Clean and Tidy - May

If you're inspired to be more organized but like me you're new to the process there are a few things I want you to know!

1) You need purpose. The thing that motivated me to begin getting organized was knowing what I wanted from it. I wanted the freedom to do everyday stuff without the obstacle of having to a big tidy-up before I could get started. I wanted to be able to invite people over without the stress of a major clean-up/tidy-up job. I wanted my house to be reasonably tidy/clean not only when people were expected but most of the time! I also wanted to start getting away from living a life of excess.

2) It will take time. The initial organizing process for me took about a year - literally! I can be rather impulsive (especially when I'm excited about something) and so I had a really hard time sticking to one room at a time although I would recommend doing just that. I found it worked well for me to break it down even more than that - one area of a room at a time.

3) There will be a transitional period. Be prepared for a period of time when things will feel like they're in a bit of an upheaval. (Going one room/area at a time helps minimize this.) Just remember that it's only for a period of time and it will pay off in the end! Be deliberate about the changes you're making and keep plugging away.

4) "Warn" your spouse! ;) Let them know there's going to be a transitional stage. I let Jason know early on what was happening and he was really supportive. I explained to him that while things would be a bit crazy for a while that in the end the benefits would be for everyone. We would all enjoy how the house would look/operate when I was done.

5) "Brainwash" your children. OK, so of course I'm kidding about actually brainwashing them, but I do believe that children pick up on our silent expectations when it comes to both atttitude and behaviour. Have faith in them! Don't just expect that they won't like it, they're blank slates and don't know yet that they're "not suppose to" like certain things. If you can sincerely present them with new ideas/plans and let your excitement show they will pick up on it. I explained really simply that I was going to be making some changes in our house so that everything would have a "home". I told them this would be good for them, because it would be easier for them to tidy up their toys and they would have an easier time finding their toys. I also talked about how it would be easier to do crafts and play games when the house was tidier. I presented all the changes as being really exciting ones and they picked up on the excitement.*

If you think you can't muster the excitement, be honest with them admit you're not excited about the work involved either, but you know the end result will make it worth it - and that you're excited about the end result. Focus on the benefits that will come after the changes have been made and all you have to look forward to.

6) Involve your family. Unless you live on your own, not everything is yours anyways! My daughters S and R are now 8 and 5 and they did an incredible job when I asked them to help sort through their stuff. With Jason the approach was different. Jason's a planner, so with him I let him know in advance that I wanted to sort through an area of his and then when the time was right we went through it together. Item by item he would let me know whether it was to be kept, thrown out or given away.

7) You'll benefit from letting go of misconceptions. My first misconception was that being a good housekeeper meant that I needed my house to be immaculate any time anyone came through the front door. It turns out it has more to do with making things eaiser to maintain. If you drop by unnanounced, there will always be children playing, or doing crafts and running all around the house. I'll likely be in the middle of cooking, baking, cleaning or some other project and if Jason's home he'll be in the middle of doing something too. Our house is a home and our home has a pulse. It won't look like your stepping into a house off the front cover of House and Home. My other misconception was that being organized wasn't for me, because it wasn't one of my natural strengths. It's relieved so much stress for me to realize that neither of these things need to be true. Getting rid of clutter and becoming more organized has made housekeeping easier and it's even made it...fun!

*Jason told me the sweetest story a little while ago about something S (our 8 year daughter) had said. She was in her room one day rearranging books on her shelf and she said, "I'm just like mom because I'm trying to find the best way to organize things." It just totally melted my heart!