Being Organized Isn’t Easy

Is it?

Yes, you heard me right. Getting, being, and staying organized isn’t easy, not if “easy” means “requiring no effort”. When did I ever say that?!

Being organized means living your life by design, not by default. It does takes some time and effort.  It requires taking a few minutes to tidy up after yourself on a daily basis. And designating “homes” for your things so you can find them quickly and easily. And setting limits on how much stuff you will bring into your space. And routinely moving things out of your space that you no longer need or want. Prioritizing tasks and scheduling activities makes it more likely that you’ll get to do the ones that mean the most to you.  And if one of your organizing systems isn’t working well, you stop and take the time to figure out what’s wrong and fix it.

So, no, it’s not easy. But it’s worth it! And it’s definitely easi-er. And sure, it might be easi-er for me than it is for you. But it’s not effortless for me either.

Consider the alternatives:

  • It’s easier to de-clutter for a few minutes a day than to allow piles to accumulate to the point where it becomes a big huge overwhelming project.
  • It’s more relaxing to sort your mail daily than it is to hunt through a mystery pile of paper in a panic to locate an important document.
  • It’s cheaper to pay your bills and file your taxes on time than it is to incur late fees and fines.
  • It’s more fun to have a family ten-minute tidy-up than to argue about who left their stuff all over the place.
  • It’s safer to leave early for an appointment than to drive too fast and risk an accident.
  • It’s healthier to live in a clean home than one that is too cluttered to clean properly.
  • It’s smarter to keep your car in the garage than a bunch of deteriorating boxes of stuff you never use.
  • It’s less stressful to prepare for emergencies than to live in fear of something bad happening to you.

What do you do to make your life easier?

What else could you do?

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Copyright 2012- 2014 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
Social media links directly to this page are encouraged!
Please contact me for other types of reprint permission.

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6 Comments

  1. innovativepat on January 24, 2012 at 9:29 am

    Hazel, I couldn’t agree with you more … nor could I have said it better!

  2. Hazel Thornton on January 25, 2012 at 7:48 am

    Thanks, Pat!

  3. Janet Barclay on September 6, 2014 at 4:42 am

    Our mailbox is on the main floor of our apartment building. We pick up the mail after walking the dog, which means (a) we get it daily, so it doesn’t pile up; and (b) we can quickly look at it and discard any unaddressed junk mail instead of bringing it upstairs with us.

    We pay our bills online, which means (a) we don’t have to buy stamps and envelopes; (b) we don’t have to make a trip to the mailbox; and (c) we don’t have to worry about payments getting lost or delayed in the post office. We usually pay them as soon as they come in, which means we don’t have to keep track of due dates or find a place to keep them until then.

    • Hazel Thornton on September 12, 2014 at 6:15 pm

      Great tips, Janet! Thanks for sharing them with us.

  4. Seana Turner on September 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Love it, Hazel. It’s easier to be productive in the morning if you come down to a space that is ready to go, rather than last night’s mess:) I am big on leaving my space in a way that will welcome me next time I enter.

    • Hazel Thornton on September 12, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      I can’t agree with you more, Seana! I’m working on cleaning up my kitchen counter before I go to bed, as opposed to when I wake up, which isn’t as easy as it sounds if you don’t do it before you get too tired. I’m also working on getting to bed earlier!

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