The Costs of Disorganization (or the Benefits of Organization)

How many times have you heard yourself or someone else say, “I don’t have time to get organized, I can’t even find my calendar—let alone find the time to schedule that!”  Do you see the circular reasoning in this statement?

The problem of being “disorganized” is also the barrier to better organization.  In other words, if you take the time to get organized, you’ll have more time to be organized.  Confused yet?  Well, I hope I can clear up any confusion with some startling facts about the costs of disorganization (the bad news) and the benefits of organization (the good news).

First, the bad news . . . disorganization is not something to take lightly.  It is way of living that can have huge financial, emotional, mental and physical costs.

Just how much can disorganization influence your life?  Starting with the financial impact, considerable amounts of money can almost seem to disappear when you:

-Pay bills late and incur fees (23% of adults do this). Survey results from Ikea and the National Association of Professional Organizers.

-Rebuy “lost” items (you just know you have a cordless drill, but where is it?)

-Buy “emergency” items (like a pack of diapers from the corner store at 10pm)

-Don’t track spending (It’s the end of the month and you have no idea where your grocery cash has gone)

-Overbuy because you don’t know what you have (You may have 4 extra large containers of mayonnaise in your pantry, but you purchase another one because you’re just not sure.  On a positive note . . . lots of mayo!)

-Can never find the coupon or gift card that you intended to use on your shopping trip

-Miss large tax deductions because your paperwork is scattered

-Miss errors on bank or credit card statements (potentially missing identity theft)

Unfortunately, there is more bad news.  Besides the financial impact, the stress of disorganization can adversely affect your mental, emotional and physical health.   Consider this statistic from WebMD:  “Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.”  Add in the missed opportunities for personal or professional growth and the strain that stress can have on your relationships and it becomes clear that dealing with your disorganization is more than something that you “should get to someday.”

Before

After

Ready for the good news?  If having a less stressful, more relaxing life with considerably less health issues sounds appealing, the answer may be as simple as getting organized--it's not as overwhelming or difficult as you may think.  And not many people would complain about being more productive, having more time and money, and living a more simplified, streamlined life.

If you’re not convinced yet, check out these survey results from Ikea and the National Association of Professional Organizers:

-Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework in an average home

-Since we wear 20% of the clothes we own about 80% of the time, you can open up a large amount of space in your crowded closet by removing those unworn items

-Considering that 80% of what we keep, we never use--you can gain space in your home, if you eliminate that 80%.  You can also earn money if you decide to sell those items or take a tax deduction for donating them.

-With 80% of the clutter in homes being a result of disorganization, you may find more room in your home by simply organizing what you already have.

As with learning any new skill, start small and tackle one area at a time.  If the thought of getting organized is still paralyzing, there are numerous books and websites with helpful tips.  And if you still can’t get started, contact a professional organizer who can help you develop a plan (like pare down the mayo) and stick with it!