How To Use Accountability To Declutter and Organise Your Home
When is your house the cleanest? Chances are, it’s in the moments right before your friends arrive for dinner or your in-laws pop by to see the kids.
Nothing is quite as motivational as knowing someone else is going to see the chaos of your home!
But what about the rest of the time? You can’t really invite people over every day. So, what motivates you to declutter and organise your home in between social occasions?
For many of us, the magical ingredient in sticking to something is having someone else hold us accountable. We quite easily break promises to ourselves all the time, but it’s much harder wriggling out of a commitment if someone is relying on us.
That’s exactly what Amy discovered when working with me on Clutter Busting Bootcamp.
Accountability helps us get stuff done – even when we don’t want to do it!
Let’s look at how it works and how you can leverage accountability to declutter and organise your home.
What Is Accountability?
Being accountable for our actions is a key part of building good habits. But all too often, self-accountability isn’t good enough.
How many times have you promised yourself you would get up early and eat a healthy breakfast, or stop procrastinating about a job that’s due, or exercise in the morning before work?
And how many times have you actually followed through?
Unfortunately, we find it all too easy to let ourselves down.
But letting others down is usually unpleasant enough that we avoid it. For example, if you promised a friend you’d meet them at the beach for a walk, you are much more likely to drag yourself out of bed to do it than if you were going by yourself.
This works for anything you want to change in your life. If you have someone there asking if you have done something (and if not, why not), you’re far more likely to follow through.
This was precisely the case for an old school friend of mine, Amy. She reconnected with me online, and we got to work organising.
For Amy, being held accountable to actually do the decluttering was the key to her success.
Why It Works
When decluttering and organising your home, accountability works because of three key reasons.
1. It comes with clarity.
Instead of being overwhelmed or confused about what you need to do or where to start, you have the chance to sit down with me and make a plan. By the end of our chat, I’ll understand your pain points, and you’ll know exactly how to start getting organised.
2. There’s a deadline.
Without deadlines, most of us would procrastinate indefinitely! Having an endpoint when we know someone is going to check in on us to see how we’re doing ensures we follow through.
3. There are consequences.
Breaking promises to yourself usually doesn’t amount to much – other than a fair amount of guilt and frustration. But if you fail to meet the expectations of someone you’re working with – or spending money on – there are consequences, of varying degrees. Nobody wants to look bad or make someone else feel bad, so they are motivated to do what they say.
Declutter And Organise Your Home With An Accountability Buddy
In the right circumstances, a bit of social pressure can be a good thing. In general, people make better choices and perform to a higher level when they are being observed by others.
External accountability can help you stop procrastinating and put the work in to declutter and organise your home.
And once you’re on top of it, it’s much easier to keep things neat and tidy.
“Not only was I able to declutter the areas I needed to, but I have also been able to keep on top of the clutter. The kids' rooms are tidier, and I can actually get my car in the garage and my office functioning!
Rebekah is awesome, non-judgemental, and guides you through the process.”
So, if you are ready to declutter your home, Clutter Busting Bootcamp could be the perfect solution! With gentle support and accountability, we can tackle your organising projects together.