Below are 10 mantras—tips I’ve shared in my online workshops and quick tips. These mantras are designed to stick in your mind to help you cut clutter and get more done. Download the free printable 10 Organizing Mantras, and pull it out anytime you need an extra dose of motivation to take action!

10 organizing mantras1.  Action creates change.

Reading an organizing book or this newsletter is a great first step in the direction of controlling clutter. But, when you’re done reading—nothing will be different unless you do something different! It is the action steps you take when you’re done reading that create change and help you get more organized.

2.  If you want something different, you must do something different.

If you’re already taking action and working hard to keep your home organized, but you aren’t happy with your results, it’s time to try something different. Figure out a new approach to try, and then take different action steps to create new results. When you take different actions, you create different results, and, in turn, you change your situation.

3.  Finish today before starting tomorrow.

Take action on your surface clutter each and every day by putting away the things you used that day. When you finish up today, you start tomorrow with a blank, clutter-free slate. (And just think how great that will feel!)

4.  Practice makes progress.

Instead of striving for perfection, make it your aim to make progress on your to-do list and organizing projects. Giving yourself permission to make progress instead of getting it perfect removes resistance about getting started and finishing. In the end you’ll get more done and enjoy yourself more in the process.

5.  If you love how it looks, you’ll be more motivated to keep it that way.

Go the extra mile with your organizing projects and make sure you love how they look. You’ll enjoy your spaces that much more, and have the extra incentive to keep your spaces organized going forward.

6.  If you can do it now, do it now.

Why put off until tomorrow what you can finish today? Instead, take care of the little things that pop up each day. You’ll free up space on your to-do list and in your mind.

7.  Decluttering isn’t about getting rid of stuff for the sake of it.

It’s about letting go, so you have more space, time, order and joy. Remember your real reasons for decluttering. It will be easier to let things go and feel good about what you keep.

8.  No matter how useful something is, you only need so many.

Some of the hardest things to let go of while decluttering are useful things like pens, sticky notes, craft supplies and books. As you encounter useful things while decluttering, ask “how many do I really need?” or, “how much space do I have for this item?” When you keep less of the useful stuff, you actually make your space more usable.

9.  The more you dislike doing something, the more often you should do it.

Putting off an icky task just makes it harder. Do things you dislike more frequently and you’ll do them in smaller bites— making them a whole lot easier to swallow.

10.  Done is better than perfect.

Give yourself permission to get things “done for now.” You can always tweak it later, but in the meantime, you get to bask in the glow of completion. And there’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting something done.

Remember, if you want something different you must do something different. Why not give a simplify 101 online class a try? We’re sure you’ll see the difference.