All Things Moral and Philosophical

Three illusions that the “Messy” in you believes

07 Feb 2012 2 Comments

by ladyfordyce in Philosophical, Physical Tags: clutter, clutter free, hoarders, home organizing, organization, organizing

As a professional organizer, I see people who want to be more organized. Their life, their home, their job is not going well, they see that disorganization is hindering them in reaching their goals, and peace (internally and externally) is elusive. During our initial talks, some beliefs come out that interfere with the process of  helping these folks. So when you think of getting organized, know that these are myths.

Illusion 1: I can move from being really messy to super-organized.

I don’t think this is possible. There is a spectrum from the severe messy (think hoarders)  to the mega organized (probably Martha Stewart, but she has a huge staff to help!), with about 10 levels in between. You fall somewhere on that line. When we work together, I am happy to move you two or three steps up the line. You might be able to maintain a more extensive “change” for a little while, but probably not for long. You are more likely to maintain a small move towards more organization, learn how to cope in that area, see how well that works, and, when new thinking  in that area becomes habit, you will organize in another area.

Illusion 2: I can copy my friend’s system of organization and it will work just as well for me.

I have had friends who have written down every word as I describe my personal system of filing. They have looked in closets, cabinets, garages, taken notes and tried to recreate the system in their own homes. A little tidbit might transfer but, for the most part, my system will not work for you.

I have a friend who has helped me decorate our home. (We traded services: she helped me decorate, and I helped her organize. Perfect!)  While she does recommend colors, furniture, and art, she doesn’t recommend the same colors, furniture, art for me as she does for her other clients. Same for me – all organizers will say you need a filing system for important papers, but the best solution will depend on your needs and you abilities. You need a method of organizing your child’s clothing and toys, but the closet, the dresser, the age of the child will determine what system will be easiest for you to maintain.

Illusion 3: I can keep too much stuff, and if I just organize it better, it will all fit in my home.

This is the worst myth. No matter how much you organize, how carefully you fold those shirts “just so” to fit twenty of them in the drawer, how neatly you nest a hundred Tupperware bowls in your kitchen cabinet — you will not be able to maintain the organization. The next time you do laundry, you aren’t going to be willing to spend the time to fold the shirts “just so,” and you will stuff them in any way they fit. Your teen will empty the dishwasher and throw the storage bowls in the cabinet. There is such a thing as “too much” and “too many.”  Organizing cannot overcome overwhelming numbers.