The Right Fit

 I’m an Apple girl: iPhone, iPad, MacBook. Last week, when I accidentally created a too-close encounter between my MacBook Air and a glass of iced tea, I never considered replacing my dearly departed computer with anything but a new MacBook Air.

Actually, I'm pretty brand loyal in other areas, too. Exhibit A: my collection of Kate Spade handbags. Exhibit B: Multiple pairs of shoes with the same name inside (Kate didn't win that contest). Exhibit C: My daily Starbucks run at which I order the same drink 95% of the time.

I could go on, but I won't. The thing is, I know what I like. And, when I find something I like that works, I stick with it unless I'm given a good reason not to do so. Sticking with what works is an easy way to combine something functional with something that brings me joy, not to mention that it makes shopping more efficient.

This comes in very handy when it comes to organizing — in fact, it’s what organizing by STYLE is all about. 

So why do we persist in using things that don’t work? 

I have a personal list of exhibits here, too. Exhibit A: file cabinets. Exhibit B: binders. Exhibit C: any container that hides what’s inside (unless I can put a label on it).

For years, I tried to make myself fit into those boxes. These were the tools I grew up on, the ones that were readily available and used by other people whose opinions I valued. But, as it turned out, these tools failed me.

Do me a favor. Go back and read the last sentence of that last paragraph again.

The tools failed me. They may be perfectly fine tools, but they weren’t the right fit for me. Since then, I’ve found replacements — tools that are a better fit for the way I think and the way I organize.

It’s exactly that kind of fit that keeps me brand loyal. When a tool works, fits my lifestyle, and is within my budget, it’s a win-win situation. When that delicate balance is no longer met, it's time to look elsewhere, guilt-free and judgment-free. 

Maybe even splurge a little.

In the end, buying a succession of inexpensive tools that don’t work can be as costly as just buying the right thing — the one that works for us — in the first place. And, when we find that right thing, we might even want to stock up.

Especially if it goes on sale.