For the last year I have been very intentional about remembering to bring my reusable shopping bags to the store with me. I am happy to say that I now almost always remember to bring them along, but the truth is I still forget occasionally.

Forming new habits is tricky. I have tried multiple strategies to help me remember my shopping bags (leave them in the car, leave them at the door, leave them in the pantry, write it on the grocery list), some have worked and some have not. It has been a process of trial and error and more than anything else, being intentional.

When clients seek my services as a Professional Organizer they often ask “how long will it stick? Once we get me organized, I won’t have to try anymore, right?”

But just as it has taken almost a year for me to remember my shopping bags when I leave for the store, the process of staying organized involves trial and error and most importantly being intentional.

I wish that it was a one-and-done sort of endeavour, but getting organized is only a piece of the organizational puzzle. Once an organized system exists, it requires a change of habit to keep it maintained.

One cannot leave a pile of mail in the same place they always have and expect it to sort itself into your new paper management system. One must be intentional about using the new system that has been created. One cannot purchase new items at a pace which exceeds their desire to weed items from their home. One must be a mindful, engaged decision-maker. A new habit must be formed and that can take a little trial and error, but again, the most important piece is being intentional.

We are all capable of changing our habits. The process can feel counterintuitive, frustrating and impossible. Be kind with yourself and remember that changing habits can take some time.

Your intentional efforts will all be worth the new habit you create for yourself in the end.