WAKE UP!
If you were to watch a morning in my past life it would look like this:
I’d fall out of bed: messy-headed and bleary-eyed. I’d start the day with knots in my stomach yet still stumble to the fridge to chug a Red Bull, glaring at the pile of dishes in the sink. My day began by fighting with myself over what the heck I was doing with my life… Getting dressed meant fighting drawers crammed full of clothes that didn’t look good on me. Finding a clean towel meant digging through the laundry basket of clothes that hadn’t been put away. At the time I wasn’t working, I wasn’t growing, I was surviving..
That all changed when I packed a backpack and flew to Ecuador with my husband and 7 year old daughter. For three months we lived out of our backpacks and spent less than $40 a day for our family of 3 to live, eat and travel.
My eyes (which had been glued shut with the stress and clutter of my past life) were flying open. I could see for the first time. Every sense was enhanced. The experience of travelling with minimal belongings freed me up from the confines I had created my whole life - the stress of managing so much stuff.
When I returned home I was ready to start over. I downloaded a copy of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I watched youtube videos about minimalism and organization. I felt hopeful, inspired, energized - and just like that I got rid of 75% of my stuff.
Fast forward several months and I was sharing what I had learned with friends and family, diving into their closets to purge the clutter and set things straight. I didn’t know it but I had found my passion. I loved decluttering! I loved creating tidy spaces! I loved helping others to realize the power of less.
Soon enough my constant talking about storage solutions and minimalism led me to find Professional Organizers to contract with. Before long I was organizing homes and loving every minute - better yet I was getting PAID to do something I would have done for free.
What can organization do for YOU?
While my experience may be a bit extreme, there are so many reasons to clear your life of clutter. Creating space (both physically and mentally) really is life-changing. These are just some of the benefits of getting your life (and your stuff) more organized:
Stress Reduction
Intentional Living
More Space (internally and externally)
Find things easily
Easier decisions
Less maintenance
Less cleaning
More time for what’s important
More money
Easy access to things when you need them
Greater clarity
Self awareness
Imagine finding the exact top you want to wear - free of wrinkles because it isn’t stuffed in your closet. Imagine parking your car in your garage and getting out without tripping over shoes and bags and soccer balls. Imagine cooking dinner in a clutter-free kitchen, clear countertops providing all the room you need to prepare your meal. How about spending the evening actually relaxing with your family because there are no to-dos hanging over your head? This isn’t paradise I’m talking about - these are natural benefits to having an organized home.
Myths about organization:
In Julie Morgenstern’s book Organizing From the Inside Out common organizing myths are addressed. Working as a Professional Organizer, I have heard each of these myths coming from hesitant clients:
Getting organized means I have to get rid of my stuff
Wrong! While some people go the extreme route and embrace minimalism like I did, you do NOT have to get rid of things to be organized. Becoming organized means that you become more intentional about what you own. By taking inventory of your belongings and asking yourself questions, you learn what is and isn’t important to you in THIS season of your life.
The things that don’t serve you fall away to make room for the things you love and need. If someone is pressuring you to toss out your favorite jacket or your beloved collection of coffee mugs - then you’re doing it wrong. Pressure doesn’t create organization. Your desire for space and for calm does. So don’t throw away things you don’t want to! Come back to The Loom for tips, tricks and guides on de-cluttering the right way.
Organization means I have to be neat and tidy
Wrong! Organizing is not about the aesthetics of a space, it is about creating function in a space. Once you intentionally decide what to keep in your home, you can create whatever system works best for you to store your belongings. If clear counters freak you out and white walls look sterile - great! Enjoy your self-expression and create the look that feels good to you. Just do it with intention!
You are either born organized or born messy
So wrong! Organization is a learned skill. While some people may value organization and tidiness more than others, anyone can get organized. I am proof of that. Organization is not a particularly complicated skill. It’s quite simple really. It comes from the desire and intention behind our actions.
How to get started:
Ask yourself the following questions, taking a few minutes to write down your answers:
Think about the rooms in your home. Make a list of spaces. What feeling do your spaces have? What do you think is missing?
Think about your daily routine. What is and isn’t working?
If you woke up tomorrow and a miracle had happened - how would your home look?
If you’d like to get more organized, there is no day like today to get started. Here are some easy ways:
Read - Search keywords like “organized” and “tidy.” Check out mini-organizing projects here on the LooM. Read organization blogs like this one. Follow organization instagram pages or youtube channels. Get inspired.
Tackle a drawer - The best step to any goal is to start. Start small. Tackle one drawer in your home. Take everything out. Sort it into piles. Decide what to keep. Create spots for those categories within the drawer. Put things back. Done!
Hire a professional - Some of us just need a little hand-holding at the beginning and that is perfectly fine. Imagine Home Organization services the Tampa Bay area and does an amazing job of providing solutions for any and every space.
Chaos still finds its way into the edges of my life. But now I have the tools to keep clutter at bay.
Nowadays, my mornings start early. I wake energized and ready for the day. I drink water and take time to light candles and smile as I look out the window. My actions have more intention. My job is fulfilling. I don’t fight with my drawers anymore because I don’t even need a dresser to hold my minimal wardrobe. I know what I want and I do what I need to to get it. My anxiety and stress are low and manageable. My home is clutter-free. My HEAD is clutter-free.
I never thought that living this way was possible, but all it took was a desire for space and the decision to give myself that gift. All I need is what I have. The rest is icing on the cake.
Written by Maeby Lopez, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Professional Organizer
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