Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Your Head is a Dangerous Place to Store Stuff
I talk a lot about having faith in yourself and not worrying, but as with all rules, there are exceptions. I’ve just come back from visiting my dad and stepmom, who are about to downsize from a house to an apartment. They’ve been working with an organizer who specializes in downsizing, but there was still a lot to do and I had the opportunity to earn the title of “perfect daughter.”
The organizer and my stepmother had done quite a lot of work, and had devised a system of color-coded stickers to designate what was moving with them and what needed to be tossed. Still, there were quite a few piles whose destination was unclear to me. My stepmother assured me the organizer knew where everything was going, and while I don’t doubt her, it’s still a problem.
Part of being organized is getting stuff out of your head. Yes, Jane may be very on top of it, but Jane is just one woman. I’ve been on these moves—six guys are packing up and suddenly they all have questions. If the “system” requires me to be in six places at one time to clarify the situation, it isn’t much of a system. The point of all systems is to make things easier. I’ve often used color-coded systems for multistage moves (yellow tape means an item is going to new place, green sends it to storage, blue to the salvation army, etc.) but stickers unstick, tags get knocked off and even tape gets ripped off: Back up is good.
When I arrange a move, I like to have an Excel spreadsheet in addition to tags or stickers. I can print copies and arrange the spreadsheet by room, so the movers can refer to the list rather than come to me.
Of course, the other problem of having too much in you head is that two weeks before a move, the things you think you’ll remember will quite probably be forgotten on moving day. It’s always better to commit all the details to paper (or computer) while it is fresh in your mind. It’s true of everything, not just moving: Your husband can’t stop at the store if the shopping list is only located in your head.
Even the most straightforward moves are stressful and chaotic; you have a ton of stuff to do—why add the burden by keeping all the information in your head? Put it on paper, and suddenly you’re in a position to delegate. And that’s a great position to be in.