When you look around at your home, how does it make you feel? Overwhelmed? Disconnected? Unfinished? Like there’s no specific place for the things you see sitting out + half the time you can’t find what ya need?

I’m here to tell ya, friend. You’re not alone! Because whether you’re frustrated with the state of your existing home or you’re overwhelmed by the uncertainty of building a new home + how things should be organized or set up in it — that friction you’re struggling with is as real as the air you breathe. 

And, for over a decade, it's what we've worked so hard to help eliminate for our clients. 

So the question really is… how? 

How do you actually get unstuck? 

How do you finally organize your home, the right way?

How do you ensure the solutions (whether that's closet systems, containers or labels) you invest in will actually work for you? 

Well boo, hold onto your hat because we’re about to dive into one of the secret sauces to organizing your home ;) You ready?

SPOILER ALERT: it’s intention setting *wink*

What is Intention Setting At Home

Intention setting at home is simply determining how you want to live in your home. It’s clarifying to yourself what actually matters most to you + places intentional focus on it. 

We live in a world where devices are at our fingertips + it is so incredibly easy to get distracted from who we truly want to be + what kind of home we actually want to have. Instead of being persuaded by what some shelter magazine or advertisement tries to sell you as you scroll through IG or Facebook, intention setting gives you clarity.

An example of intention setting from your favorite designers + organizers over at Elegant Simplicity might be, live in a home with everything I need.

How Is Intention Setting Different From Goals Or Affirmations

If we’re being honest, which we always are, the differences between goals, affirmations and intention setting is quite subtle. 

And quite frankly, a lot of people might confuse our last statement (the example from above) with an affirmation or goal. However, living in a home with everything you need is really more a guiding principle or a commitment than actual achievement.

Are ya confused yet? *wink* 

Let me break it down for you.

Goal

A goal is pass or fail. In fact, Cambridge defines a goal as concrete — you achieve or you don’t.

Affirmation

An affirmation is specific to the present. John does these daily. His daily affirmation goes like this, “I’m so happy + grateful…” He’s affirming that he’s happy + grateful for everything in his life. His family. His wife *wink* and his home.

Intention

An intention, however, is about determining or acknowledging the direction you’re setting. It’s simply a compass.

All three, goals, affirmations, and intention setting are crucial elements to living in an organized home.

Why Intention Setting Matters 

By now you have to really be wondering how all of this intention setting is actually crucial to organizing your home? In other words, why does intention setting even matter for organizing?

And I love this quote by Alfred Wainwright, who said:

Without intention setting, organizing your home is like jumping in the car and driving with no plan, no destination + more specifically no idea where you’re even headed. It may be fun for a while but eventually, it fails. 

Doing this in your home leaves you overwhelmed + frustrated. It creates friction in your relationships, maybe even your own self-esteem (i.e. being embarrassed about your home). And then eventually, you run out of gas. 

But once you take the time to set your intentions (and you’ll do this more than once) — all of a sudden your mindset, attitude, perspective, thoughts, and most importantly productivity in terms of organizing skyrockets. 

It takes off + you look around at your home + you begin to see the progress you’ve been longing for simply because you have clarity in what your intentions are for organizing your home. 

In other words, your intentions guide you.

And here is another, fantastic quote, that simply validates why intention setting matters. Alan Cohen said,

Where Most People Go Wrong With Intention Setting

So if intention setting is so directive + guides you — then where do most people fail? Where do they go wrong with intention setting? 

Honestly, it’s simple. I said intention setting was an aim to where you’re going. People who fail over and over again organizing their home lose sight of their compass. 

They lose sight of “why” they're doing it in the first place.

We’ve discussed a lot about intentional living in the past. Which was making choices for your home that were in alignment with your overarching goals. 

And intention setting is so incredibly critical to organizing your home because it’s all about maintaining clarity + staying focused on why having a beautiful and functional home matters to you. 

Home Is Continuous

As your needs, desires and life evolves — your home will too. 

Take for instance the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite the fact that it’s only been painted end-to-end three times in its entire lifespan, it is constantly getting routine touch-ups. In fact, touch-up painting never stops as it’s the primary maintenance job of the 28 painters on staff. 

Yep, you read that right… 28 painters!

Exposed to constant corrosion from the salty sea breeze, painting of the Golden Gate Bridge is continuous + there is no finish line because the moment they get done — they’re evaluating where else needs to be touched up in order to protect the integrity of the bridge. Which is absolutely incredible...

Like the Golden Gate Bridge, organizing your home requires attention. It’s not, set it + forget. You’ll constantly be evaluating what’s working + what isn’t in order to create a home that’s everything you need + nothing more.

You see, when you take the time to really evaluate the change you want from your home — the biggest benefit you get from intention setting is clarity. 

Clarity, in what’s important to you, what’s not important. And then you begin to make decisions for your home that are in alignment with those values instead of whatever advertisement you’re being inundated with.

Well friend, there you have it...everything you need to know about why intention setting is critical for organizing your home! 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 the4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.