I am sure that if this blog has been read from the start, the realization that a move from one place to another can be difficult on anyone, regardless of how organized a person can be. I can’t imagine how a person manages a move when they are lazy or unorganized. Of course, this idea probably isn’t on the mind of the unorganized or lazy to begin with. It’s the rest of us that are constantly trying to achieve a state of organization that can only truly occur in three different ways. I will elaborate in each of these ways momentarily, but if there are any other ways that can create a clean and organized living space, please email me your wonderful ideas! Also, I think it is important for somebody to actually blog these ideas for everyone to read for free rather than having to purchase a book or magazine that states the way to become clutter free. I know my loving parent really didn't go over exactly as to how I could become clutter free; I suppose they thought I would just either a.) learn the hard way, or b.) by observing them. It would have been nice if someone had told me how it should be done...oh, say, about 10 years ago.
Method 1:
(Most simplistic way). As soon as you have your first place, don’t unpack anything until you have the right amount of shelves, baskets, containers, and labels to sort through the first box. Then, from that day forward, everything has a place. This is a very simple way to become and stay organized; unfortunately, as soon as you move in with someone else, that person has to be just as dedicated or the whole "mission" will fail.
Method 2:
(Not for pack rats). Think of your space is an open area. Keep only the absolute bare necessities. Think like a minimalist. This way, there’s way less to pick up, keep organized, and dust around. Do you really need a whole set of serving spoons when you can use one over and over for each dish? After all, eventually the broccoli casserole and the red potato stew are going to be mixed in your stomach...why not on your plate? Think even more simple...do you really need to have a towel for every day of the week? What if everyone in the family had only one towel that they used all week? A towel is generally used to dry a persons body after a shower...so the towel stays relatively clean (unless one forgets to use soap) and doesn’t need to be replaced until the week’s end when it’s laundry time (actually, I believe my sister might be utilizing this idea). I know that this might be a very simplistic approach to living, but it would certainly cut down on the amount of time spent on laundry, cleaning, dusting, folding, shifting things around the house, and putting items away. Unfortunately, I doubt that there are a large audience for this kind of living. Not only does the idea require a person to be highly selective for what possessions must be eliminated, consumerism would die if every person only needed one picture of the family and only one television in the house.
Method 3:
("Most-often-used" route) Here is a method that, at least in theory, should work. Regardless as to why the rooms were originally destroyed, one room is to be cleaned at a time. The rule of thumb is "one room at a time." Literally. And this method does work. I have proven it to have worked. Of course, it worked for me when I lived in a one bedroom apartment in Texas with a 10 month old who took naps and couldn’t climb the baby gate. Take all the items that do not have a "home" in that room, and move it to the next. Clean the room. Organize it. Don’t work on any other room until that room is finished. This is a great idea that actually works especially if you have a lot of time on your hands. Unfortunately, most of us do not have the time to devote ourselves entirely to one room and finish it, especially if the books and papers were getting busy and have now multiplied like bunnies. Also, if there are kids in the house, while one is locked away busily cleaning that room, the little Angels (I would have used "Indians" but I didn’t want to offend anyone) are in another room guzzling chlorox while setting the Christmas tree on fire. Or, one takes the kids into the room and attempt to busy them with something, like coloring. Unfortunately, God, or human genetics have created an off switch in children where they somehow know that this once very fun activity of coloring is now just a way to keep them out of trouble...and thus, the activity is no longer appealing. But look at how those crayons look on that new book over there...or the wall....So really, this 3rd method works best after the kids go to bed, or to Granmama’s, or to college.
The fourth Method that was not listed above as it is the most insane approach actually works the best for our family. This method works well because we have actually been using all three methods in some combination or another. Before we buy, I always ask (aloud, how annoying), are we sure we don’t have another one of those at home? Do we really need it or is it just excess? Then, when we move, I try to not unpack our boxes until I am sure we have a home for everything. Sometimes I make a "home" for a place only to change it later. We are terrible pack rats, but it’s okay because I still regret having thrown out that rope that I now desperately need so I am sure that hanging onto that extra basket (even if the handle is a tad bit broken) will come in handy for something later on. I can’t really say that we use method 2 too much as we really do have a lot of stuff, but for many years we did keep our extras down to a minimum. I believe that for the last nine years of marriage, we had only two sets of sheets for our bed until our last purchase. I digress to what the fourth method is....
The fourth method (Drum Rolls) is to steadily pick up from each room a little bit at a time. Unfortunately, this method causes people to lose steam quickly, accept the disaster, and label it "comfortable living within realistic measures," hence, bills shoved in between cookbooks and shoes left in dark corners in the living room as only "starters" to the madness. This method, I believe, is the most popular method as anybody could readily agree; it is more fun to go watch tv or read a book that enable any of the first three methods. So even the really truly "lusting-for-an-organized-life" people may opt for this 4th way while buying hoards of "do-it-yourself" magazines that show immaculately organized houses with lists of what to buy to make yours look like the mag’s picture.
I say, the day you can’t see the floor, and have forgotten the color of your furniture is the day you have one big yard sale.
I hope this will possibly, at least, make some people laugh at their own created world of insanity. I truly believe that I "got" myself into this jam of too much...I can slowly weed out the stuff that I really don't need, and organize the rest of it. One desperate mother wants to give up; another mom gives up on housework (Dec 9th entry). And I know I read someone's blog about how she couldn't find her desk, but I am having a hard time finding it again.
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