I sometimes watch those home makeover shows where someone comes in and organizes everything. They clean out all the clutter and everything has its place. The home looks truly beautiful and the homeowners are all smiles. But then the television crew and the personal organizer leaves and I can’t help but wonder, what happens then? What does the house look like a day later? a week later? a month later?
I can clean, too, only to have my efforts seemingly sabotaged when my children get up in the morning. While they can keep the house clean for a little while if we are having company, their very act of playing seems to leave messes in their wake, and I don’t want to have an environment where my kids can’t play. There always seems to be something that needs to be cleaned up. I do have the kids pick up their toys at the end of the day or when they are done playing, but sometimes there are “works in progress” that just need to take up space for a while. I try to do a thorough “pick-up” at least once a week.
So, I have learned to live with the mess. I don’t like it all the time, but for me, having a spotless house is much less important than having a relaxed home. I’ve learned that organization isn’t a one-time solution. A professional organizer can set you up with a system, or you can get a box or cubby for every item, but ultimately, you are the one who needs to make the decisions about what works for you and your family. You need to make the decision to organize or, at times, to agree to live with less than perfect organization. Only you can decide what areas of your life need to be in perfect order, and what areas can have a little more messiness.
