live an orderly life
I was raised in a home where I remember very little clutter around me. My mother was very meticulous about keeping things organized and not having things we didn’t need. She taught us that there is, in fact, a way to live an orderly life.
It was fundamental in my way of thinking about the physical space in which I live. And an organized way of life is where I thrive. I think most people do well too, but many never get to experience the feeling of a clean and organized environment for various reasons.
And let’s be clear for a moment. As much as I love this way of living, I am far from there at this point in my life. But I’m working to get there once again, living in harmony with my physical environment.
Things that can make you live a messy life
There are many factors that come into play when it comes to living a messy life. For me personally, living with 5 other people who don’t put the same amount of care and thought into keeping things organized makes it too much of a challenge. It can be frustrating and overwhelming, sometimes I even feel like I don’t want to be in this space.
When Fraser and I moved in together a little over 6 years ago, we combined two houses into one. There was a lot of duplication of things. And, with a newborn to care for, it was very difficult for me to organize all this. In the end, I ended up taking some of the mess with me to our new home. I was running out of time and out of steam! But I did it the best way I could at the time. I enjoyed the process, even if it’s still ongoing, because I love to organize! It’s who I am.
The challenge of living with others
Creating a living space that is clutter-free, organized, and clean when living with many different personality types is extremely challenging. I’m much happier when my space is neat and tidy, but this doesn’t seem to be the case for everyone else. At least not to the extent that they want to spend the time and effort doing the work necessary to make it happen.
I guess there are different levels of tolerance for clutter. And to Fraser and her children, her past physical environment makes the state of our current environment seem so much better. This is where the difference lies for us. I realize this is something I need to accept. I also realize that by doing what I can to create a clutter-free environment, I am setting an example for the rest of my family. It’s important to trust that my clothes will eventually stick to them. I just need to be patient.
And I can see that my habits have started to leave their mark. For example, Fraser is looking at how much better it would be to have an uncluttered garage. He would give him the space he needs to do the things he wants to do. But I know that he too is overwhelmed by the mountain of things. But little by little, he is getting there.
Knowing that I can’t control what others are doing, my goal is to create and execute my own cleaning plan. Hopefully this will only entice others to do the same in their personal space.
For now, I’m taking it one stack at a time and one room at a time. Eventually, I’ll get there and everyone will be happy about it.
Where do you start?
It can be overwhelming to look at your entire home and think, “Do I have to clean and organize all of that?” It’s enough to make you quit before you even start. Do not despair. Your path to an orderly life comes step by step.
Over the next few days, weeks, months, I will be taking you on a cleansing journey. I invite you to join me on this journey and see where you can take baby steps in your own home.
I will prepare an action plan for myself and share it with you, along with my progress. I’ll share tips and tricks with you along the way and together we can improve our quality of life simply by improving our living space. You will be amazed at the impact this will have on all other areas of your life.