Living the Organized Life

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE  |  erinlove@panachebyerin.com

Picture the following scene: you awaken naturally and refreshed without the help of an alarm clock. Your feet hit the floor, and you know that you have a few leisurely minutes to enjoy a cup of coffee and read your devotional.  The rest of the family will be up soon, so you shower and dress with little stress. Everyone else now gets ready for the day without your help. You all walk out the door and arrive at your respective places on time! During the day, you check almost everything off your “to-do” list, which makes you feel accomplished and ready to enjoy the evening with your family. Then, you walk in the door from work and spend some time with the kids before beginning meal preparations. The rest of the evening goes perfectly, and you lay your head down and quickly fall asleep.  

How do you feel? I bet you are thinking, “Yeah right! That will never happen!” While this dream I led you through may be a bit exaggerated, it is not as out of reach as you think. You CAN live an organized and fulfilling life even through the chaos that life can throw at you.  Let me give you a bit of advice. First, though, let me assure you that I am in no way perfect!  I frequently drive around in a messy vehicle, and my laundry piles up just like yours.  The only difference is that most of the time, I can turn things around.   I don’t stay unorganized long, and that is what I want to teach you.  Once you have systems in place, it will be easy for you to bring everything back to order quickly, too.  

So, what is “living an organized life” really?  It is about creating the environment in which you can function optimally.  It is about supporting your goals and dreams and nurturing your family.  What does that life look like for you specifically?  Please share with me on social media! 

Such organization isn’t about parting with your things.  It’s about keeping the things that bring you joy and happiness.  It’s about knowing when, why, and how to release items so that they can improve the life of someone else.   

First, let me start by addressing some of the issues that might be holding you back from getting organized.  

SENTIMENTALITY

Believe me, I completely empathize with sentimental attachment to items. I, too, keep things that my kids have made, and I hold on to family heirlooms.  I just don’t hold on to EVERYTHING.  I have taught myself how to release items, yet still preserve their memory.  For instance, pictures of your child holding an art project look great in a “school years” album or box.  And, I am currently working on cutting swatches out of Eli and Everly’s old baby clothes so that I can have a quilt made.  There are so many ways to preserve memories while clearing clutter.  

DUPLICATION

Do you have duplicates, or maybe even multiples, of certain items?  I often find that clients have multiples of measuring spoons, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, and clothing items, just to name a few.  Duplicating some items is okay and even necessary sometimes.  Here are duplicates that are reasonable:  Vacuums – We need different  vacuums for certain jobs.  For instance, I have a household vacuum, a handheld vacuum for small jobs, a shop vacuum, and a car vacuum!  Each serves its specific purpose!  Office supplies – I think you need a pair of scissors, pad of paper, and writing utensils in every room of the home.  You never know when you will need to make a note or cut a tag or thread.  Umbrellas – Keep a few umbrellas in your car and a few in your home.  I inevitably leave an umbrella at a restaurant or shop while out and about.  Sunglasses – The same goes for sunglasses.  I keep a few inexpensive pairs in my vehicle and some at home.  And, of course, we  have athletic sunglasses, black sunglasses, and tortoise shell sunglasses to match every occasion and outfit.  There may be more items that require duplication, but these will get you started in the right direction.  

MONEY

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “But I paid a lot of money for that!”  While I understand that it feels like a waste of money to get rid of something, I think it is a bigger waste to have it taking up the space a truly useful item could inhabit.  Just food for thought!  

CONFUSION

I can bet that most of you want to start, but you are frozen because you have no idea where to start!  “A body in motion stays in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest.”  The quickest way to conquer inertia is to get moving!  Just start somewhere and the law of motion will take hold immediately. 

DISCOURAGEMENT

You must understand that getting organized isn’t always pretty…until the end.  During the process, things may look worse before they get better. This is when most people give up.  Don’t let it happen to you!  Keep going until the job is complete.  

If you conquer these most common culprits, you are well on your way to being organized.  You may not realize it, but you are actually designing your life every day! You are constantly making decisions about your time and your possessions without even thinking about it.  A life prepared isn’t a one- time project; it is a way of living.