·         Purchasing organizing products prior to assessing your organizing needs.

o   Clean, purge and sort your items before you purchase any organizing product.

·         Creating an organizing system before assessing if it will work well for everyone.

o   When setting up any organizing system, talk with all family members to find out what their wants/needs are regarding the new system.  Once the system is in place, if it does not work for everyone, adjust it until it does.

·         Keeping something you will never use out of guilt.

o   If you no longer use the item, no longer want the item or are only keeping the item because it was a gift – it’s time to toss, donate or sell the item.

·         Starting a project you cannot do alone.

o   Avoid project burnout and ask for help in advance.  Assign tasks to each family member (create a chores sheet if necessary), hire a professional or have a friend help you.

·         Not setting enough time aside to complete the project.

o   If the mess took months to accumulate, you’d better plan on setting more than one day aside to get it all cleaned up.

·         Setting your goals too high.

o   Be realistic when setting your goals.  Don’t expect perfection and be happy with what you are able to accomplish.

·         Choosing an organized look over a well-functioning system.

o   Having an organized area that looks great is wonderful but if it doesn’t function well it’s not going to do anyone any good.  When necessary choose function over aesthetics. 

·         Not having a goal when starting your project.

o   Organizing a space can be a lot more productive and rewarding if you have a goal in mind before starting your project such as……. clearing the counter off so you have more work space, clearing out a closet so it’s easier to find things and make room for new purchases or create a family budget so you can make the most of your family finances.

·         Not having boxes and/or bags nearby when you are clearing out an area.

o   When clearing out any space always have three boxes and/or bags nearby labeled “Toss”, “Donate” and “Sell”.  Immediately place any unwanted or unneeded items into these boxes/bags when cleaning out any area of your home.  This will prevent random items from piling up that you will have to deal with later.  Getting rid of items immediately also lets you concentrate on the items that are left.

·         Not prioritizing your tasks.

o   Create your “To Do” list and choose the most important item first, that will make the biggest difference.  The more positive results you see, the more you will be motivated to continue your “To Do” list.