Being Organized Isn’t What You Think It Is
Odd title huh? Well, that’s because being organized isn’t what you think it is.
Friend, a lot of us fall trapped to the lies perpetuated by so much of what we read, listen to or watch on TV. And that is because we fall in love with the finished product — an organized home — instead of the journey, it takes to actually be organized.
Everything you set out to improve upon in your home requires change — if it didn’t, it would be fine the way was. So, if you want new results (i.e. an organized home, kitchen, pantry, etc) — you’re going to have to do things differently than you’ve done in the past.
And that all starts with the way you think about being organized. Are you ready?
Let’s dive in
The Wrong Mindset
You want a beautiful + functional home and the truth is, we’ll get you there but at Elegant Simplicity, we believe to get you from where you are –– to where you want to be that we have to look at home as a process of self-discovery + self-improvement.
We want to not only set goals + get really clear on your why for “being organized.” What typically happens for most people is they get so set on their goals (I want an organized home, pantry, or kitchen) but they have the wrong mindset to accomplish them.
They’re solely focused on the outcome of those goals. In other words, they're motivated by getting it done, so it looks a certain way, not by getting it correct. And this fails because life is continuous.
If things are set up for the way it looks — like an RGB colored pantry how will you maintain it when you bring home items for your pantry that don’t fit into your pantries color wheel?
Instead, what we want to do is to set goals for being organized (i.e. what we call creating an organizing gameplan) so that we can ensure we’re moving closer to the life we want to live in the home we want to live it in while using the milestones we’ve already achieved in being more organized to keep us motivated. In other words, we’re committed to being organized because there’s a plan + we can look back at what we’ve accomplished to keep us moving forward.
The Treasure Hunt With A Compass
James Clear, author of Tiny Changes Remarkable Results has an incredible analogy that I think fits so well with being organized.
He says, most people view goal setting like a treasure hunt. “They spend all of their time thinking about the treasure and the fastest way to get to a particular spot.” But the reality he says is that you should approach your goals and the things you hope to accomplish in your life (or at home) like a compass. “Set your compass and start walking.”
And I love it because Clear hasn’t alienated the idea of setting goals or having clear conviction about what you want. Yet he’s incredibly convinced that the key to success is to relinquish the outcome and focus on the process.
He finishes off this piece by saying: “Your goal becomes your compass, not your buried treasure. The goal is your direction, not your destination. The goal is a mission that you are on, a path that you follow. Whatever comes from that path—whatever treasure you happen to find along this journey—well, that’s just fine. It is the commitment to walking the path that matters.”
Being Organized Is Continuous
Similar to Clear and his treasure vs. compass analogy… At Elegant Simplicity, our belief is that home is continuous.
There’s really no beginning or an end to it — you are where you are. This is so contrary to the way the home industry teaches us to think in finite terms. Kitchen… remodel. Bathroom… renovation. “Get” organized. As if the decisions you make in one area of your home don’t impact the others.
How can you “get organized” forever or in one day when daily life continues to evolve for you and your family? You can’t.
Which is why you must stop lying to yourself about what being organized looks like.
Being organized isn’t the finished product you see in a magazine. It isn’t the finished space you pin on Pinterest. It isn’t a coffee table book about home that is supposed to inspire you.
And it’s not a documentary of celebrity spaces on Netflix (although fun to watch).
Being organized is looking inside yourself to understand what you want from your home and why it matters to you. Being organized is about learning the skills to help you navigate the natural, inevitable, continuous evolution of life.
Home is continuous + so is being organized.
Finding Happiness In A Continuous State Of Trying To Be Organized
Maybe being organized or the idea that home is continuous is overwhelming. Maybe it’s even a bit, dare I say, daunting. If that’s you, then listen up friend!
When you look at being organized as continuous — you’re simply opening up your mind to an idea. An idea that what I have right now isn’t working so I want to find another way.
That way may or may not work (that’s why you seek out an expert *wink*) but the reality is I’m ok with that because I’ve acknowledged I want better + now I’m going to take the first step towards trying it.
There is a fantastic quote I love by Phil Jones, a world-renowned speaker, he almost always ends everything he does with this quote. And it’s absolutely amazing at highlighting my point here.
So, do you want to know what it is? Ok, fine. I’ll tell you.
Mr. Jones ends each talk with the words, “I wish you all the success in the world that you are prepared to work for.” #TruthBomb #MindBlown #Happiness
I love this quote because Jones is specific that the success you desire (i.e. happiness) is going to take work + what separates those who succeed from those who don’t is they never stop trying.
Ok boo, let me pull this all together for you — finding happiness in being organized is remembering that each step along the path towards being organized, is a step towards being more organized.
Yep, being organized isn’t finite. Sure, maybe the pantry is organized today — but will it be in three weeks? The answer is easy.
Are you willing to do the work to keep it that way? And for the record, the work doesn’t have to be hard, mundane work. It doesn’t have to be exhausting work. It doesn’t have to be energy-draining, back-breaking no fun kind of work.
In fact, the work is all about creating a foundation for making decisions + then from there it’s music pumping, fist-bumping, exhilarating kind of work.
And it’s exhilarating for this reason which is absolutely paramount to finding happiness at home. You won’t be looking forward or measuring your success by how far you have to go.
Nope, my friend, you’ll be looking backwards + measuring each milestone or goal you’ve achieved. James Clear says, “happiness is no longer a finish line in the future.”
I couldn’t agree more — finding happiness in being organized is looking at how far you’ve come + allowing yourself to be present in the journey knowing your compass (i.e. your organizing gameplan) will guide you along the way.
Isn’t this amazing?
You no longer have to put your happiness about home off until “the house is fully organized” or until “your kitchen is remodeled when you’ll have more room for storage.” No, you’ll be entirely focused on the improvements you’ve made along the way and yet still walking the path towards the home you truly want… and deserve.
So, as my mentor, Sean Low says “that’s my rift for today, thanks for tuning in.” There you have it...everything you need to know! And don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.