Ever wonder if your beliefs about organizing are keeping you stuck and getting in your way of a more organized life? We’ve focused on a few of the most common beliefs that we hear on a regular basis, so you can get clear on what works and what doesn’t. Once we bust the myths, you’ll be on your way to organizing yourself like a pro.

Containers will always get you organized. False.

Contrary to what the big box retailer flyers would have you believe, containers alone are not the answer to your organizing dilemmas. In fact, they can become part of the problem. If you’ve ever purchased several large plastic containers to organize all of your craft supplies or memorabilia, but still can’t find what you’re looking for when you needed it, you too are mistakenly thinking that all you need to get yourself organized is a few containers. But what you really need isto learn a bit about organizing.

Before you go out and spend money on containers or other organizing products, do some preliminary work and planning. The first thing we recommend is doing the purge. Only when you know exactly what it is you need to store, how much of it, and where the most suitable location is to store it – should you go out and purchase containers, and only after measuring first. Bringing home the wrong containers for the job simply creates what we call ‘container clutter’.

Multitasking is always productive. False.

Although useful in some situations, multitasking can cause you to lose your focus and make costly and time-consuming mistakes. When working on important tasks, multitasking is probably not a good idea. Some things require your undivided attention.

Multitasking distracts us from being in the present moment, which can drain ourenergy and leave us feeling exhausted and unfulfilled. Next time you are participating in an activity, be with that activity, rather than thinking about all the things you should be doing instead, or have to do later. Resist the habit of trying to do two things at once.

You have to toss everything to get organized. False.

We often have people tell us “there’s no way I could get organized because I am too sentimental, I don’t want to get rid of everything.” Although you shouldn’t keep things you don’t like or will never use, there’s always a way to either display or store the things that do matter. For example, shadow boxes or display cases allow you to protect as well as showcase the possessions that truly mean something special to you so that they are honoured.

If you write it on a to-do list, it will get done. False.

We’ve seen to-do lists that are works of art;  prioritized, color-coded and categorized, and yet so many things on the list were never getting done…. To get anything accomplished you have to actually schedule time to do the things on your list. Simply putting a task on a list is not a commitment – blocking time on your calendar to do it is.

Organization Will Stifle My Creativity. False.

Perhaps you think that being organized is fine for people who lead boring lives, but not for you. You’re creative and vibrant and the mess around you represents the whirlwind life you live, right? Wrong. Being unorganized is the thing that can stifle creativity. When your mental energy is being spent on finding where you laid your keys, you can’t unleash your full creative mindset.

And finally, organization skills aren’t something that you’re born with. Organizing is a learned skill. You can’t blame your DNA for the clutter in your home and office!