We've all seen the posts of perfectly organized...everything...the perfectly decluttered and labeled kitchen or office or wherever... But for most of us, this perfection isn't something we can actually maintain; especially when the chaos that is real life comes along laughing and throws traffic, illness, kids and pets and spouses, and "whoops, I forgot to set my alarm" moments at us.
Life is Messy; but that's okay.
You want to organize YOUR space, to create space for YOUR LIFE...not the life of an Insta-Influencer who posts beautiful photos of super-asthetic spaces or the life of people who market their systems in books and video series. Life just isn't that simple...it's a wonderful, crazy, sometimes scary adventure! And your space should reflect the specific kind of adventure that your life is.
AND REMEMBER, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START ORGANIZING AND CREATING THE SPACE YOU WANT (Scroll to the bottom of this post for a couple basic questions to get you started on your organizing journey).
You living spaces have an immense effect on your life. They impact your mental, emotional, relational, and even physical health and happiness. Of course, most of us want to feel proud of the place we live in and comfortable when we spend time there. We want our homes to be a sanctuary from the chaos of the world and a place where we can enjoy the company of family and friends.
But, while some people are able to relax in their home after a long day, others feel stressed or anxious when they walk through their door into a cluttered and disorganized home. And sometimes it can take a journey through trial and error before we discover the unique way that works for each of us to organize and clean, decorate, and find comfort in our spaces.
It's important to keep in mind that, contrary to so much of what we see online, there isn't one, ‘right’, way to be organized. There isn't one, ‘right’, way to decorate. There isn't one, ‘right’, way to keep things clean. And the ideas of perfection and comfort will change with each individual person who decides to embark on an, often-wandering, organizational journey.
But the work and wandering of your personal decluttering or organizing venture is worth it!
When people go through the work of creating a clean and organized home, they often discover they have more energy, a calmer mind, better relationships with family, and they no longer lose important things in their clutter. Unfortunately, we often let outside influences dictate what kind of space we create around ourselves. Our schedules and our finances, trending fashions and advice on the ‘right’ way to organize, design, and decorate our homes often have us doing things in ways that fail to consider our individual circumstances, preferences, and needs.
But remember, no matter how you decide to organize, what matters is that you can find what you need or want when you need or want it, in a space that is safe and functional for everyone who might walk through it or use it. This is real-life organization that works for the people who use the space.
Real-life organization is as unique as each person who practices it.
What you need or want could be a wide variety of things. For example, it could be a particular pair of shoes, a certain tool, an extra phone charger for your guest, or drain cleaner. These are things that you are going to be keeping, organizing, and maintaining because you need them and want them. But what these things turn out to be for each person will be different; and the list of needs and wants often changes with time as people realize that what they once thought they needed or wanted is no longer true for their current lifestyle. Organizing and decluttering are always evolving, just like the people these tools serve.
We are all unique and so are our styles and spaces where we live. If you want to truly love the place you're setting up or clearing out, then you need to let your real-life self show up and shine. Embrace real-life : )
5 THOUGHTS TO GET YOU STARTED ON YOUR DECLUTTERING & ORGANIZING ADVENTURE:
What is your motivation, the result you want to see? BE SPECIFIC, WRITE IT DOWN, AND TAPE IT UP WHERE YOU'LL SEE IT EVERY DAY. Try to avoid a general answer like “get rid of some clutter” or “downsizing”.
Define how much stuff you want to keep vs. can keep in your space and still get your desired result. Measure your furniture and space; sort that pile of toys; and do you really need all of those small appliances? Really think about all that stuff you own.
If you need support, make a list of people that you can ask for help; and then ask them for something that is realistic. For example, your neighbor could take donations to a thrift store every Saturday; your best friend could come over twice a week to help you decide what to keep, donate, sell, or trash.
How is your budget going to influence your process? For example, if you want to keep more than will fit in your space, will you need to rent a long-term storage unit? If you need some extra finances to purchase cleaning or organizing supplies, could you sell some of the items you currently need to remove for extra funds?
Consider a second motivation other than your primary goal that you wrote down earlier. Are there changes you could make in your space or organizing habits that could make you more effective in your life’s roles (parent, partner, employee)? Make you money or save you money? Allow you to make space for something new (hobby, spouse, birth of a child)? Or other secondary motivation?
The more motivation you have, the easier and quicker the process will be; and the end result will be even more sweet.
HAPPY ADVENTURING MY FRIENDS!
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