I have been called a control freak more than once in my life. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s real. It’s usually by those closest to me because those are the people that I typically try to control. It’s not like I set out to be Miss Bossy Pants, but in my overzealous attempts to care for and help the people that I love, it doesn’t always come across in the way I intended. So, I try to be less controlling and keep more of my opinions to myself. I let people close to me make mistakes sometimes because it’s their life and their mistakes to make. I try to listen more and speak less. And I try to just let things be sometimes, even when I think I’m right.
So what does any of this have to do with organization? So glad you asked! The one area of my life where being an overzealous, pain in the hiney, control freak is okay is when it comes to organization.
The closet isn’t annoyed with me when I nit-pick every part of it. I am the Master and Lord of every piece of mail and junk mail that enters my domain. Paper is my B%#&H! No one complains when I organize the pantry as long as everything is easy to find. In fact, people seem to welcome this otherwise annoying part of my personality when it comes to tackling clutter. Yes, my 16 year old daughter limits what I’m “allowed” to touch in her room and I respect her boundaries. However, I’ve been given a carte blanche ticket to organize her closet, her desk, and even her bathroom. She actually lets me come in her room! She likes when I help her calm the chaos and provide her with ways to stay organized going forward.
Now, you don’t have to be a self-proclaimed control freak like me to benefit from some “control freak tendencies” when it comes to home/office organization. Pick one room, one closet, or one drawer and get to work! Having an organized home or office is a process. All you need to do is decide that you’re ready to take action and take control of your environment.
People ask why I enjoy organizing so much. There is definitely some deep psychological reason from childhood that I’m sure is at the heart of it. There always is. I just know that I receive great satisfaction from the feeling of taking a messy and cluttered space and turning it into something functional that people love. Now I’ve heard Einstein had a messy desk. People love to throw that one at me all the time. Maybe it really worked for him, but I’m no Einstein. All I know is that I can think better and I’m much more productive when my workspace is clear and I have room to breathe. If you enjoy your clutter like Einstein, then you probably won’t be reading this blog anyway. But, if you’re like me, you’d feel better and more relaxed if you had a place for everything and everything was in its place.