Counting the Cost of Clutter

Every year, getting organized finds its way onto the top ten list of American New Year's Resolutions.  It's a lofty goal that many of us aspire to.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who drools over the perfectly organized, color-coordinated, clutter-free photos in the home magazines.  Unfortunately, (like most other resolutions) the goal of getting organized is often abandoned within weeks of the new year's start.  But why? 

Well, wanting the end result isn't the same as knowing what it takes to achieve that goal, and knowing what it takes doesn't necessarily translate into having the desire -- the will -- to make it happen.  Inspiration is nice, but sometimes it takes desperation to get us over that first hurdle on the path to success.  So, here are a few statistics that will hopefully light your fire:

• The American Cleaning Institute (formerly The National Soap and Detergent Association) says 80 percent of household clutter is the result of disorganization, not a lack of space.
• The American Cleaning Institute also believes getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home.
• Harris Interactive reports that 23 percent of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them.
• The average American wastes 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but can't find according to a Boston marketing firm.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that the average American executive wastes six weeks a year searching for important documents that have gotten lost in clutter.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates that 80 percent of filed papers are never looked at again.

Bottom line: yes, getting organized takes some effort, but it takes a lot more effort than we realize to live amongst clutter.  Think how much more time and energy we'd have for the things that matter if we weren't busy looking for the keys or straightening up the mountain of mail that accidentally fell over.  Imagine the financial freedom we would have if we weren't racking up late fees.  Darn it, we can't afford to stay disorganized!