Who's Really "The Organized One"? Couple Struggles Part 2
If you’re just joining us, take a peek at my introduction to this series on how differences in how people approach organizing their homes can cause relationship strife!
Today, I’m tackling the most common flavor of imbalance between partners when it comes to organization: the partners have accepted their roles as The Organized One and The Disorganized One, and The Organized One is in total control.
But, you might say, doesn’t this make sense? The person who’s better at something should be in charge of it! Well… not necessarily.
In many cases, the more organized person blames the less organized person for 100% of the clutter. Guys, if there’s one thing my mom taught me, it’s that it takes two to tango. Sure, it’s possible - even likely - that one person contributed more to the clutter than the other, but I have never worked with a couple in which one person was in fact perfectly organized.
This is a pile from a day of organizing in my own home - I never show my clients’ dirty laundry without permission!
One couple I worked with was dealing with what they affectionately referred to as “The Pile.” This was an ever growing and changing heap of things they didn’t know what to do with and didn’t have time to think about. The wife was suffering quite a bit of guilt about it and using humor to deflect… and the husband wasn’t exactly absolving her of that guilt! They both were totally devoted to the story that The Pile was her fault and hers alone to deal with.
Well, imagine both of their surprise when we found quite a few items belonging to the husband in “The Pile” - and not only that, but things that mattered to him that he had been looking for.
No one’s perfect, especially when it comes to organizing. And this is a key component of my work: showing my clients what’s really going on in their homes, and how everyone who lives there can contribute to creating a more organized environment no matter their level of organizing skill.
In the case of the couple above, the root of the problem was that they didn’t have designated homes for all of their stuff in places that made sense to both of them. During our time together, we edited their collection of belongings and created systems that both partners committed to using together. Was the process tension-free? Certainly not! But when I arrived at their home a year later to reorganize their spare bedroom for their new baby, most of the systems were still working.
So if you’re The Organized One and frustrated with The Disorganized One, it might be time for a little self-examination about how you might be contributing to organizing problems. And hey, Disorganized One - you might have more desire and capability for organizing your space than you thought!
Intrigued about how I deal with helping couples get organized? Check out the remaining 4 parts of the series!
Part 3: How to Get Your Reluctant Partner on Board With Organizing
Part 4: What to Do When Your Partner Wants To “Just Get Rid of It!”
Part 5: 4 Powerful Strategies for Getting Organized
And if you and your partner need a neutral third party with specific expertise to help you get your home organized together, that’s where I come in! I’ve helped many couples create organized home environments that work for both of them. Just schedule your consultation here to get started!
LMW
