<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">How many times have you complained to yourself that you are tired of organizing things over and over again. You don't feel like you get any help from your family on keeping the house straight and if I gave you a piece of paper you could fill it up with the frustrations you feel?</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">The Organizational Pyramid is something that I truly feel is one of the most foundational things about organizing that you can ever get. It is one of the modules in my OLP Introductory course and also is shared with every in-person Client. If you don't get the layers in the proper order your system will more than likely fail.</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">One thing that you must know is that the organizational pyramid can be applied to all areas of your life. Most assume it is just about your physical space and truth be told a lot of times I teach it from that perspective, but it can also be applied to life transitions, your soul development and your business processes.</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">So without further ado, lets get into the breakdown of the pyramid:<span class="EOP"> </span></p>

<h1 class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;bold&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">Organizing Layer 1: The Mindset Layer</h1>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}"><span class="EOP"> </span></p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">The very first and most important layer is the mindset layer. This is the foundational layer that will help support all the other layers in your pyramid of organization. Many times we are the one thing that is stepping in the way of achieving success. We tell ourselves that we can't or that it will never work. That we have always had a problem with organizing. Well, I'm here to tell you that the negativity that we speak to ourselves is often times worse than the way we speak to other people. The negative mindset must stop if you truly want to be successful in organizing. You must have an "I can" mindset and truly believe that with change you can make this thing happen. Now, that is not to say it is going to be super easy, but I am saying that if you put the work in and remove the negative mindset your chances of success are in the 95% range. Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage you through the process. Sit down with your family if you feel they are part of the problem and explain what is about to happen and discuss it as a family. You see you aren't the only one who lives in your household, so you shouldn't be the only one considered when it comes to organizing the household. Now some of you just freaked out! I can feel the panick, I could hear the negative thoughts already. Listen to me, one of the main issues I see with family situations is that women tend do organize for themselves. Now, in some cases you do this because you feel the wife/mom is the homemaker. The home is her domain. Ok I get it and I have absolutely no problem with it, BUT...that doesn't mean other people don't live there too. It doesn't mean other people can't help maintain it as they live in it. Mindset change - who said you have to do EVERYTHING? Who says that the things others use should be left for you to pickup? Stop assuming others won't contribute and give them the ability to do so, by creating working systems in your home. Lets create a system that enables others to help. You don't have to be a superwoman to be a good wife and mother. oh and hey, (whispering) do you realize you will STILL be a superwoman to them without killing yourself? You will free up your time so you can spend more of it with them!</p>

<h2 class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;bold&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">Organizing Layer 2: The Decluttering Layer</h2>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">I'm sure you have heard this many times if you have read any articles by professional organizers the first thing most will tell you to do is to get rid of the excess. I am no different in this instruction. Whenever I am assisting my Clients with this phase, I share one mantra, "focus on removing anything that isn't serving a purpose in your life today." Be honest with yourself. that residence hall t-shirt from college that has holes in it and was balled up in the bottom corner of your drawer, what purpose does it serve in your life today? I mean I know it has some sort of a positive memory for you, but are you honoring that memory by having it balled up in the corner of your drawer? I'd recommend if it is that important to frame it and hang it on the wall or put it in your office. Usually when I make that suggestion I am met with eyes of horror lol. You see when you really think about it, the shirt isn't really THAT important or you would be wearing it or displaying it. Let go so you can make room for the blessings that are waiting for you.</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}"><span class="EOP"> </span></p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">Now, I'd be remise if I didn't state that I know there are many more mindset related things you have to tackle in the process of decluttering. Those are covered in more detail in my Organize Like a Pro Course.</p>

<h1 class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;bold&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">Organizing Layer 3: The System Development Layer</h1>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">Now, this is one of the layers that is often missed when people begin to organize. It is the one layer that requires some thought and research. In many cases, it requires conversation and input from others. You see a system can't be developed without first seeing what your current needs are as well as evaluating what your current habits are in relation to whatever it is you are organizing. The mistake I see most often is that the woman of the house organizes a space for herself. She doesn't take into account how the others in the home use that space. Then when things aren't put where she designated she gets mad. I believe in creating organizational systems using holistic and organic methods. This means everyone should be a part of the process and the system's development in some way. Now ladies, I know you are freaking out right now...you are asking tons of questions and for some of you those negative thoughts are creeping back in. You are beginning to say my family will never do that or they don't care how things are arranged, but I beg to differ. More times than not what I hear from Clients/Families is that they would help if they knew where to put something OR they explain that it's hard for them to do XYZ because it's so far down on the shelf or so far up and it's easier to just place it in the front. Now, to some those sound like excuses, but I promise you there is a lot of merit to many of the complaints/statements I hear. I'm not going to get too deep into the details because if I did we'd be here all day, but what I will tell you is that I use this pyramid of organization not only in my home but in the homes of my Clients and it has worked in all of them, when they do the work. The key is you have to do the work...and YES, even small children can be part of system development and can follow the system..stop making excuses for your family and let them help.</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">Now one thing I want to say very specifically about Organizational Layers 2 and 3, is that you can declutter without organizing (system development), but you should never create systems before you declutter. This is counter productive and a waste of time and is one of the reasons many of you are having difficulty when it comes to maintaining your organization.</p>

<h1 class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;bold&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">Organizing Layer 4: The Beautification Layer</h1>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">Oh sweet joy we have come to the beautification layer, the favorite of many. This is the layer that most people jump to. You were on pinterest and you saw an inspirational photo that you fell in love with...you immediately went out and purchased the item or items to replicate what you saw in your home. The problem is that you skipped some pretty important layers, 3 to be exact. The beautification layer is the one layer in this entire pyramid that is optional. It is the one layer that you don't have to do...it is also the one layer that costs you money. The other layers don't cost you a dime. So why, pretell do you all start with this layer??? I beg of you don't do it! Wait until you have truly and honestly completed the first three layers and you have marinated on them a while. Seriously, you should live with your systems for a good 2 weeks to a month to ensure they will work before purchasing beautification items. There is nothing worse than you purchasing items to turn around and realize that the system really doesn't work for you. You can also decide to do this frugally or go hog wild and spend up alllll your money. The point I want you to get here is that this is not a requirement for you to be organized. It's like an add-on or an extra perk you can take it or leave it, but you will still enjoy the ending result regardless.</p>

<h1 class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;bold&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;}">Organizing Layer 5: The Maintenance Layer</h1>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">Now, we are finally to the 5th layer. I want to say that this is the most important layer, but then I'm not sure that would be true, but it is a layer that again is often missed and it is very important to your overall success with organizing. You see you never stop organizing...it's like your car, you can't just buy a car and never do anything to care for it. You have to change the oil, fill it with oil and check to ensure all the parts are working as they should, well...the same goes for your organizational systems. You are living your life so things are bound to get a little crazy from time to time. The key is do you have a system in place and do you regularly maintenance it. Maintenance sessions typically take 5 - 15 minutes depending on the size of the space, how often it is used and how long you have gone since the last maintenance session. For high traffic areas I recommend regularly maintenancing them. For example, our kitchen pantry I will maintenance maybe once a month. Usually when we have purchased a large amount of pantry items that belong in the space. This will vary by person and space, the key is to be observant and to address it when necessary, so you no longer have to do these super long sessions.</p>
<p class="zw-paragraph" data-textformat="{&quot;fv&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;cs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fw&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;fgc&quot;:&quot;rgb(0, 0, 0)&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;text&quot;,&quot;fs&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}">There you have it, the five layers to the pyramid of organization. Now, if you want to get deeper into the pyramid and how to apply the layers in your home, I encourage you to signup for my OLP Introductory course. To learn more about it, click here.</p>