My 10 Favourite Organizing Related Quotes

Most of my blog posts provide tips and tricks about decluttering and organizing.  This month, I want to do something different and talk about some of my favourite organizing related quotes.  Some of them are from famous people, while others are what I’ve heard from peers and clients.  In all cases, they relate to the organizing journey, and to some degree, they provide important messages for our everyday life.

My Favourite Quotes About Organizing and Decluttering

1. Decluttering and organizing expert, Peter Walsh, has said a few of my favourites:

• “Your home should be the antidote to stress, not the cause.”
  • When your home is overcrowded with stuff, it is no longer a place you want to relax in.
• “Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor, it's anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.”
  • This is so true…who doesn’t want to live a life that they want to live and not get held back by clutter and stress?
• “If the stuff you own is not helping you create the life you want, then let it go.”
  • Are you holding onto things that are causing you stress? Would the person who gifted you the item or the person you inherited the item from want you to feel stressed?
• “Start with the stuff (as most people are inclined to do when they try to conquer their clutter) and you are pretty much guaranteed failure. Start with the vision you have for the life you want and you have taken the first real step to long-term and remarkable change.”
  • What would you like to achieve? What needs to happen to achieve those goals?
• “Keeping flat surfaces clear is perhaps the single most important thing to keep in mind for your kitchen—as it is for any room in the house. A clear countertop makes any kitchen look more organized. Once the flat surfaces start to disappear under clutter, you lose your motivation to keep the area organized and you open the area to attracting more dust and dirt, further compounding the clutter problem. Consider flat surfaces your preparation area—not your storage area!”
  • Amen to that!

2. If you are looking to create a good habit, or to show children the “how-to”, then the next couple of quotes are for you:

• “A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place “by Benjamin Franklin.
  • Think about how much time and money you would save if you know where to find your things. If you know the pair of scissors are in the first drawer, or the condiments are always on the right side of the fridge.
• “Don’t Put It Down…Put It Away.”
  • How many times have we heard, “I will just put it here for a second…” but that second turns into weeks and months and now other things have accumulated on top of it.

3. The last few quotes are about working at what needs to be done and looking at the future:

• “Keep It Simple And Do The Work.”
  • I came across this quote by Michele Quan. This is particularly important for an office space and filing. A complicated filing system will deter most people from completing their filing tasks.
• “Don’t Count The Days. Make The Days Count.” by Mohammed Ali.
  • Make an effort, do the work and the results will come.
• “The Secret Of Change Is To Focus All Of Your Energy, Not On Fighting The Old, But On Building The New” by Socrates.
  • Don’t expect to see a change if you don’t make one. Spend the time to make the change and improve your environment or your situation.

Bonus Quote:  Love Your Life.  Not Your Stuff.

As a trained professional organizer, I want to help busy professionals get organized, so they rediscover harmony and balance in their homes and home offices.  I want my clients to be happy with their lives.  I want them to find a work-life balance.

If you are struggling with the chaos in your home, contact me so I can help you achieve your organizing goals!