Have you ever wondered why no matter what you do, you can’t preserve your home tidy for more than a week? From an early age we are told that being organized is the key to success. We were tought at school and at home that being messy will inevitably lead us to failure. There is another common conception that the chaos is related to a higher creativity level. Is there any truth in this urban legend? If we take great minds like Albert Einstein, Mark Twain or even Steve Jobs we can see a certain correlation. This doesn’t mean that living in a messy apartment will suddenly make you more creative. Plus, you should not blame your bad habits to artistic inclinations because this is not always the case. One thing remains true, though – you will definitely benefit from a clean and tidy home.
The negative effect of the clutter is undeniable not only for your living space but also for your emotional state. The clutter creates noise that leads to discomfort. As a result, you are not able to focus in the presence of a messy room. Furthermore, it can make you feel guilty. At some point you become haunted by the huge pile of laundry or dirty dishes in the sink.
The chaos may be a sign of deeper issues. In some instances the clutter is perceived as a shield from the hard cold world. Possessing more, makes you feel safer and less lonely. The roots of your messy habits can also be traced back to you childhood. Usually people think that if you are raised by organized parents you would develop the same values. That is not entirely true. Sometimes parents discourage their children by pinpointing their “bad” traits, constantly insisting on cleaning their room.
Cultural aspect
Being disorganized may be due to several factors. Consider the culture you are living in. Admit it or not, the modern society is concerned with the collection and possession of items. That is why some individuals find it hard to let go of their objects and are inclined to retain things whether they need them or don’t. With this is mind, think about the clutter that you have accumulated over the years and that stops you from having an organized home. It is far more difficult to take care of many items, instead of just a having a bunch of essentials.
Emotional aspect
The emotional attachment also plays an important role. If you associate a certain item with a pleasant experience or a close person that is not with you anymore you will find it hard to put it away. At some point the clutter become a container for memories. The reason is that you project your internal feelings on an object, connecting the tangible with intangible. In this case individuals don’t recognize the fact that they are the ones who hold the experience not the material.
Find Your Motivation
Fixing the outside space will be futile if you don’t resolve the inward problems. Discover the reasons behind your unhealthy tendencies. In essence, you need to find your inner motivation. Find out what it means to you an organized home. For instance, you want to clean up your kitchen because you are a passionate cooker. Starting is the hardest part of the process, so you need to find some good reasons for cleaning. Different people have different ways of dealing with their tasks. Some individuals prefer to tackle the most difficult job first. Others get inspired when they see instant results, thus they will prefer to start with the easy activities. Find your own style and work according to it.
Set Deadlines
Deadlines are the next best way to motivate yourself. Create a list with all the bits you want to complete. Give yourself enough time. This means that it shouldn’t be too short because you will not have a chance to finish it and you will feel discouraged. Don’t stretch it in time too. You will procrastinate until the last moment. When you see your task completed one by one you will feel more stimulated to do more.
Play a Soundtrack
Music works on multiple levels.It gives rythym to your cleaning process and it inspires you. Ideally it is best to play something energetic that will get you going, but you can pick whatever works for you. Create a “cleaning” playlist with a couple of your favorite songs.
Get Out The Clutter
This is a crucial step, especially for people who find it hard to let go of their possessions. Get a friend or involve your family members in the home cleaning. They will give you a clear opinion and help you decide what you really need and what has to go. Examine all your possessions and divide them in different categories. Have a separate box for the things you will keep, throw away, donate or sell. Don’t get tempted to have a “maybe” box. You need to act straightforwardly.
Design your own schedule according to your personal routine. Instead of leaving the job for the weekend, spare 15 to 30 minutes a day. If you postpone it, you run the risk to deal with enormous amount of tasks and at the end you will feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
No matter how severe is the situation; there is always a silver lining. You need to be convinced that you can manage the issue. But it will take time and we are not talking only about the house cleaning. You need to develop a few useful habits. Start by leaving the room the way you found it. This means that whenever you use a certain item, you should return it back to its original place. Think about clever storage solutions that will help you in your cleaning agenda.
Take control over the chaos and reclaim your living space, by getting rid of the clutter and organizing your home. However, if you are aiming towards lasting results you need to first clear your head and then proceed with the house cleaning.
For more helpful tips click here.