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If there is any one question I have gotten from friends over the years it would probably be “how did you get SO organized?” Most of the time I would respond with something like “Oh, it’s just something I have gotten good at over the years.” That answer still rings true, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally really thought about that question, “how did I get so organized”?
The REAL answer might surprise you.
You see, I wasn’t always an organized person. Anyone who knew me in my younger years can attest to this, especially my mom! She can even tell you of a time as a teenager where I would keep practically everything! My bedroom looked like a mini version of the show hoarders and it drove my mom BONKERS!
This continued well into my young adulthood and even into my first year or so of marriage. Soon after that we had our first child, and even though motherhood changed me in many ways, this particular area of my life remained mostly the same with the exception of a few minor improvements.
Everything changed though when my second son was born. Over a turn of events my life turned from relatively normal to pure CHAOS. You know that saying “when it rains it pours” well that could not have been more true for me at the time.
It wasn’t chaos in just one area of my life, it was multiple. I will save some of the details for another post, but to summarize, it all it started with a very stressful move, followed by a new baby with severe colic, who also had random health issues that I had no answers to. While all of this was happening, my husband found out his hours at work were being cut in half which meant bills very quickly started piling up. The bills piled up and no matter how much we tried to stay afloat we just couldn’t hack it. We ended up having to short-sale the house we worked so hard to make home. I also had relationships with family that were less than stellar, and any support system I thought I should have was virtually non-existent.
I felt SO alone. SO helpless. It seemed as if it would never stop raining. Every day I would wake up and it would take everything in me just to get out of bed. There were so many things happening that were out of my control. I hated that feeling. I just wanted everything to be normal again.
So……I started cleaning things. I started organizing things. I went CRAZY on almost every room in my house. The closets, the kitchen, the toys, EVERYTHING! Not only that, I hands and knees scrubbed every little inch, nook, and cranny. I needed to do something to distract me from all the “rain” and all the pain. Cleaning and organizing became my new stress ball! And to be honest, it felt AMAZING! The rest of my life was falling apart, but this area was actually coming together! At least I was making progress on something.
When your life is chaotic and crazy one of the last things on your mind is organizing your pantry or cleaning out your closet. Trust me, I GET IT!
But hear me out for a second. You see, there are so many things in this life that we cannot control, and that is not going to change. But one thing WE CAN control is our environment! The space that you and your family work so hard to pay for. The space that you and your family spend the majority of your time. That space can be either positive or negative, and that is all in your control!
You might be surprised at how much a cluttered and dirty house can weigh you down. Maybe you are someone who thrives in that type of environment, and that is ok too. But I would be willing to guess that majority of people would say that they feel more calm and relaxed when there house is clean and organized.
I know for me, not only am I more calm and relaxed, but so are my kids! I am also a much better mom! I am more patient and less grumpy when I am not constantly yelling at my kids because they cannot find their shoes, or their room looks like a bomb went off.
It’s a win win all around!
I guess my point to all of this is to encourage you that if things in your life feel out of control or chaotic, don’t forget the small and sometimes insignificant things that you CAN control.
Looking back, I can now see how that one small change of cleaning and decluttering made a huge difference in being able to handle the rest of what life threw at me, and it continues to do so today.
Maybe it will for you too?
I would love to hear if you have had a similar experience? Do you find that clutter makes you feel stressed, anxious, or grumpy? Or does it not bother you?
Also if you know someone who’s life also feels out of control and chaotic, please share! You never know who you may help!
Thanks!
