When I write about organizing, I intentionally avoid using the "m" word. In my mind, both "mess" and "messy" have judgmental connotations, and a lack of judgment is at the heart of organizing by STYLE. Here, we are all works-in-progress, getting better one piece of paper, one organizational system, and one space at time.
In addition, those of us who struggle with organization are hard enough on ourselves. Personally, I find that judgment, head-shaking and finger-pointing by those who (allegedly) know better tend to make me do one of two things: dig in my heels, or throw up my hands in defeat, certain things will never get better. And these actions run counter to the ones we need to take to make things better.
So, on those occasions that necessitate action, we need to skip the labels (except the ones that go with our styles) and use the mindsets and strategies that we know work.
- Remember that it's a process. Sorting and re-organizing take time. Keeping this in mind at the outset can help us to be patient with ourselves as we take small steps to improve the situation.
- Aim for maximum impact. Seeing progress makes it easier to be patient with the process. Sometimes this means being counterintuitive and starting small, since small piles and projects yield clear space and finish lines faster than big piles and tasks that take all day. If you have limited time, start with either the project you think you can finish in that time frame, or the one that's annoying you the most.
- Stick with your styles, but don't let them run amok. No matter your style, make sure you have style-specific supplies on hand before you start. Otherwise, your organizing session is likely to end poorly, either in systems that won't work in the long term or defaulting to whatever created the piles in the first place.
Sometimes, life hands us clutter. Other times, it appears on its own and grows over time. Either way, we can emerge victorious.
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