When I was a kid my mom used to repeat this creed to me on a regular basis “A place for everything and everything in its place.” and she meant it. Whenever we got something new the first order of business was to find it a home. After all, if you don’t know where to put it you will never put it away…. And if you do you may never find it again.
Twenty some odd years and three apartments later I am still in the habit of knowing exactly where things go and making sure that’s where they end up. If I bring home a new object it gets carefully put away. Standing in the store and wondering “but where would I put it?” has saved me from a few shopping regrets.
Lately though, this has started to slide… I’m busy, I’m tired and things just keep getting shoved to the side and are starting to pile up. I know that it’s an eyesore but what I’ve also started to realize is I’m less organized mentally and more stressed out. It takes me twice as long to find what I’m looking for and that form I was supposed to fill out… oops it’s somewhere at the bottom of the pile.
So I decided to hit pause and start finding “homes” for my things again, room by room and drawer by drawer. I found that when I had stopped paying attention to where things went, I started hanging onto a lot of things that I no longer needed. Once those were cleared out all of my newly organized stuff looked much nicer… and most importantly, I could find it when I needed it.
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I just recently finished renovating my motorhome (in which I live full-time) and I'm going through the same thing. I removed a lot of storage and brought in new pieces. I want everything to have the right home; that is a place where the item is logically stored and accessible. I also want my storage to be aesthetically pleasing. It's a long process, but it's also very rewarding.
Well put!
I live by this creed, even though people have laughed at me for it. If you don't have a logical place for something, don't buy it. Or, if you do, but something is already there, decide where the older item should go (hint: Salvation Army).
Agreed. Also only buy things you love even if it is a wee bit more expensive.
I've definitely got some OCD tendencies, so I've lived by this mantra for as long as I can remember. The problem came when I amassed enough stuff that keeping track of where everything belonged left little energy for living life. So I think a mixture of "a place for everything and everything in its place" and decluttering/editing yields a healthier balance.
I lived in a motor home for three years, nine months crisscrossing the country, starting my business before the internet. (Hell, it was before the fax. My first fax cost $2,200, and my second $20.) Anyway, in a motor home, everything has to be stowed in a precise place. Organization is everything in such a small space, not to mention flying objects.
Anyone who has a motor home knows one spends time in service bays. My panties keep disappearing from my one lower drawer. I thought they were being pilfered by service guys. NOT! One day I was in the bedroom while we were underway and I looked out the back window. I saw my panties blowing in the wind. They were being sucked out of my drawer! The perils of living on the road.
PS I don't know how long you have been in your motor home, but when we bought ours, I stressed immediately about keeping the carpets clean. Instead of ripping up the plastic, we bought remnants of 100% nylon carpet, and put them down over the plastic. I routinely pulled up the remnants, and took them outside and hosed them down with soap and water and air dried them. Cleanliness is also very important in close quarters.
@Village - panties story is priceless! ROFL
I'm messy by nature - stuff drops and lands and plants itself for a while.
But, recognizing this, I find that my best thrills come from furniture pieces that let me be more organized. To wit, the very best piece ever, the ultimate junk drawer: an old card catalog (mismatched wood and tacky veneer - hence the paint).
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb99/mbc1963/RedCCinKitchen.jpg
This thing keeps me sane. I know where EVERYTHING is. Tape. Glue. OTC meds. Band-Aids. Pens. Wood screws. Dog meds. String. Pliers. Sewing kit. ::Sigh:: I love it.
hahaha great story village.
I definitely follow the "everything in it's place" mantra...wish my husband did!
@Mary B C - LOVE your card catalog. Your paint job is beautiful. Please share how/where you found your catalog.
Thanks, life...
I bought this particular card catalog at a library sale. But, if you save a Craigslist search for "card catalog" or "library file" they do come up occasionally. You just have to check frequently. They're also all over eBay, but generally cost more.
Good luck!
Thanks, Mary B C. Library sales are wonderful ... wish they were more than once a year! Love craigslist ... just haven't found what I'm looking for yet.