190 - The Cost of Clutter & Disorganization
In this week's podcast, I take a look at the cost of clutter and disorganization in our lives.
I think we all know that there is a cost benefit to leading a more organized life, but did you know that it's not just a financial benefit?
A disorganized and chaotic life can bear many costs… let's look at the different costs that disorganization causes in our lives and the steps that you can take to make a difference.
1. Financial Cost
Buying twice, losing things, items getting ruined, misplacing coupons that eventually expire… I don't think anyone would argue that there is a not a financial cost benefit to being more organized.
2. Mental Cost
It can be mentally draining trying to remember all of the things that we are responsible for… getting the laundry started, doing the dishes, getting the kids ready for various activities, etc.
We are constantly trying to remember and stay on top of things. The Sunday Basket™ is a HUGE help here. Personally, I like to make notes and jot down ideas all through the week and then go through them all together on a Sunday. I find 50% of the items in my SundayBasket™ are notes to myself.
3. Time Cost
When disorganization creeps into your life, you lose time. You lose time looking for things. You lose time doing things on a whim. You lose time just trying to escape from your cluttered and disorganized situation by watching TV and playing on your phone.
The funny thing is that while you know you are losing time, you don't have time to figure out where you're losing it. There is NO TIME! If you had the time, you could do a time study and really get to the bottom of how you can save time, but again… who has time for that?!
I have done a time study twice and it was very depressing seeing the true reality of how much time I spent driving in my car and watching TV.
We have a lot of demands on our time and, if you're not proactive in how you manage your time, you end up doing things on a whim and putting out fires.
4. Emotional Cost
There was a study that concluded a direct link between families who have more clutter, disorganization, and unfinished projects in their homes with mood and cortisol levels.
Basically, the conclusion is that there are health benefits to being more organized in the household, and the risks of not doing so include depression and a less satisfied marriage.
Published on 8 years, 4 months ago