The Vision: Principles of Organizing Part 1
When there are a million and one things that need to get done, it’s easy to let organizing your home fall to the bottom of the priority list. I so often hear people say that they really want to get organized, but they have to wait until the end of the school year, or for when work quiets down a little, or until after they get back from a vacation. After all, organizing is a luxury, right? It can wait.
If you’re nodding along to this, I’d like to challenge you to reframe the way you think about organizing. Rather than the icing on top of the cake, organization is the plate that holds it up!
Without a cake plate, you can still bake a cake, but it’s going to be pretty hard to build up stable layers of cake and filling, and there probably won’t be anywhere to put the frosting. But a stable cake plate that fits your style will support a huge, complex cake that’s decorated just the way you like it.
That’s a pretty extended metaphor, but hopefully you get where I’m going with this! The punch line: an organized home supports your entire life, making everything you do easier and more efficient.
So first things first: you’re going to need a vision.
Close your eyes. Imagine opening your front door (or the door of the space that’s bugging you), taking a deep breath, and feeling at home.
How does it look? Get specific it. Color, texture, layout, what things are available to you - really flesh out the picture with lots of detail.
How does it feel? What emotions do you want to feel in that space? Should it inspire you and awaken creativity? Should it calm and relax you?
Really get in touch with those less often used senses too. What do you hear - soft music playing? Chatter of family and friends? Kids running and playing? What do you smell - fresh air? Scented candles? Something savory on the stove?
And be sure you involve anyone you share your home with in the creation of this vision, whether it’s roommates, your partner, kids, or other family members. You’ll be able to paint a more complete picture at the same time as you get buy-in for your organizing project and generate excitement for the transformation to come!
You’re going to need to have a strong, detailed, powerful vision that’s shared by everyone in your home. Because, I have to be honest with you, getting organized is hard work. It takes time, and energy, and effort. So when things get tough and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can look to your vision for inspiration and strength. It will remind you why you’re putting in the work in the first place, and inspire you to keep going!
Now that you’ve created your vision, you’re ready to move on to explore my other basic principles of organizing!
What’s your vision for your beautifully organized home? I’d be honored if you’d share it with me - either below in the comments or directly with me.
LMW
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