Everyday organizing – a messy kid turned professional organizer
When I think about everyday organizing there are certain areas in my life where I am very organized. And there are other areas, that are a complete train wreck. Does this describe you? If so, read on for how a messy kid (me) turned into a professional organizer.
I spent several months recently doing professional organizing, and I loved it! I felt like organizing kind of came natural to me, but oh if you would have seen my bedroom as a kid!
Everyday Organizing Myths
That’s the thing about professional organizers, every one thinks an organizer’s house is uber-organized. Ooooohhhh, let me just let you in on a little secret: that is so not true.
Another myth is that an organizer’s house is uber-clean. Now, let’s be clear. Organizing is NOT the same as cleaning! Organizing I’m good at. Cleaning I’m not.
Could your messy child transform into a professional organizer (the answer might surprise you)
I’m the type of person that when I put something together, like a bookshelf, I’ll lay out all the pieces, all the screws, all the little-thing-a-majigs, all in their separate little piles. I’m also the person who when unpacking boxes, will break down the boxes and place them in a neat pile. I don’t care for a messy work area, although if you were looking in from the outside, your opinion just may differ.
It’s funny that I grew up and came to love professional organizing because as a kid, my room was usually a wreck. From time to time I would organize or re-configure my room, and I would enjoy it for less than a week. But by default my room was usually a mess.
One time my dad got so frustrated with me that while I was gone one day, he took all of the stuff that wasn’t school-related but was not put away, and bagged it up. He had mentioned he would do it one day, and well, that day had come. Unbeknownst to me, he tossed the bags up in our attic. As far as I was aware, he threw away my stuff.
Eventually I got my stuff back, but I’m not sure I really got any better. Sorry Dad. :-/
Funny ways that organizing has presented itself in my life
So it’s almost laughable that I enjoy everyday organizing is even in my vocabulary. Or that I have this knack for organizing things.
My closet is organized by type of clothing — slacks, skirts, tops, etc. And the tops (because there are so many) are organized by color. So all of my red tops together, green tops together, etc, you get the idea. It makes it ssssooooooo much easier to get ready. If I’m wearing a certain color pant or skirt, then I can easily find the complementing colors.
Bracelets, necklaces, and earrings are the same way. Now, don’t get me wrong, does some of my jewelry or clothes end up in a messy pile? Absolutely. Does that pile usually last very long? Probably not.
One of my favorite times of the year is when school supplies come out. Like pumpkin spice is to autumn, so is the smell of crayons to the school year. I love the index cards, the crayons, the pens, the notebooks…okay, I’ll stop now. The point I was trying to make was that I have all of our school supplies organized in a dresser — index cards here, pens in this container, eraser over there. I’m not sure which one I love more: school supplies or organizing school supplies!
The Downside?
One of the downsides of having an everyday organizing mindset is that I tend to hoard boxes. You just never know when you might re-organize and need them. I’ll hang onto nice boxes, computer paper boxes, shoeboxes, you name it. But when I’m in an organizing mood, I’m not going out and buying new organizers. I almost always use what I have.
In many cases, I’m organizing areas like a basement or a garage, or even my studio where I don’t need to worry about coordinating colors. Just throwing all of the extension cords in one box is good enough. Of course each of those cords are wrapped nicely and tied off, but I’m digressing. My OCD is the topic of another discussion! J
And of course, organizing invariably means tossing. Tossing the stuff you no longer use. Tossing the stuff that is battered. Tossing the stuff that just isn’t useful to you anymore.
So, what are your organizing stories? Were you a messy kid or neat kid? And how have you transitioned into adulthood — are you the same as you were as a kid? Or completely different? I would love to hear from you! Drop a comment below.
Everyday organizing – a messy kid turned professional organizer
