The following is a guest post about why organizing changes are hard & how to accept them from regular contributor, Kristin at The Gold Project.
Originally, I had a back to school organization post planned to share today. I had the entire thing written up and everything. But, something kept leading me a different direction. So, I am switching directions for today’s post.
Let’s talk about change. Change can be am intimidating concept and one that is met with apprehension. You might be thinking,”What does this have to do with organizing?” It has a lot to do with organizing. Change can happen in a daily routine, the way you organize a space, or socially. Change affects every area of our lives at one point or another.
There are times when people do not want to get more organized or eliminate clutter from their home because it involves change. And, change is not easy for everyone. I had to deal with this recently with my mom. I had tried to convince my mom for over a year to let me come clean out and reorganize her closet. My mom doesn’t like change and it took her a whole year to let me tackle the space. But, once I got in there, cleaned everything out and reorganized it, she was so happy with the changes.
So, how do you accept change when change doesn’t come easy, especially when dealing with new organizational systems?
Why Organizing Changes are Hard & How to Accept Them
Focus on the End Result
The process is not always a clean one. When organizing, things can get a little chaotic and messy before they get better. When I was cleaning out my mom’s closet, she actually left the bedroom and went to the living room. She saw the complete mess that I had created, but knew things were going to look so much better in the end. So, the entire time I was pulling out clothes, shoes, and accessories she was focusing on how amazing it was going to look in the end.
Have an Open Mind
I am a routine type of person. I like to have a schedule and everything planned out. When trying to find a new organizational system that old routine may get tossed out for a better one. You have to think positive and be open to change. Change can definitely be hard, but it can result in you having more time during the day and less stress.
Remember that Nothing is Permanent
The biggest thing to remember is that if the system does not work, you can change it. Nothing is set in stone. I have had systems that have worked for years and then all of a sudden, they stop working. Things change, we grow as people, and our organizational systems grow with us.
So, if you try a system that doesn’t work, start over and try again. When I make organizing changes, those changes have to feel right in my brain. I am not sure if that makes sense or not. But, when I have the right set up, I will have a sense of ease. And, sometimes it can take a lot of tweaking to get to that point.
How do you handle organizing changes? Do they come easy to you or are you apprehensive about them?
My name is Kristin and I am a middle school career education teacher by day and a mommy/wife/blogger by night. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have two loving children. We recently made a life-changing move to Arkansas, so our new house is always under construction. I get excitement out of finding new creative, functional, and cute ways to organize things! I also enjoy writing and documenting life as it happens. So, I put these loves together and created The Gold Project. With the help of my husband, I am attempting to turn our house into a home. So, check out this special place of mine and take this journey with me!
Chris K. says
In my case, if I change where I keep something, I’m likely to forget where I changed it to and not be able to find it.
Samantha P. says
You’re not alone Chris! My worst issue is…if I put something “away” (or find a “home” for it if it didn’t have one) then I forget I even OWN It!