A Hard Habit to Break

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I've been writing this blog for over a year, and thinking and writing about organizing by STYLE for nearly a decade, and yet I keep doing it. I can't seem to help myself.

I keep buying books about organization.

Why would I do such a thing? It's not as though I'm looking for solutions; I know what works for me and, more important, I know why it works. I see it in action every day, and I'm convinced of its effectiveness.

So, why would I spend money on the latest and greatest in a long series of books that all seem to say the same thing?

• Habit. When I first started thinking about organization, I did what I always do when I want to learn about something. I sought out information. I read books and magazine articles and watched HGTV. Slowly, I narrowed my collection of books to handful of titles by a small number of authors who "got it." They understood that one size, one tool and one method doesn't work for everyone.

• Love of the subject matter. I'm fascinated by the topic, no matter the source. I like seeing what other people have to say about organization. Sort of. Sometimes, it takes me less than five minutes to determine that an author's perspective is not for me, no matter how big a bestseller the book is.

• Morbid curiosity. Some day, I hope to turn this succession of posts into a book, and so I keep checking on what's out there and who's publishing it. I open each new acquisition with trepidation, and don't fully relax until I see that what's inside isn't really new, at least not to me.

There's a new book on my table right now. It arrived yesterday. I flipped through it quickly this morning, and rolled my eyes. Then, I flipped it over to see who'd published it, and it was from a big, reputable house. Envy and confusion washed over me. 

But, who knows? Maybe that's it. Maybe that's the magic elixir that will get me off my rear and nudge me to get this book, this concept, these ideas out there. Again.

So, I'm going to ask you a favor. If these posts have helped you, would you let me know? You can do it publicly with a comment below, or you can message me privately via my Facebook page.

That feedback might just be the cherry on top of my elixir.