As a professional organizer, I see a LOT of great organizing information. Between friends, family and clients who share their experiences through social media, people who send articles to me, and my own research, there’s a MASSIVE amount of organizing that passes through my brain.
There also seems to be just as much dissension.
It never ceases to amaze me how when someone shares that they’re letting go of what they don’t need, creating space, and feeling FABULOUS about it, someone else is going to have some nasty rebuttal.
If I were a younger woman, this is where I’d say “Haters gonna hate.”
The truth is, when you get these angry dissenting opinions, most often it’s because of that person’s fear of change and letting go. Please don’t let that derail you, darling.
Just because someone does something one way doesn’t mean we all have to – ESPECIALLY when we’re talking home. Guess what, Sunshines? There is no one way that you HAVE to do everything or even anything.
Even if I’m the one telling you what to do.
Years ago, I interned for a fantastic therapist. I’m reminded of a story that she often told:
A daughter grows up watching her mother make pork roast. The mother would season and prepare the roast. Just before placing the prepped roast in the pan, she would cut the roast in half. Then the two halves would be placed into the pan then into the oven to cook. When the daughter grew up this is the way she also prepared her pork roast.
One day the daughter invites her mother over for dinner and makes this pork roast. When the mother sees the roast, she asks her daughter why it was cut in half.
The daughter replies, “Because that’s how you’ve always done it.”
The mother laughs and says, “I did that because the roast was too big to fit into my pan. You have a larger pan. You don’t have to cut it in half!”
Just because a certain way works for someone doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone. That’s just what works for them. The way I organize some things for myself isn’t necessarily going to work for my clients just as the way I organize things for one client may not work for another client or me.
We’re all individuals. Our background experiences that shape our lives, views and emotional attachments are different. The structure and storage of our homes are individual and different. Our clutter thresholds and organizational needs are different.
When you’re letting go of clutter and organizing your home, think of what feels good and natural to you. If there are items that are theoretically sentimental but you don’t feel attached, let them go no matter what anyone else says. (For example, I loved college and kept my college yearbooks but hated high school so tossed those yearbooks. I don’t miss them either.) If others say you’re crazy or that you shouldn’t do it then tell them that you like your brand of crazy and they’re not the ones living in your house. If you read an article about how to organize something and it doesn’t feel right to you, don’t do it. (And yes, that includes my advice too. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea but I am some people’s glass of bubbly.) If you try a system and it doesn’t work, change it – even if that system was suggested by an expert.
At the end of the day, it’s about having a home that makes YOU feel good. The items inside are things that serve your needs and bring you joy. The systems flow the way you need them to so you feel at ease. Who cares if it does or doesn’t work for someone else.
If you don’t have to cut your pork roast in half, don’t.
Melinda is the sassy, redheaded best friend you always wanted. Called everything from slave-driver to life-saver to organizing ninja, her natural organizing skills and vivacious attitude will make getting organized suck less.
Melinda works with mildly cluttered to mildly hoarded people all over the country. She’s also teamed with extreme-cleaning crews to safely clear out massive clutter situations. She was named “Best Personal Organizer” by Fort Worth, TX Magazine and her tips have been featured in Shape, Woman’s Day, and WeTV as well as many other local and national publications.
When not clearing clutter, Melinda enjoys performing as a supernumerary with the Fort Worth Opera, yoga, cooking, and eating indulgent food, and believes that champagne is meant for the everyday.
