My wife is the one who should be writing a blog about organization but here we go. We have always heard about the importance of organization, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is a miracle drug. My wife is the one who got me to see the light and it has changed my life.
I remember being in High School and being terribly disorganized. My room wasn’t too bad because my mother wouldn’t allow anything less, but boy you should have seen my backpack, and my locker, forget about it. I can distinctly remember misplacing things, missing assignments, and taking forever to find something. This was a problem outside of the classroom as well. My football locker was slightly better organized than my school one only because it has fewer things in it, but boy did it smell! I didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking back on it now, it is just embarrassing how unorganized I was.
College was a little better and moving out on my own was even better, but it was more of natural maturation, rather than an actual improvement of my organizational skills. Eventually, I tried to at least appear organized. At this point, my organizing was very superficial. It looked good for company, but in truth, wasn’t highly organized. It wasn’t until I met my wife that I got on the organizing train.
I remember my wife’s apartment. You never saw a more organized place. There were labels everywhere, even in the refrigerator. Everything was in its home. The apartment looked clean and well put together, almost minimalistic. I knew then, I had to step up my game. When we bought our house, I knew what was going to be expected and I was ready for the challenge.
When packing up we took great care to keep things in labeled and organized boxes. When loading and unloading we kept boxes in like groups (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom…). We knew there would be too many things to fit in closets, but it was important to us to park the cars in the garage. So, I got a couple of sheets of plywood and put a floor down in the attic, and stored the bins there. I also put a single row of shelving around the garage to hold bins we would be needing regular access to. The garage was pretty much declared my area, but I knew I had to keep it looking good. I hung all my small tools on a pegboard over my workbench. Lawn tools went into a storage shed outside. Everything else was hung by hooks on the far wall out of the way of anyone getting into the driver’s seat of either car, nothing sitting on the floor.
Inside was my wife’s domain and she created a beautiful home reflective of the way she kept her apartment, labeled, organized, clean and classy. I followed suit and contributed where I could inside, basically my home office. But it is an organized office with alphabetized files in two drawers, and four cabinets filled with small labeled bins containing all manner of office supplies. The work surface is minimalistic and clean.
I have found that being organized is a lifestyle. Once I accepted this, it took hold in all facets of my life. And once that happens you will find that your life changes for the better. I save so much time now because I know where to find everything. If I need to fix something, I have a clean working surface, and all my tools are ready to go. If I need a tax document from 2015 or a rubber band, I know where to look, thanks to the organization of my office. Being organized has not only made me more productive and efficient, but it has also changed the way I feel. There is something to be said about waking up in the morning and walking out of your bedroom into a room free of clutter. A room that is pleasing to the eye and a work area that is inviting. I find myself overwhelmed with a feeling of pride and confidence. And I have my wife to thank for that feeling.