Decision Making

   My experience working with clients over the years has opened my eyes to one very crucial thing "decision making".  Decision Making is a vital part of the organizing process.  When a client asks me how long a project will take I always tell them that there are multiple factors we have to consider.  One of these factors being their ability to make decisions on items and how fast these decisions are made.  The decision to put an item in a certain spot or category, the decision to throw something away or donate to charity or the decision to keep something that has value and importance. 

I remember a year or so ago when I was out shopping at Target, I started coming down with a terrible migraine headache.  I remember standing in the aisle trying to choose between 2 very similar decorative items-I think only different in color or pattern.  Normally, I am very decisive and this would have been no big deal.  But I found myself standing there staring at the items with my head throbbing unable to make a simple decision.  And all I could think was this is so ridiculous.

Think back to when you have been sick or had a lot on your mind and found everyday tasks more difficult.
When I try to put myself in someone elses shoes and understand their behavior I think "What if every decision I made was excruciating and stressful?"  What if the simple process of decision making made me sick and anxious?  If I could not decide whether or not to throw an item away or where the best spot to store it was then where would the item end up?

Eventually I would end up surrounded by layers of things that have all been acquired because no decision was made except the initial decision to bring the item in my house.  So next time you think I will decide about that later, think again!  Too many delayed decisions can result in a lot of unwanted clutter.