This post: how to stay organized.
Ever wish you knew how to stay organized?
Or at least, more organized?
Most everything I read on this topic right now leaves me feeling like, surely, having just spent an entire spring locked up in our homes- I should have my life in order by now.
But guess what?
I don’t.
I’m about to tell you the truth about how to stay organized- at least the truth about it in my home.
The Truth About My Ego
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, then you probably know I have the habit of being rather honest about my life when I write.
Maybe that is an endearing trait, and maybe it’s scary.
Endearing or not, transparency is how I roll.
And since this post is all about “the truth,” I’m going to tell you the truth about my little ego issue.
When I was quite young–
before my five kids were born and my house turned into a crazy land–
I vowed that I would never, ever, ever have a messy house.
I even had a mental list of “things” to avoid at all costs:
- sticky refrigerator shelves
- piles of laundry
- cluttered counter tops
- toys and dust bunnies under the furniture
- junk drawers
- dirty windows
I went into marriage and motherhood with my Vows of Perfection in high gear.
And I did keep my house pretty-much-spotless for quite a few years, and pretty much at any cost.
The cost ended up being my sanity.
(And, no, I’m not exaggerating. I really believe that the roots of my depression were very deeply influenced by my perfectionist nature, and unreasonable expectations of life. But that’s another story.)
After eighteen years of marriage, more than a decade of homeschooling, and five babies born, I can honestly say that the one marvelous “vow” I have faithfully adhered to is the “no cluttered counter tops.”
I do have mostly clear spaces in my house (if you don’t count my dresser!).
But please don’t ever look in my fridge, drawers, laundry room, or out the windows for that matter.
Suffice to say, my ego trip ended up getting a major detour.
Why I’ll Probably Never Blog About Getting Organized
I’ve been blogging since 2007.
According to my blog dashboard, I’ve written over eight hundred posts- although not all have survived yearly content purges.
Do you know what?
I’ve never, ever written a single blog post about “how to get organized.”
Not one.
Not ever.
Do you want to know why?
Because I never really feel like I’ve gotten my life “organized enough.”
Maybe you relate?
I have a lot of “how to” Pins in my homemaking board, and I use practical ideas to help me tame the craziness of juggling a busy ministry life/homeschooling life/blogger life.
But a lot of times, I simply have to skim over the gorgeous printable pantry labels, or the “101 Sock Drawer Hacks” and spend my energy on other projects (like writing the next blog post).
Why?
Because I honestly don’t care about labels or sock drawers.
I’m all about practical solutions, and right now my biggest “solution” is simplifying my busy life!
Stressing out over details- like how gorgeous my pantry looks– feels like a huge waste of precious time.
As long as we have food, and I can find it when I need it- the pantry is good.
Details are not my thing, and that’s why I will never blog about how to get organized.
The Honest Truth About How to Stay Organized
Now, about now you may be thinking that my home is a zoo.
And that might actually be true, depending on what day of the week you come by for a visit.
In all fairness to my sense of domesticity, our home is mostly orderly.
As long as you don’t probe into cabinets or open too many closets, you’d probably think I am a fairly organized woman.
And most days, I am.
The truth about how to stay organized is this:
Life naturally declines into a state of disorder.
It’s just the way things work, because we live in a broken, less-than-perfect world.
That means after you clean your house, it will get messy again.
After you dust the base boards, they will get dusty again.
After you feed your kids, you’ll need to feed them again in a few hours and (yes) clean the kitchen- again.
So a state of complete organization is an illusion.
That’s what I want to tell you in this post:
Don’t fall for the mirage of perfection, because you’ll never be satisfied.
The simple truth: I just don’t expect “organized” to be a state-of-being around my house.
When I lowered my expectations in this area, I ended up losing out on a lot of frustration.
That loss was actually a big win for me.
What about you?
Do you struggle with getting organized?
Do you feel like you can never “stay” organized?
Maybe this has something to do with your personality, or even your level of motivation.
And maybe it has something to do with the fact that “organized” is something we have to “get” over and over again, because we’re busy living in these lives and homes of ours.
If you’re looking for someone who DOES have some practical how-to’s on organization, I’d love for you to check out NinaHendrick.com.
This creative lady’s blog has become one of my go-to websites when I need some inspiration for organizing- and beautifying- my life:
- My Favorite Time Management Strategies
- Printable weekly menu & shopping list
- Pantry design & organization
- 10 Tips for an organized pantry
- Printable whole house cleaning check list
Are you on Pinterest?
I’d love for you to follow my Homemaking board.
If you’re a homemaking or organization blogger, why don’t you drop me an email? I’d love to add you as a contributor for my Pinterest board.
What do you think?
Does getting your life or your home organized feel like a constant battle?
An illusion? *wink*
What’s the truth about organization for you?
Here’s to living well-
xoxo,
Kristy
P.S. Thanks a million for sharing this post!
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