Organizing as a Lifestyle Rather Than an Event
source: sindesign
Alternative Title: How Mandi Got Her Groove Back
When I made the decision in December to finally launch Organizing Your Way, which had been a dream of mine for many, many months, I had no idea that I would be facing extreme nausea and exhaustion in January and February. As it turns out, we found out we were expecting a baby just weeks after the official launch, and as my morning sickness increased, so did my need for sleep!
Because I had just launched this blog, a project I was very excited about, I worked hard to continue to provide quality content through the morning sickness, although you’ll definitely see my post counts dip there at the peak of it all. However, I’m the first to admit that I can’t do it all, and the organizing and decluttering around my own house took a backseat.
I learned an important lesson during the past two months – maintaining an organized home means you invest a little bit of time each day, week and month in your system.
Organizing is not a one-time task that you complete and never have to revisit. It’s something that requires maintenance, and the degree to which you’re willing to invest in that maintenance directly correlates to how long your system will last.
What I’ve noticed in our home is despite the fact that we don’t have a lot of disposable income, we seem to be acquiring stuff at an alarming pace, and there is clutter around every corner (some of which is left over from the Christmas season and a December that kicked our butt with several medical issues that needed our attention more than our home did).
All of that to say I don’t necessarily feel like my home is all that organized as I sit here today. And I’ve been okay with that because there have been other things that have needed my time, energy and attention.
But now, as my energy is returning and my nausea seems to be slowly decreasing, the clutter is starting to call my name. I’m having a harder time looking past it as I go about my day, and I’m feeling the urge to start cleaning out every cabinet, closet and crevice of our house to get rid of the unnecessary stuff (which I know sounds a lot like nesting but in this case is actually just a reflection of my type-A personality!).
And because the clutter has been neglected for three months – and not, say, three years – I know that it will only take me a weekend or two of quickly going through each area to get back on top of it all.
How about you? Do you approach organizing as an ongoing task, or have you always thought of it as a one-time event? Does this perspective make sense to you, or does it seem overwhelming?
Hey Congratulations!
I’m also pregnant and it sounds like we’re around the same…..
On Wed I’ll be 14 weeks. You?
Marcia Francois, Organising Queen’s last blog post…Don’t forget to sign up for the Virtual Organising Seminar
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I really like organizing too. You hit it when you said “the degree to which you’re willing to invest in that maintenance directly correlates to how long your system will last.” So true!!
I’ve seen beautifully organized spots in my home return to clutter at an alarming rate because I didn’t keep up with it.
Don’t worry about the morning sickness effecting your blog. You’re doing a great job
Nicki at Domestic Cents’s last blog post…Good Reads: Database Repair Needed
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“And because the clutter has been neglected for three months – and not, say, three years – I know that it will only take me a weekend or two of quickly going through each area to get back on top of it all.”
Isn’t that a great feeling?! I was out of commission for the past 3 or 4 days and I am staring at the clutter that had accumulated over just those few days. But, I know that before those few days my house was clutter free and it will only take a few trips around the house with my laundry basket to pick up and put back all this stuff! You are so right. The key is to keep at it everyday. Make de-cluttering and organizing a lifestyle. That makes life soooo much less stressful.
Marci’s last blog post…Packing for the weekend
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I heard on the Oprah Winfrey show an excellent way of tidying up… it’s part of a way of “being organized” rather than a 100% fix-it solution thing… basically what you do is gather the entire family or everyone who’s going to help and set this task strictly by the clock. For a full half an hour you tidy, clean, polish, put away, throw away, whatever. When the half hour’s up you stop sharpish. It works really well, you’d be surprised how much gets done and it’s far less stressful than doing more open-ended tasks… one that’s definitely worth giving a try…
Gledwood’s last blog post…Craving Crack Cocaine
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Congratulations!
I definitely approach organizing as a lifestyle. It amounts to less LARGE projects and just more continuous ‘keeping up’ tasks.
Sarah H.’s last blog post…Meal Plan Mondays: 3-2-09
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I MUST approach organizing as a lifestyle, or my home would never be organized! It is a daily task of straightening, putting away, filing, and wiping down. A tidy home makes a happy home for me (which means when the girls play/destroy my living room I get a bad case of the shakes), and keeping it clutter-free is an ongoing task. But, I love it!
Amy’s last blog post…100th post!
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I was trying to do it daily but picking up every day, cleaning once a week, and never mind “deeper” seasonal cleaning (such as windows, screens, baseboards & fans!) I never got to it!
What I did was sit down with my 12-month calendar and I started from the top floor, front room (my master bedroom) and chose one room to declutter and “deep” clean per week (some rooms got 2 weeks if they were bigger). My goal is to spend 15 minutes per day that week (or some weeks all at once, depending on my mood) and this way it is getting under control and not causing me serious anxiety.
Oh and by the way, you think you have stuff now … wait until your little one comes!!
Love the blog. Keep it up!
Elizabeth @ More Than A Mom’s last blog post…Menu Plan Monday
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This was a very liberating post for me! I’ve been kicking myself because I lost organization ground over the last few weeks. But you know what – there were things that needed my attention more than my house. What a freeing thought!!!!
And now that things are settling down, I can get back to the organizing.
whimsy’s last blog post…Homeschooling First Grade Resources
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Definitely a lifestyle. Otherwise you go crazy! I get into fits every now and then with the stuff all over, but that just tells me it’s time to go on a “spree” to get all the big stuff that I haven’t accomplished yet.
You and I sound just alike!! Glad you are feeling better!
Lori’s last blog post…Get $5 from Lysol
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I love to organize! With that said I never seem to make a dent with everything we have. I have three children 16,13,10. My 16 year old helps with cleaning up my other 2 fight me all the way. I have MS and I work full time. Which is hard in itself. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is hard no matter what the situation is and if you make a dent then in a week things build back up once again. I will say one thing that has helped. I got a ROOMBA for a Christmas gift. I didn’t actually get it until 1 week ago. It is a huge helper. I know it is expensive but every morning I wake up early and try to get some things done before going to work. I turn the Roomba on and it vacuums the first floor while I get laundry done and putting toys away and able to organize some of the things that need done. By the time I go to work the house looks great.
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[...] I really like orgaznizing so it’s no great wonder that I enjoy reading Organizing Your Way. This week Mandi wrote about Organizing as a Lifestyle Rather Than an Event. [...]
Congratulations! I’ve had horrible morning sickness and fatigue with both pregnancies, and both times it was my body’s way of saying, “SLOW DOWN!” Unfortunately things don’t stay neat and polished when we slow down, but it all catches back up with nesting.
Chicky Mama’s last blog post…Happy Little Lunchbox
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[...] Organizing Your Way offered an interesting article on organization as a lifestyle rather than an event. Granted, I think some of us are more inclined to be organized than others, but incorporating various systems – which are different for everyone – and giving ourselves a break are keys to an an organized life. [...]