Sure, you’ve read all the magazines and watched all the shows and bought all the containers, but you just can’t seem to get the hang of this whole ‘organization thing.’ Or maybe you’ve taken an entire weekend to get your home neat and tidy, only to find it a clutter-filled disaster zone all over again in less than a month.
It’s not your fault. But before you write off organization altogether and come to peace with the fact that you’re just going to swim through a mess every morning, give it one more shot. Take a look at these five myths about organization and see if any of them sound familiar. Then let’s squash ’em like a rotting pumpkin in December and break through those limiting beliefs of yours.
5 Organization Myths That Hold You Back
You tried it before and it didn’t work
Hey, I feel ya. Sometimes putting your all into something only to have it blow up in your face is discouraging. Let’s be real, it straight up sucks. But here’s the truth, you may have tried it before, but I bet you tried what someone else did.
Ouch. Truth hurts.
Here’s why your last attempt didn’t work…you copied someone else’s systems. You saw that blogger who said to put all your pantry stuff in clear containers and line them up in pretty little rows and all of a sudden your pantry will be this magical clean place where dinners just make themselves.
But everyone is different and everyone lives different lives. What works for one person may not work for you at all. When it comes to organization, you’ve got to find your groove. And it may not be like your best friend’s or your mom’s or that girl with the perfect closet on Instagram.
Your family wouldn’t be on board
Yes, I get that you share your home with a spouse and kids and a dog that sheds like a new wool rug. So it’s totally understandable when you’re worried about trying to get everyone in the house to take this organization journey with you with a smile and full cooperation. That’s a total dreamland and I can almost guarantee that land doesn’t exist.
But chances are, they’re just as fed up with not being able to find the scissors as you are. And as long as you take it one step at a time and you don’t go overboard with a whole new lifestyle, they’ll happily follow suit. And they’ll be grateful that you took the initiative to put a system into place.
You don’t have time
Ah, this is my favorite answer from my coaching clients. I love when they tell me they don’t have time to get organized. I especially love it when I ask them how their morning went.
Their story is always the same. “Well, I fought with the kids about getting up and ready, then we had an all-out-search to find one kid’s homework in that mess of a room of theirs. Then I couldn’t find my keys so we had to have another all-out-search for those too. I spilled coffee on my shirt so I had to choose a new outfit, and we scrambled to get out the door with everything we needed for the day. [Which we didn’t; I forgot my presentation for work and had to turn around and go back.]”
And you said you didn’t have time. Hey, you spent 45 minutes this morning running around like a chicken with your head cut off because you didn’t have it together. How about trading that 45 minute shit show for 45 minutes of organizing your entryway? Then every morning will be smooth sailing?
Organizing is too expensive
Here’s one I take offense to. People always think they can’t organize their home because they’ve got to go out and buy the boxes and bins and baskets and drawer compartments and hooks and caddies and shelves and containers. Guess what? You don’t need any of that fancy stuff.
Sure, it looks nice. And you can totally work your way up to that over time. But whether your stuff is corralled in a cute clear acrylic bin or an old Spiderman shoe box makes no difference. They’re the same size and they serve the same purpose.
So stop lying to yourself that you can’t afford to be organized. Be creative and sort your stuff with what you already have on hand. You can always buy those fancy containers later.
You don’t have any storage space
I call BS on this one, too. If you’ve got room for clutter, you’ve got storage space. That cabinet that houses the avalanche of pots and pans that you’ve put a big sign on saying “Do Not Open” is still a cabinet. Add in some extra shelves and dividers and guess what? Instant storage space.
And that closet of yours that is “just too small for all your clothes” probably just has one rail 3/4 of the way from the ceiling. Of course you can’t fit anything in there, you’re only using half of the closet’s actual space! Trade that one straight rail for an adjustable system that fills the closet from floor to ceiling with multiple shelves are bars. You’ll have room for everything you’ve got, plus enough space for a shopping spree this weekend.
Read More: Why You Can’t Seem To Stay Organized
Can You Relate?
Don’t be embarrassed my friend. Everyone falls into the trap of these myths at some point. But with a little creative thinking, you’ll realize that getting organized is easier and faster than you thought. And keeping it that way can actually be effortless.
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