Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Stir it Up

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people: stirrers and settlers.

A lot of you, my wonderful, creative, dynamic clients and readers, are stirrers. You stir things up, you start projects, you rifle through the files I’ve carefully made for you and make them look like so much tossed salad. You have a lot of ideas, a lot of irons in the fire and you are in motion.

I’m a settler. I go through my life, both personal and professional, setting things to rights, tucking things in, settling them down, buttoning them up.

Of course, like any system of categorization, there is crossover. I’m perfectly capable of stirring things up—writing books, throwing parties, embarking on all manner of redecorating projects—and I truly believe that all of you stirrers can learn how to settle things, even if it isn’t your natural inclination.

I actually love it when I go to a client’s home and see they’ve been in the files or cabinets that we painstakingly organized. It means they are actually using the stuff, and that’s good, because why bother to organize it if you don’t need it? But then they fall off the cliff. They look for that carpet swatch or sequin top or insurance policy, they embark on craft projects that involve frames and piles of family photos. It’s not that they get stuff out; it’s that they never put stuff back. Often there will be “explosions” on multiple fronts, as though they went through the house like a tornado pulling out items for a variety of purposes or projects, and leaving a path of organizational destruction in their wake. In an ideal world, every stirrer would have their own dedicated settler, whether a spouse, a business partner or an assistant, but of course we don’t live in an ideal world, so you stirrers have to learn to be your own settlers.

So how does a stirrer develop their inner settler? Notice. So often, people who are very busy and creative don’t even see the chaos until they are looking for something specific. Then, suddenly, they realize that things are in a state. Even if most of your house is neat and there is only one area that tends to fall into disarray, ask yourself how it happened. Were you in a rush? Did you mean to come back to it? Did it seem too daunting to put it away—does it belong on a high shelf or in a hard-to-access spot?

Once you notice, challenge yourself. Can you slow down, or spend a little time before bed restoring order and putting things back that got pulled out during the day?

Enjoy the rewards, appreciate that your table is clear and your files are put away.

Creativity is great, but the truth is, you need to have good follow-through to bring creative projects to fruition. Developing your inner settler is not going to squelch your creativity. Rather, it can actually help you to realize your dreams, whether they are writing a novel or designing a new home.

So pay attention, notice when you are blowing through like a hurricane, and make sure you come back later and restore order. You’ll be glad you did.