In the organizing world, backsliding is when you've lost your way during the organizing process. Almost all individuals experience backsliding at some point or another--but it's how one handles this challenge that makes all the difference. The most important thing that we can impart on folks is to expect backsliding. If you expect it to happen, you're more likely to be aware when your systems unravel and tweak the approach. On the other hand, it's when folks aren't aware and cognizant of backsliding that they think "I must not have the organizing gene." That's when maintenance comes to a hault and the clutter comes right back.
Once you're aware that your organized space has unravelled, assess the situation
- Were you sick with the flu for a week and couldn't maintain your systems?
- Was there a pet or family emergency that channeled your time and energy in another direction?
- Or perhaps you just endured the busiest work week to date and were just plumb tired each day you came home (therefore impeding any upkeep at home).
- Maybe your systems are too intricate and not even the most organized person would be able to keep up with all the tasks at hand.
- We've encountered lots of folks who "get organized" overnight, only to burn out fast.
Tips to keep you on track
- If the busy pace of life is to blame, perhaps you can delegate tasks to other family members so you don't fall too far behind.
- Don't be too hard on yourself if emergencies and illness gets in the way of your progress. Just know that once things get better, you'll be back on track to maintain your organizing goals.
- We think it's always smarter to incorporate one new system/habit at a time. Once you get the hang of a new way of doing things, then add another process or procedure.
- One of our favorite organizing tips is to use a kitchen timer. Set the timer for 15-30 minutes and only organize for that set amount of time. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish in such a short time period--not to mention, you won't get burnt out and give up on maintaining your organized space.
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I wholeheartedly agree with the timer approach. Trying to get things organized can often seem so overwhelming that we just avoid the task altogether. But knowing that you only have to work on it 30 minutes today, and then getting to leave it until tomorrow, makes the task much more bearable.
I am definitely one to just do a little each day, otherwise I get completely overwhelmed. I'm currently tackling the second room in our apartment (unpacking everything and organizing) and sometimes I walk in there and get anxiety just looking at all the stuff. So I've tried to work on one corner of the room at a time for a little while, and then continue with whatever is left the next day. It's helped me to progress further than I would without that plan.
I love the timer method, too. There are some household tasks -- vacuuming, dusting, dishes, cleaning the bathroom -- that I honestly don't mind, and so I can just do them until they're finished and enjoy the satisfaction of clean floors, etc. But I *loathe* filing and dealing with the piles of miscellaneous clutter that collect in the office or by my bedside table (my personal clutter-collecting space). Setting a timer and knowing I only have to do whatever I can do in 15 minutes works wonders for me.
As a naturally unorganized person, I have found the key is keeping my systems as simple as possible and tweaking along the way. Plus, I think it's important to recognize that organizing isn't one-size-fits-all. Some of my solutions aren't Real Simple pretty but they work for me and keep me sane.
Thanks for this. Maintenance is the poor relation of organizing.
I've gotten a lot of great advice from AT: the landing strip, the out box, picking up vs. deep cleaning. But the thing is, you do have to keep it going, and the best advice I've gotten here is to do a little every day and cut yourself a some slack from time to time. You can always get back on track.
Sometimes backsliding means that your organization system is too complicated or doesn't fit your style. It can be a sign to try a different system. Eventually you land on the one that works for you. (This of course assumes that you've ruled out that it was just a bad week.)
My husband is a chronic backslider. We have done the "Great Office Reorganization" project more times than I would like to admit...in fact, it is about time to do it again. I know that things won't change though unless he wants it to, and it doesn't really bother him. So I just shut the door.
Backsliding is what my friends and I call going back to an ex.
Same concept =)
I started backsliding really bad when I made a career and lifestyle change in 2008. It took me awhile to figure out that the set-up I had meticulously arranged in my apartment, from furniture layout to storage systems, no longer worked for the "new" person I had come to be!
I made a mess for about a year, and then asked a friend to help me sort out the worst of it last August. I'm still working on it. The decluttering has been the most ongoing thing - I've still got 2 hall closets left to sort out. But the re-arrangement of the furniture has also made a HUGE difference in whether the place functions well or not. I finally got the right flow going within the last couple of months.
I think maybe sometimes "backsliding" comes from the fact that WE'VE changed, but our homes haven't! And we don't know quite what to do, because we're different now and we've never lived this way before.....
I only just started doing the timer concept recently. But if I'm not careful, I can too easily let "putting away these books" turn into a huge job.
A trick I've been working on with my mother (a terrible messy) was assigning her a basket and insisting she use it to put things in for a different room. I.e., the glass from the kitchen, the piece of mail she inadvertently brought to her studio, the ruler she borrowed from dad... put them in the basket, and when you leave the room, take the clutter items to their proper home. She's working on it.
J Dandy, my husband is the same way, only he can easily take over the whole house. It's exhausting to fight the tidal wave. I feel as if I haven't been able to find anything since he moved in (we've only been married 6 months).
These are some of the things I'm going to work on during the Spring Cure! We have no system right now, and I'm going to institute one. It's going to involve some rearranging, just like DodieGoldney mentioned, in order to redirect the flow of stuff in and out of the house. I'm very excited.
It's such a pain, though, to do, because it's messy and dirty and you have to pick up and clean and go through things...I've got a plan to do a little each day so I don't get burnt out.
To me the first picture says that this person is unlikely to pull out a folder to put things in it and unlikely to fold and neatly stack cloths. Perhaps they should have open stacking trays to organize mail (easy to just stuff in) and a closed container for those cloths (requiring no folding or stacking to look nice).
also, cropping the electric cords out of the second photo helps...
I just moved (in a bit of a rush) from NorCal to New York in December, and since I had to start my new job the day I arrived and am doing all the unpacking and decorating myself, I've been settling in by degrees. Sometimes I need to take a break by neatening up, shoving the worst into hidden areas (my book boxes have been under the dining table and tablecloth, awaiting the acquisition of new shelving), and coming back to it in a week or two. Otherwise it's just too overwhelming.
The timer is great for keeping me focused--it helps me stick to the task I've assigned myself and avoid the temptation to get distracted with something I run across.
Fortunately I did downsize quite a bit before moving, so other than some paper purging and shredding (good thing to do around tax time), there will, I hope, be a place for everything. Eventually.
The timer method has two problems for me. 1) Once I've touched something once, it is highly unlikely that I'll go back the next day. If I touch something, it's done in my mind. And 2) I can totally undo 20 minutes of organization in 24 hours. ;)
My method is the commercial method. It lets me watch my programs and get organized/clean. In one break, i have emptied a full dishwasher, wiped down the dinner table, wiped the counters, sorted the mail for the day (and filed appropriately).
My other theory is that there is perfection in imperfection. If you act all the time that it is horrible to leave a dish in the sink, it will be horrible to you, but if you settle with the fact, that unless you have no job and no other things to occupy your time, it is OKAY to leave a few things out. I came to this when one time i had an unexpected visitor and i said excuse the mess (which was not much at that time), and they replied "Dont worry, i live in my house too". Its okay for your place to be lived in looking, thats what makes a house a home.
two babies in two years caused me to backslide ;-)