountainous topography on the tabletop.
 
Each time he asks why, he uncovers a more in-depth reason. Ultimately, he realizes that clearing the table means he has space to invite his nephews to his home. They share his love of cooking. Their mutual interest will help him get to know them better before they head off to school.
 
Clearing the dining room table becomes exponentially more meaningful to John because it will deepen his bonds with his nephews and create great memories. He discovers that starting and maintaining progress becomes painless because he is more emotionally invested than he was with his first reason.
 
What is your why? Give this exercise a go as John did. You might be surprised to find how much energy the pause generates!

If you have a half hour to dedicate to a decluttering session, you do not have thirty minutes to declutter. It sounds strange, but it makes sense once you understand an often-missed part of a decluttering session.
 
With a thirty-minute session, you only have approximately twenty minutes to dedicate to decluttering. You will need to allot the last ten minutes for tidying up. This can understandably feel counterintuitive. Why waste time cleaning up an area that is still in the process of being organized? After all, we will just waste more time at the beginning of the next session pulling things out again, right?
 
Well, yes, but there are excellent reasons to dedicate sufficient time to cleaning up at the end of each session. If you can overcome the common gut-level reaction to abandon ship without tidying, you can avoid these unpleasant surprises: 
 
Lost organizing supplies:
When you are already exerting admirable effort to declutter, it can be frustrating to waste time looking for Sharpies, tape, and other supplies. It also cuts down the available time for the actual decluttering. 
 
Inadvertently dismantled progress:
Adorable pets can unintentionally intertwine previously sorted piles when they walk over them. This especially rings true for beloved felines, although beloved canines can get in on the action.
 
Fellow two-legged companions can accidentally undo your work, too. They might knock over an unsecured pile as they walk through a space. Additionally, they might not realize that a pile results from your efforts and thus attempt to help by putting one pile on top of another. The paper notes that act as your crumb trails can act as the same for your companions. Additionally, containing piles can secure them for the four-legged companions who can’t read.
 
Forgetting where you left off:
It can be incredibly frustrating to remember precious free time spent on decluttering, only to waste time trying to remember where we left off. Tidying up includes leaving crumb trails for our awesome future selves who return for a second session. Our initial reaction is often, “Oh, I’ll remember what these piles are when I return tomorrow.” This harmless lie we tell ourselves causes unnecessary angst.
 
The vast majority of us mere mortals (me included) will have to spend at least some time reorienting ourselves to exactly where we left off. This is especially true when tomorrow turns into next week or next month. Why not decrease the reorientation time? Trust me on this one and save your future self time by writing notes as to what pile is what. Bonus points for listing out the next step as well. 
 
Little, and not so little, injuries:
Slippery piles of clothes and papers make excellent launching pads for falls. The last thing we need when putting in laudable effort is injury. That would not only impede progress but would also naturally make organizing seem downright dangerous. If there is ever a reason to avoid a task, there is nothing like danger to convince us to retreat.
 
Getting discouraged:
Clutter can temporarily grow as we sort it into categories. Like the incoming tide on a beach, it can temporarily expand, but it needs to recede again at the end of a session. If not, the expansion might dampen our motivation to continue.
 
Avoiding These Pitfalls: 
If you tidy up at the end of each decluttering session, you will feel great about the fruits of your labor and speed up your wins at the next session.
 
So, give session-tidying a try. Your future self will shower you with accolades. They might even amusingly say, “Thank you, Past Me, for helping Current Me save precious time! You are so thoughtful!” 

Bookending as a verb? Yes, and this action can ease your organizing journey. It is a well-known tactic used within the support group community of those with hoarding disorder. Traditional bookends keep books in place. In the decluttering community, declutter buddies use phone calls as “bookends” to keep decluttering sessions in place.

Two individuals pick days and times to declutter simultaneously. One individual calls the other at the beginning of the session. They briefly share what decluttering activity they intend to do. They speak again at the end of the session to report back. It is similar to body doubling I described in a previous article, but different in that each individual works alone during the allotted time. The beginning and ending calls act as “bookends” to keep the sessions in place.

I have worked with many individuals already employing this tactic when we started working together. They shared that they were more likely to stick to decluttering sessions when they knew someone else was counting on them to show up. Sometimes, getting started and sticking to a decluttering routine can be the most challenging part of the work. Once we gain traction, motivation increases to continue working toward decluttering goals.  ​

The secret is out; bookending is another valuable tool to add to your organizing toolbox. Decluttering does not have to feel lonely. It is a relief to talk to peers sharing the same challenges and feels uplifting to help others with life challenges like conquering clutter.

Children are often congratulated and rewarded for their efforts. Adults also need reinforcement to continue challenging tasks in their best interest. This includes decluttering and organizing tasks.
 
Envision a baby learning to walk. He stands up, attempts a step, falls, and tries again. His parents cheer him on, even when he falters. This baby is determined to walk, and his parents lovingly give him positive reinforcement as he learns. Eventually, they are all quite excited when he takes those first steps. The parents do not berate him for falling; they continue to encourage him to stand up again.
 
At some point in our lives, we stop getting excited about our steps in the right direction and instead start focusing on the falls along the way. This focus happens for many logical reasons but is counterproductive. Try a different tactic and congratulate yourself on each decluttering step. If this feels too difficult, start with rewards instead. 
 
Various authors have written about the importance of rewards in establishing habits or reaching goals. The beginning and middle of a decluttering project can feel like a big slog if we hold off on rewards until we reach the final goal. Why not increase motivation throughout the project by giving yourself rewards throughout the process? It will likely result in a dopamine hit that creates a cycle of craving to experience that reward again.
 
When picking rewards for your efforts, ensure that they:

• Take place immediately after your decluttering session. If we wait too long, our brains will not connect the effort with the reward, and the reward loses its potency.  

 

• Are easy to implement. A vacation is an excellent reward for lots of effort, but it generally takes too much legwork to act as an immediate reinforcement of the desired effort. 

 

• Are only given after decluttering sessions. If your reward is ice cream, you will commit to only eating ice cream after taking the desired action. Otherwise, the reward is ineffectual.

 

• Do not hamper other goals. This takes a bit of creative thought. Many go-to goals are food-oriented, which can wreak havoc on weight loss and maintenance goals. If weight is of concern, use this type of reward sparingly. I recently experimented with exorbitantly expensive Magnum ice cream bars. I only eat one after a full day of solid effort at a particularly challenging task. Half measures and easier tasks do not count. 

 
Here are some non-food rewards to get you started:  

• Go on a guilt-free walk after decluttering. (Some clients say they feel guilty going for a walk because there is too much to do in the house.)

 

• Drive to a new neighborhood to take your walk. Viewing new scenery can be uplifting and sustain our brain’s need for novelty.

 

• Take a cue from kids and use stickers. Since the market now contains so many great stickers, you might enjoy picking one out and adding it to your daily planner after a decluttering session.

 

• Buy yourself a bouquet. Better yet, purchase one flower for each day you declutter. By the end of the week, you will have a bouquet that reminds you of your efforts.

 

• Rent a movie on a streaming service.

 

• Flip through a magazine. Even better, permit yourself to flip through it decadently by only reading articles of immediate interest. Then, carelessly toss it in the recycling bin, even though you did not read each article. This reward keeps magazines at a manageable level.

 

• Purchase a Hulu or Amazon subscription to a cable station or TV series to watch guilty-pleasure shows. 

 

• Preschedule a service you do not usually indulge in, like a massage or manicure. Preschedule it to take place after a predetermined decluttering session.  

 

• If you wish to get outdoors more frequently, grab a blanket and head to a local park to relax.

 

• Head to a lovely coffee shop or a cozy bar to read if the weather is gloomy. (Most clients have a large volume of books they hope to read.)

 

• Ask a friend or loved one to hug you after your organizing session. Research shows that endorphins kick in after ten seconds, so a long hug can feel great.

 

• Preschedule a special outing with a friend. Not only will you have something fun to look forward to, but you will also have the bonus of external accountability because your friend is holding time on her calendar for you.

 

• Take a local day trip. After working on a project I had pondered for quite some time, I rewarded myself with a day trip to Santa Cruz. I meandered around the boardwalk, rode the Giant Dipper, window-shopped downtown, and then drove home. It was an enjoyable day, and I reinforced my efforts by reminding myself that the excursion was all due to my hard work.

 

• I am unfamiliar with the self-help personality Mel Robbins, but her high-five mirror trick works, even though it feels hokey at first. Look at yourself in the mirror, earnestly congratulate yourself for your efforts, and give yourself a high five. I was dubious, but can now attest to its effectiveness. It feels good to give ourselves props for our efforts. Plus, it only takes a minute to do.

​What activity do you generally avoid because it feels too decadent? That could be a great reward to put in rotation.
 
Do you have any unusual or wonderfully successful rewards? Add them to the Comments section below so other readers can also give them a whirl. 

I am often asked, “Is this the worst you’ve seen?” when I first work with a new client. This question speaks to the stigma and shame that often accompany clutter. It also speaks to our proclivity for comparisons. What if there was a better way to get a read on the state of clutter in your home?
 
Fortunately, there is. I am a member of The Institute for Challenging Disorganization, which provides copious amounts of education to professional organizers working with those with individuals who struggle with chronic disorganization. CD is not a diagnosable condition. It is a way to describe individuals who have struggled with disorganization for quite some time, for whom clutter is negatively impacting their lives, and for whom self-help efforts have not worked. This challenge can result from various challenges, such as hoarding disorder, ADHD, depression, and TBIs (traumatic brain disorder).
 
One of ICD's free resources is The ICD® Clutter–Hoarding Scale®. This scale is not a diagnostic tool, but rather a way for organizers and their clients to identify how clutter is impacting their home in five arenas:

1. Structure and zoning
2. Animals and pests
3. Household functions
4. Health and safety
5. Personal protective equipment

 
Each category contains a scale from 1 to 5 in terms of severity:

1. Green-low
2. Blue-guarded
3. Yellow-elevated
4. Orange-high
5. Red-severe

I typically share this scale before meeting with a new client. Rather than worrying whether their home is the “worst you have ever seen,” they can see where their baseline clutter falls on the scale. It provides clarity and helps prioritize goals.
 
Here is a fictitious example. Carl lives in San Francisco. Lately, he has been focused on a large project at work and increasing demands of his volunteer board work at a local community center. His home has gotten too cluttered for comfort, so he calls Certified Professional Organizer®, Judith Dold. They talk about his decluttering goals, the current situation, and what roadblocks have prevented him from reaching his goals.
 
He wants to start in the kitchen counters to reduce how many evenings he orders take-out. There are other areas to work on, but this is his first priority. 
 
After setting up the first appointment, Carl peruses ICD's scale that Judith emailed. He determines that the majority of his home falls within Level I. As he reads the Structure and Zoning section, he realizes that the home falls into Level II because he has inadvertently blocked his back door with clutter. He instantly recalls that day in 1989 when the Loma Prieta earthquake struck. The floor of his home moved enough that his front door became inoperable. So, with the power knocked out, he had to quickly feel his way to the back door to get outside.
 
He immediately decides that the first order of business with Judith will be to address the clutter in the back entry area. That project would have stayed on the backburner if he had not seen the rating scale, so he was thankful to have read the scale. In short order, Carl and Judith clear the back entry and move on to kitchen organization.
 
I base this story on a compilation of those people have told me about having experienced that day in 1989. Thankfully large earthquakes are not an everyday occurrence, but it is nevertheless helpful to be cognizant of how clutter could impact us or emergency personnel in an emergency.

The scale can also pinpoint when additional help, such as a therapist knowledgeable about clutter challenges, a team of organizers or haulers, may be needed.
 
It also reminds us of sections of the home that may have escaped notice but we would like to address. Click here If you are curious or want more insight into clutter and its impact on the home.

You may have read my previous article and determined that selling your discards is worth the time and effort. Additionally, after reading my second article in the series, you know which app(s) or website(s) you will use. Now for the fun part of cashing in! While the steps listed below are app-agnostic, they are valuable guidelines for selling.
 
Determine the Price:

1. Avoid overpricing. We all want good money for our time and efforts. Otherwise, we would have donated. Avoid pricing your item too high, though. Conventional garage sale wisdom says to sell items at 1/10th of their original cost. I have made the mistake of asking for too much, so the post languished. Reposts may have diminishing returns. 
2. Determine the lowest amount that you would satisfy your effort. I recently sold a large camp setup and priced it to sell quickly. As the buyer began reviewing items, they asked, “Are you sure you only want X amount for all this? There’s a lot here.” For a split second, I wished I had listed a higher amount. Then, I immediately reminded myself that I had priced it to sell in an incredibly brief time frame. I jokingly responded, “Well, you’re welcome to pay me more if you want!” Ultimately, I was delighted to sell everything to this particular individual, and they threw in an extra $20 over my asking price.
3. I no longer list “OBO” (Or Best Offer) because I figure most buyers will negotiate. Conversely, I specify when I am not open to negotiation. 

 
Prep the Item:

1. Take one last look at the object to ensure it is not broken or dangerous.
2. Make sure the item is clean. Buyers are not expecting things to look brand new, but applying a bit of elbow grease will better showcase the object’s value.

 
Take Photos:  

1. You want to have adequate lighting. A well-lit item will entice more viewers. Avoid blocking the light with your body, which will cast a shadow, muddying the object’s details. This can be tricky depending on the time of day, so just do your best.
2. A bright day can do wonders. Noontime sun can create harsh shadows, so you might want to take the photo earlier or later in the day. There is no need to emulate the “golden hour” lighting that professional photographers love, but do consider timing.
3. Have you ever tried to purchase items online, like shoes, only to find a single photo included on the seller’s webpage? I bet you were less likely to buy that item. Take multiple pictures to show various sides of your object. 
4. If you only accept cash, mention this in the post. More buyers now expect to use cash apps. I learned this the hard way when a buyer showed up expecting to pay with their cash app and had no cash available.

 
Prepare the Post Description:

1. When writing the object’s description, include as many details as possible. A good synopsis attracts the right buyers and helps others opt out, thus saving you time from unnecessary back and forth.
2. If age is a selling point, list it; if you can include provenance (ownership history), even better.
3. List its condition. Nothing is worse for both buyer and seller than spending time arranging a meetup only to discover that the item does not fit the buyer’s need.
4. Use descriptive words to entice buyers.
5. Occasionally, I include why I am selling the item, especially if the price seems too good to be true. The reasoning shows potential buyers that it is, indeed, a good deal.

  
Create the Post:
Sign up for an account on the platform you will be using. Note if you need a follow-up step to verify your account, such as an email confirmation. Then, create the post. This typically entails:

1. A catchy and descriptive title
2. Your description
3. Your price
4. Your general location, but not your exact address or your phone number. Apps and websites have built-in ways to connect you with buyers without compromising your safety or making you an easy target for spam.
5. If you are on a platform like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, specify whether the item can be shipped or will only be sold locally.
6. Upload your excellent photos! Put your best foot forward by ensuring the “featured” image is the best one. It is the first picture potential buyers will see.
7. Read further instructions to confirm the post via email if need be. 

 
Frequently Check for Responses:
The sooner you respond, the more likely you will capitalize on potential buyers’ motivation. You might receive an onslaught of responses or crickets. That is part of the fun; we assume we know the market but never truly know what will be popular.
 
If you enter the experience with the expectation that people will flake, the back and forth will be more enjoyable. You can also specify how long you will wait before moving to the next responder. If someone takes too long, move on to the next responder so that other responders stay interested. Base your timing on how long your post will be active. More buyers drop off than they did years ago. I no longer wait as long as I used to because of this.
 
Safely Arrange a Time and Place to Meet:
Communicate precisely where and when to meet the buyer. A well-lit, busy parking lot or police station is a safe option. If a responder’s communication sounds off, skip them and move to the next person. Spammers and scammers go fishing on these sites, so use your Spidey senses. Always make sure that you are selling safely.
 
Assign a Deadline:
Only post if you are willing to give yourself a deadline by which you will immediately donate the item. I have worked with many individuals whose posts expired, and the unwanted object continued to waste valuable real estate over weeks and months. A pile full of unsold clutter can be a mood killer. It is hard to admit that we cannot recoup costs on some of our purchases, but it feels liberating to donate unsold items and free up space.
 
Taxes:
Were you surprised by this one? Cash and selling apps are now required to report sales that hit certain monetary thresholds. Uncle Sam might come knocking, so familiarize yourself with new laws that have gone into effect. This article explains the basics.  
 
Conclusion: 
Some details vary by platform, but following these steps will make your selling process more enjoyable. So go out and have fun selling your castoffs! Please feel free to share your enjoyable experiences in the comment section below. I know I have had plenty of them over the years. ​

Some readers are already familiar with body doubling and its outsized effect on decluttering. Others may ask, “What in the world is a body double? Is it like a stunt double?”

I was in the latter camp when I opened my organizing business in 2015. How could the simple act of quietly sitting in a room and reading a book or playing on one’s phone help another person tackle an arduous task more easily? The concept seemed too magical to be true. Yet, time and again, I have witnessed this tactic’s quiet effectiveness.

Body doubling is a strategy that you can employ to gain traction on tasks. It is most beneficial for onerous jobs that feel as if they take Herculean strength to start. It could be decluttering and organizing, bill paying, laundry, cleaning, you name it.

How it Works

Instead of white knuckling it through an arduous task, ask a friend or loved one to body double for you. They will bring a book, magazine, or something to keep them quietly occupied during the scheduled date and time. Believe it or not, your focus on that onerous task will increase, and it might even become effortless. Your guest does not need to say anything at all. Their presence alone reminds you to continue working on your specified task. You can also use this strategy via video or phone.

Body-Doubling in the Field

Clients frequently remark how much they get done when I work with them. Access to my guidance and organizing knowledge are significant pieces of the puzzle, but body doubling is often in effect as well. I might be working on an entirely different organizing task than a client, but as long as I am there, they more easily focus on their own organizing task.

This effect happens during virtual organizing sessions as well. From my office, I might research a product or potential price range for one of their discards. Simultaneously, from their home, they sort items into categories. They stay on task even without my prompting because of the body-doubling effect.

Many professional organizers and coaches in the ADHD community have used the body doubling technique for many years. I have recommended a few body doubling companies to clients so they can more easily declutter between our sessions. This practice saves them money and, more importantly, gives them a chance to practice their newly learned skills. They can continue using the skills long after we complete the organizing project. The tactic is successful enough to have gained increasing mainstream media exposure.

Give it a Go

The next time you find yourself procrastinating on that much-dreaded task, contact a friend or loved one. Ask them to body double with you for your most demanding jobs, such as filing papers, paying bills, purging extraneous objects, or paying taxes. I would guess that they have dreaded tasks of their own. You can body double with each other and share the joy and satisfaction of hitting those targets together!

You did a great job of whittling down your unwanted items. Well done! Let us imagine you have a few cast-offs that are not auction-worthy but you think you could sell online. How do you determine whether it is worth the effort? Here are some questions to help you gain clarity.
 
Can I Do This Safely?
Are you willing to take the recommended safety precautions when selling to strangers? Nothing is more valuable than your safety. If you cannot sell safely, please do not entertain the idea. If you have a plan and have read literature regarding safe selling procedures, advance to the next question.
 
Am I Comfortable with Technology?
This is an important question. I find the online process easy enough to occasionally sell some of my cast-offs. Since the early days of Craigslist, I have enjoyed meeting buyers, hearing their stories, and making easy spending money. I am also comfortable with technology. Otherwise, I would find the process too frustrating to be worthwhile. I have worked with many individuals selling for the first time, only to discover that the process is overwhelming and time-consuming, even with my help. So, your first order of business is to decide whether you are comfortable enough with technology to give it a shot. If so, excellent, proceed to the next question.
 
Do I Have the Time?
What type of demands do you have on your time? Do you care for children or grandchildren? Do you have a household to manage, including home repair? Do you have hobbies that take up most of your free time?
 
Selling will likely take much longer than anticipated the first few times you post. We must also factor in time for back and forth with potential buyers. This used to be a cut-and-dry process, but I have noticed that the “flake factor” has exponentially increased in the last few years. You have to allow time for multiple rounds of communication with various individuals.  To be safe, also allow extra padding for those who suddenly drop off contact.
 
This new dynamic means that I am now more picky about what I take time to post. I donate 99.9% of items I tire of or swap out to make space for a new purchase.
 
Honestly weigh selling projects against other goals and deliverables in your life. Then, you can avoid feeling bad about spending time on a process that might not get the expected results. You will also feel better when an item sells.
 
Am I Willing To Repost if Needed?
Sometimes, items are quite popular, particularly if sold at the right time. I recently sold an entire camp set-up because I knew when to post for maximum exposure. I was able to sell it to someone attending a unique event for the first time. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge, explaining why each item was helpful, and sending my multi-page Excel document that I had updated after each year of attendance. Often, though, the process takes longer. Sometimes, I am unsure whether an item has a viable market, and it takes additional time to repost ads.
 
Am I Willing to Stick to a Deadline?
I have sold many of my cast-offs over the years. I have also been unsuccessful in selling other items over the years. I need to stick with a game plan to make sure the process is short. If the item does not sell after a specified time, I donate, recycle, or trash it as needed. If you think you will be tempted to keep the item indefinitely, you are better off donating it immediately. Things that languish in corners can zap the motivation needed to continue decluttering.
 
Is There a Market for My Item?
A common refrain from professional organizers is that “no one values our stuff as much as we do.” It is a great rule to live by. There will be exceptions, but our confidence can lead us astray. We might look on ebay.com and think, “Awesome! This camera is selling for $300!” The key is to filter the results by “Sold.” We might find multiple posts asking $300 but only selling for $5 to $10. Conversely, we might be pleasantly surprised to find that others have sold their items recently for a tidy sum.
 
Did you answer a resounding “Yes!” to the questions above? If so, congratulations; you are now ready to sell your item and will hopefully enjoy the process as I have over the years. Stay tuned; next up, I will demonstrate how to sell your items online!

There are so many organizing myths and misconceptions that limiting my list to ten was difficult. Nevertheless, below are some of the most common and damaging to one’s journey from chaos to calm that comes from organization.

1. If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing perfectly.
Perfection is sneaky. It can appear in subtle yet impactful ways. Sometimes, we struggle to differentiate between a job well done and perseveration. It commonly lurks about when we are finding “homes” for discards, creating organizational systems, or diverting items from landfills. (It is great to be “green,” but not at the expense of the ability to use space as needed on a daily basis.) The more you catch it attempting to wriggle its way into your process, the better chance you have of organizing in a more realistic and thus relaxing way.

2. I have finished once it is magazine-worthy.
This one goes hand in glove with Myth #1. Magazines display “normal” homes. The photo for this “normal” home probably involved a team of professionals who worked full days to get the right shot. Additionally, it can take thousands of dollars to recreate drool-worthy pantries filled with matching organizing products and decanted dry goods. 

This is not to say that one’s organized space cannot look polished, but it is tremendously helpful to be realistic with expectations. We will lose if we measure our homes against a team of professional designers.
 
If this resonates, try a magazine and social-media diet. When you finish an organizing session, tell yourself, “Good enough is good enough,” celebrate your progress, and reward your efforts. Eventually, you will have a home with workable, calm spaces. 

3. I need a bigger home or a storage unit.
One could rent a storage unit or move (and in some cases, like a growing family, might need to). That could be true for some individuals, but most people I meet are not hoping to move or pay monthly storage fees. They simply want to live a more relaxed daily life. Thankfully, the organizing process typically creates enough space that one does not need to move or rent outside storage units.

4. This is going to take forever!
The start of the organizing process can feel overwhelming and like it will take forever. Thankfully, there are a finite amount of items in any given home. You will see progress as you start to clear out drawers and shelves. Then, you will see light at the end of the tunnel. 

5. I know myself: I will only finish if I do it all at once.
When the mood strikes, one’s natural inclination might be to conduct a whirlwind decluttering session. Behind the scenes, the individual might unconsciously wait until dopamine levels are high enough to light fires. These embers of motivation can be stoked by the thought of guests arriving in a week or receiving an audit letter from the IRS. Magically, it seems they have all the energy in the world to tackle the clutter.
 
The issue with this strategy is that it leaves one exhausted. The next time they need to declutter, they remember that marathon session and think, “No way!”
 
Instead, this individual can focus on doing fifteen minutes of daily decluttering. In this manner, they will maintain stamina, and the work will become easier as it becomes habituated. 

6. I need new bins to stay organized.
It is logical to think new bins and containers solve our organizing woes. Advertising, TV shows, and media bombard us with images of beautiful new containers in decluttered homes. The truth is that bins and containers are a piece of the puzzle, but only one part. Brand-new bins and containers are not usually the answer to clutter. In fact, they can add to the chaos. Once we discard unwanted items, we know which type of container or bin will work best for the remaining items. As we empty existing bins and containers, we can repurpose them and save money.

7. I need to dismantle everything and start over fresh.
Sometimes, it feels like everything needs to be fixed because of the clutter. Fortunately, parts of spaces or organizing systems are typically working well. They might only need slight modifications to work as intended. As you declutter, look for those winning systems and leave them intact.

8. It is hopeless because I have read organizing books, and I am still disorganized.
Organizing books are great. They introduce us to helpful concepts and strategies. It is important to note that not every strategy will work for every person. If you have ADHD, many organizing books might not help because they are written for neurotypicals. You might be better off with Ari Tuckman’s More Attention, Less Deficit or Judith Kolberg’s ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. (Click here for information on both books.) Sometimes, a home-grown, customized approach is needed. You might weave together various strategies to discover what works for the way your brain works.

9. It is hopeless because my space has been messy for years.
I am commonly the first individual a client has had in their home for years. It is absolutely possible if you are willing to learn, challenge assumptions, and practice. You might need individual or team support, but you can succeed.
 
Organizing is a soft skill that is not always explicitly taught. Additionally, challenges such as undiagnosed ADHD, depression, or anxiety can wreak havoc on the process before they are addressed. Many clients deal with one, two, or all three of these challenges. If there is support for symptom management, the organizing process is much more manageable than otherwise.

10. It is hopeless because I am still disorganized despite my friends' and family’s efforts.
Friends and family members are typically the first line of defense against the battle with clutter. Commonly, this team can do wonders. Other times, friends and family are well-intentioned but lack the skills to understand roadblocks and strategies to move around them. They might have excellent organizing strategies that work for their spaces, but everyone’s brain works differently. This could mean that their loved one needs a different system.
 
Hopefully, dispelling these myths leaves you feeling more energized and ready to tackle clutter. You can reach your decluttering goals with time, effort, and practice!

We Love Our Collections

Why do we hold collections so near and dear to our hearts? Maybe Gestalt is at play: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” One or two photographs might be beautiful, but an entire exhibit can create an awe-inspiring experience.
 
This may explain why breaking up our collections feels difficult, even blasphemous, as we attempt to clear space for more essential items. It makes sense to keep the collection together in the case of Picassos or rare cars. More typically, individuals I work with have collections such as Hummel figurines, National Geographic, stuffed animals, books, records and cassette tapes, Beanie Babies, etc. Most of the value is in the emotions they elicit, not the dollars they command.
 
I am Not Immune to the Collection Bug

I have had my collections over the years. I believe it started with a sticker collection when I was a young girl, but I also had groups of stationary, stuffed animals, colorful pens and pencils, and erasers that I periodically pulled out to admire or display.
 
I also had a collection of Life Magazines. I enjoyed looking at all the fantastic photographs, and I was not immune to that perilous thought, “These will be worth something someday!” They sat well preserved in the dark recess of my closet for many years before I realized they were a dime a dozen. Additionally, I had kept them in good condition, but they were not pristine. Even if they had been, I probably would have had to live to the ripe old age of one-hundred-fifty to potentially reap any financial reward.
 
Why Would Anyone Break Up a Set?

If collections make us happy, why break them up? Collectively, we are taught to keep sets and collections together, and if we do sell or donate, we must do it in one fell swoop. To do otherwise might later feel like a mental itch that we cannot scratch.
 
Nevertheless, there might be times when it is in our best interest to undo the collection.

• We may love a few items in a collection, but now we admire a new set more and need space to display it.
• We might have a collection of sweater sets, but styles have changed. Save for one classic sweater set, we need closet space for newer sweaters.
• The vast majority of National Geographics may need to go so we can move books we want to read to a bookshelf for easier access and reduction of tripping hazards.

 
Collections can bring joy, but something has to give if we need space more than these notable groupings. It can feel challenging, but typically, we can find one item to represent the entire collection.
 
Breaking Up a Set

Take time to choose one or two items. Then, let the rest go. Nonprofits will be thankful for the incomplete set. Besides, you never know when a shopper will be overjoyed to find missing pieces to their own displayed collection.
 
Easy for me to say, right? Well, actually, no. As a child, erasers were one of my prized collections. I loved pulling the drawstring pouch from the drawer to lay them out and admire them. There were a bunch of bananas, a mini record in its sleeve, a cute pink cat, a six-inch chocolate-scented popsicle, and two more handfuls. 
 
A Second Chance on Memories

I remember purging childhood possessions in school and again before moving to California. I thought I had discarded that eraser collection and nearly everything else from my childhood. Periodically, I would remember those overly aggressive purges and wince in a moment of sadness, then move on with my day.
 
Early in my organizing career, my parents discovered boxes tucked away in their near-empty attic. We had forgotten that they had graciously let me stash the "keepers" there since I was unsure how long my stint in California would last. As a professional organizer, I was somewhat embarrassed to discover skeletons in my closet. Still, I was ecstatic to learn that some collections had survived those downsizing efforts.  
 
Imagine my joy when I came across that little eraser collection. I felt as if I had found buried treasure. I smiled as I admired them one by one. 
 
Fortunately, there was space to temporarily store the boxes there as I whittled down the collections and ephemera at a relaxing pace. 
 
One Mighty Little Eraser
​
Eventually, it came time to decide what to do with those erasers. I was able to take my most important items back to California, but living in a small San Francisco apartment leaves little space for nostalgia. It was clear that I should break up the eraser set because: 

• I had lived without them for a few decades, thinking of them only on rare occasions. Clearly, I was doing fine without them.
• I had no use for so many erasers, no matter how cute.
• I would have to purge other memorabilia in my tiny abode to make more space for this collection.
• These popular types of erasers were notorious for doing nothing other than leaving black streaks on paper.

 
There was one rainbow-colored eraser, though, that erased cleanly. It reminded me of my love of the bright colors that were so popular at the time.
 
Its clear plastic container reminded me of a mesmerizing store I adored as a child. It had the most beautiful stickers, pens, papers, and colored acrylic containers. It was a special treat to go to go there. That memory led to another memory of carefree summer walks with siblings and friends to a nearby 7-11 to peruse the nickel candy. This eraser packed a memorable punch, so I kept it and parted with the rest. 
 
I periodically pull it out to reminisce about that magical part of my childhood. I now value it as much as the entire collection and at a fraction of the space. It is a lovely little eraser: cute, practical, and easily retrieved.
 
Only on rare occasions do I wish I had kept a second one like that fantastic yet impractical chocolate popsicle. Nevertheless, I am happy with my decision for so many reasons.
 
I do not advocate the ruthless purging of sentimental items. I still have plenty from my childhood. A friend recently said on a Zoom call, “Hey, remember sticker books?!” I quickly retrieved mine, and we reminisced about our childhoods as I showed her my collection, complete with a great "oily" sticker and scratch-and-sniff stickers, some of which still smelled!
 
Clearly, a small eraser collection differs vastly from a special collection passed down through generations. Still, the same concept can be applied, especially if the collection is not rare or worth a tidy sum. If you find that only some items in your collection bring joy, feel free to use my strategy to create space of your own. 

Previously, I wrote about using a “parking lot” to remove competing thoughts that otherwise detract from critical daily goals.
 
What happens when we forget to use a digital or analog parking lot? Every competing thought has the potential to take us off track for minutes or hours at a time.
 
Take last week, for example.
 
Earning the ICD’s ADHD Specialist Certificate was one of my 2023 goals. I was rereading ADHD course notes and happily plugging right along until I read a sentence that was particularly “sticky.”
 
If I do my “future self” a favor by using my dry-erase pad as a parking lot, I stay on track more easily. Then “Future Judith” at the end of the day will feel satisfied with "Past Judith’s" progress. I have been using this "past" vs. "future" self tactic for many years to help initiate tasks that are about as enjoyable as watching paint dry.
 
Typically, my pad is within arm’s reach to park competing thoughts. Sometimes those competing thoughts revolve around other tasks I need to do. Quite often, though, the competing idea starts with an innocuous “I wonder. . . “
 
I forgot to ensure my pad was nearby on this particular day. Then I read the “sticky” suggestion regarding RSS feeds. I bet you can guess what happened next.
 
“Oh yeah, I tried to set up RSS feeds a few years ago to stay on top of relevant organizing news.”
 
“I wonder what happened with that?”
 
“Oh yeah: I tried setting it up, but it wasn’t working, so I cut my losses and moved on.”
 
“I still think they could help me keep up with the news. I wonder if I just had the wrong idea as to what RSS entails.“
 
Before I knew it, I had scratched the curiosity itch and felt immediate satisfaction in finally understanding RSS feeds. That is until I looked at the time. A half hour had passed, and I was no closer to finishing the critical task, and it was getting late. The satisfaction immediately morphed into guilt; had "Past Judith" remembered to use my parking lot, I would have quickly parked that curiosity where it belonged, off to the side, so I could continue focusing on my goal.
 
Luckily it was only a half hour, but a half hour here or an hour there is how a day starts with lighthearted hope and ends with a resounding thud.
 
The parking lot is no panacea for all distraction woes, but it gives us a fighting chance to feel satisfied with our efforts by the end of the day.
 
So how about it? There is nothing to lose; how about giving the parking lot a shot? If you want a refresher on how it works, click here. The more you use it, the more you will remember to use it. The more focused you can be on those tasks, the more likely you will feel good about working towards those important goals by the end of the day.

Decluttering is sometimes mentally taxing, physically exhausting, and sneeze-inducing. So, why bother going through all that effort? Why not just resign oneself to the clutter and resulting complexities it creates?
 
Decluttering can be incredibly uplifting, even transformative. This is especially true if clutter is negatively impacting life in a significant way. Clients have teared up as they explained precisely how instrumental the change has been in their lives. I say this not to brag but to demonstrate how much positive transformation the effort can bring into your life.
 
Exactly what type of transformations have clients experienced? Here is a small sample of huge wins that clients commonly gain:

• They clear enough clutter to have friends and family over again, often for the first time in years. The result translates into increased opportunities for socializing, not to mention a slew of happy new memories to add to the memory bank.

 

• They reduce friction in partnerships and families.

 

• They experience an immense sense of relief after organizing papers to: 
  • file multiple years' worth of late taxes
  • more easily deal with upcoming life transitions. 
  • get their affairs in order so their loved ones have an easier time with their estate.

 

• They find long-lost jewelry, family heirlooms, vital documents, and sometimes large sums of money. 

 

• After closing storage facilities, they feel as though they removed a giant monkey from their backs and can save that monthly cost for something more enjoyable. 

 

• They transform entire rooms from storage into craft rooms, bedrooms, offices, and whatever else they have dreamed of having.

 

• They have more time and energy for creative endeavors that bring them great joy, like music, art, and crafting.

 

• They rediscover the joy of cooking in their kitchen. Not only does this save them money, but it also allows them to enjoy the creative cooking process and hosting dinner parties. 

 

• They can get dressed more easily and feel comfortable about what they wear as they walk out the door. 

 

• They are more relaxed because they can easily find keys and bags. This translates into on-time arrivals, shedding uncomfortable embarrassment.

 

• By clearing out garages, they increase the longevity of their cars, one of their most significant investments. 

 

• They reduce the stress of downsizing and remodels to manageable levels. 

 
You, too, can experience this sense of relief, relaxation, and joy! Due to previous organizing attempts, some individuals need more self-confidence when they get started. I ask them to suspend their disbelief, and I hold the confidence for both of us until they start seeing results and gain it for themselves. With enough practice, you too will begin to gain confidence. You might need to suspend disbelief as you get started. You might even need external support from a therapist, support groups like Clutterers Anonymous or Buried in Treasures, or a professional organizer. Still, you can do it, and it is incredibly worth the effort!