Perfection versus Progress
If you’ve read any of our blogs over the years, you’ll know that perfection is not the goal. But we often work with clients who struggle to let go of the idea of perfection. They see images of beautifully decorated homes with absolutely nothing out of place, and they want that. We all want that, to some degree. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we all know that that perfect living room with no clutter is just like your friend’s Instagram photos of their vacation: a perfectly staged moment in the middle of chaos.
When it’s a vacation photo, we don’t see the tears that might have been cried during the stressful moments at the airport or when trying to find the hotel. And when it comes to the “perfect” home, it’s often the same – we’re seeing a glimpse of a single moment. The moment before and after that photo are likely filled with piles of laundry and kids toys.
But here’s the thing about the moments we’re not capturing: That’s where the joy is. It’s in the giggles of our children as they make blanket forts in the living room. It’s in the quiet moments where we skip the housework and hold hands with our significant other on the couch while watching a movie, and the popcorn that finds its way into the sofa cushions instead of our mouths. You won’t see that in magazines, and you won’t hear about it when people are talking about organization and decluttering and only keeping things that spark joy.
Joy Isn’t in Things; It’s in Moments
We absolutely want to help you declutter and organize your home and find ways to create habits that help you stop feeling overwhelmed, and our professional organizers are exceptionally talented at guiding you through this process. But in no way are we trying to sterilize your space or strip it of the joie de vivre that comes from the unique experiences in your home with your family and friends. And finding ways to organize better and declutter should never come at the expense of the daily joy of just living.
Skip Perfection and Shoot for Progress
As you find ways to organize your home and declutter, we encourage you to approach the process without expecting or trying to achieve perfection. Seeking perfection will simply add more stress, and the truth is, there is always going to be clutter, whether it’s the never-ending pile of laundry, the kids’ toys that seem to miraculously jump out of the toy box, or the pile of paperwork that taunts you.
When you stop worrying about achieving perfection, you can celebrate the little successes that make a big difference, like making your bed every morning, or putting laundry away instead of moving it from your bed to the chair and back. When you focus on progress over perfection, taking ten minutes to clean out the junk drawer before you leave for work.
Quick Declutter Tips
When you want to feel like you’ve made progress on organizing your home, you just need to tackle a few quick decluttering projects that pack a lot of punch.
We <3 Containers!
Finding ways to declutter and organize your home can be a constant struggle. But what if there was a simple solution? Enter containers – the unsung heroes of home organization! As you may know, here at Organizing Maniacs, we LOVE containers and use them in every room - and let’s face it, most of us want to keep our stuff. We just need less chaos. Read more: https://www.organizingmaniacs.com/insights/containerizing-chaos
Kitchens Under Control
When you’re first starting to consider organizing your kitchen, where you begin is often determined by what is causing you the most stress in your kitchen. For some people, it’s the pantry, which might be completely disorganized and filled with expired and unused items. For others, it might be the fridge. And for some, it’s that drawer that never opens on the first try because something always catches. Wherever you start, set a goal to simply accomplish that one small piece of the kitchen in one go. Read more: https://www.organizingmaniacs.com/insights/where-should-i-start-when-organizing-my-kitchen
Declutter without Distress
For a lot of people the word decluttering brings up images of giving up everything you love, only having five interchangeable outfits to wear, and doing without the little luxuries that make life fun. For certain people, that might really be what decluttering is, but for most of us, it’s simply a process of getting the stuff out of the way that causes us stress so that there’s room for the stuff we do enjoy (and the time to enjoy it). Here are some tips to help you declutter without feeling like you’re making huge sacrifices. Read more: https://www.organizingmaniacs.com/insights/decluttering-not-extreme-sport
“Life isn't about perfection; it's about the beautifully messy, unfiltered moments that shape our journey. In our pursuit of organization and balance, let's release the pressure of getting every detail right. Instead, bask in the authentic flow of life, finding beauty in imperfections and joy in the genuine simplicity of each day.”