Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
The Truth
People like to ask if organizers are really organized themselves, or if it’s like the cobbler’s kids have no shoes. Back in the early days, I used to answer unequivocally, “I’m organized.” But life has gone on, minimalism (which, if you haven’t been paying attention, isn’t really my thing) became all the rage, I had three kids, and sometimes I wonder if I am just as much of a clutter-bug as my clients.
The truth is, minimalists don’t need to be organized. When all you own is 35 pieces of clothing, a bowl, a glass, a spork and a computer, you don’t have to worry about finding anything. But for those of us who have stuff, and like our stuff, the goal is to know where our things are so we can use them, and to be rigorously honest about what we are actually using, and what we just don’t want to let go.
The truth is, I do have a lot of stuff, and for the most part it is organized. In fact, one of the best reasons for being organized is it allows me to keep more stuff, and most importantly be able to find all the stuff I have.
I had a minimalist period. From about 1983, when I left for college, until 2004, when my dad gave up the apartment I grew up in and I “inherited” my mother’s china and a whole lot more. Before then, I lived in almost-bare studio apartments and I could move most of my possessions in a couple trips with a shopping cart. My vision was simplicity and elegance: The few things I did own were either glass or white. But after I got my mother’s stuff, I knew I couldn’t shop anymore. I had every spoon and every pot I would ever need. So, I was no longer a minimalist, but I became an even-more conscious consumer.
Sometimes I fantasize about how nice it will be when I get the kids out of the house—along with their Nerf guns and endless socks. But really, I don’t want to live in the spartan way I did when I was 25. If there’s one night in a hundred that I can get my 14-year-olds to play backgammon, then the space where I keep the backgammon set is well-used. I love being able to use my grandmother’s serving bowl at Thanksgiving and make stew in my mom’s Dutch oven, because they have history and meaning. I don’t need to buy new ones.
The truth is, you want to get organized so you can keep stuff. But if you aren’t using something, let it go.