Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Taking on too much

Clutter comes in two forms: too much stuff and too much to do. Don’t clutter your mind and calendar with more than you can handle. Set limits and learn to say “no.” Actually, you don’t even have to say “no.” Try saying, “I would love to, but my plate is full at this time.” Even if it is not what they were hoping to hear, they will appreciate your honesty.

Taking on too much stretches you thin and will impact the quality of what you do. Some warning signs of overload are forgetting details, always rushing, and not being able to do a quality job. These are all signs that you need to cut back and do a better job at less tasks.

“But if I don’t do it, no one else will!” you say? How do you know? Try setting your boundaries and not taking on the extra work. You might be surprised at who steps forward. Lots of times when one person takes on all the work, they are enabling others to sit back and rely on them. When they finally pull back and do less, new volunteers are able to step forward and spread their wings.

Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

1 comment:

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

Deal. I have a full plate. All full of things I want to do. But, I really don't want to stress or do a job poorly and this month is already flying.

My son's spelling test grade suffered due to Thanksgiving planning. Shame on me.

The answer for the rest of the month is, "I wish I could help you out, but my plate is just too full."

Thanks! :-)