There was a time when I loved to organize. I’d happily spend hours getting stuff into just the right closet/dresser/container/shelf, and I always knew where everything was. And I mean everything.
Of course, back then I had a lot less stuff, and a lot less space. When I was younger, my space was my room. Everything I owned fit into that one room, and while it was a large one with 2 closets, one of those closets held family stuff, and the room had an extra vestigial bed leftover from when my sister and I shared the space (my pleas to have it removed were ignored- there are still two beds in there) so less room for my stuff. For the first ten years after I moved out we lived in small apartments, and couldn’t afford much stuff to put in them anyway. So organizing was easy.
We’ve now lived in this house for thirteen years. It’s filled with the stuff that a family of five accumulates. When you walk into my home you won’t see all this stuff. I’m still anti-clutter, so there aren’t piles of magazines or overflowing shelves of games and DVDs (at least I try to keep it neat, not so easy since I’m the only one who seems to notice the clutter- but that’s a vent for another day…)
But we have a full basement & attic, most of which is just a giant storage space. And we have lots of closet and cabinets. Open any closet, any drawer, and you’re likely to find stuff I shoved in there years ago.
My computer is the same. Even this relatively new iMac is packed with old files, although most of the really old stuff (some going back 15 years!) is on an external drive now. I try to keep easy access to files I actually need, so to make the whole thing less cluttered I have folders called “archive” & “old stuff” where I shove files I don’t really need anymore, but won’t delete, you know, just in case. I also have folders of stuff “to read” and on my desktop there are folders called “links,” “more links,” and “even MORE links” to sites I’d like to go back to.
Add to that my online storage. A del.icio.us account I created years ago and finally abandoned (I planned to one day go back and re-save the good stuff but I never have.) A newer del.icio.us account that I still save links to but rarely revisit. I have my Google Reader saved items, Google Reader starred items, and an Instapaper page with links I still believe I’ll get back to.
Out of sight is out of mind.
I no longer organize. I stash. I stow. I hide away. I declutter but only visually. The stuff is still there, it’s just been shoved into a drawer.
The amazing thing is, more often than not- I don’t miss any of it. I don’t go back looking for it. Sometimes I happily re-discover it. Sometimes I grab a black trash bag and get rid of a bunch of it (I have to admit it’s usually the kids’ old stuff that suffers that treatment!) But usually, it just sits there.
I suppose, in a way, it is organized. I have a general idea of where to find anything I would need. The important things- legal papers, seasonal clothing, tools- all have their place and it’s easy for me to put my hands on them. It’s all that other stuff, the things I don’t miss, that are shoved into whatever space was nearest.
Maybe I’ll just look at as creating a giant time capsule, filled with our stuff.
I am so feeling you today while I'm vacuuming, cleaning and .. *sighs* attempting to organize. I am in “throw it out, keep & container, garage sale, craigslist, Oh for the love of gawd just throw it out,” mode. All while dealing w/ that damn fork in my eye headache. This should be a productive day .. lol
rojopelo
Obviously, you need this shirt. http://typetees.threadless.com/product/573/Stop… . Oh and I bought this Ziploc Flexible Totes today in an attempt to organize. It's now stuffed in my children's closet. Ugh!
Kathleen Hewitt
Hey Annie – I'm the exact same.. where did we learn this from? LOL Love ya -Kathi
Kathleen Hewitt
Hey Annie – I'm the exact same.. where did we learn this from? LOL Love ya -Kathi
Organizing vs Just Shoving Into a Drawer
There was a time when I loved to organize. I’d happily spend hours getting stuff into just the right closet/dresser/container/shelf, and I always knew where everything was. And I mean everything.
Of course, back then I had a lot less stuff, and a lot less space. When I was younger, my space was my room. Everything I owned fit into that one room, and while it was a large one with 2 closets, one of those closets held family stuff, and the room had an extra vestigial bed leftover from when my sister and I shared the space (my pleas to have it removed were ignored- there are still two beds in there) so less room for my stuff. For the first ten years after I moved out we lived in small apartments, and couldn’t afford much stuff to put in them anyway. So organizing was easy.
We’ve now lived in this house for thirteen years. It’s filled with the stuff that a family of five accumulates. When you walk into my home you won’t see all this stuff. I’m still anti-clutter, so there aren’t piles of magazines or overflowing shelves of games and DVDs (at least I try to keep it neat, not so easy since I’m the only one who seems to notice the clutter- but that’s a vent for another day…)
But we have a full basement & attic, most of which is just a giant storage space. And we have lots of closet and cabinets. Open any closet, any drawer, and you’re likely to find stuff I shoved in there years ago.
My computer is the same. Even this relatively new iMac is packed with old files, although most of the really old stuff (some going back 15 years!) is on an external drive now. I try to keep easy access to files I actually need, so to make the whole thing less cluttered I have folders called “archive” & “old stuff” where I shove files I don’t really need anymore, but won’t delete, you know, just in case. I also have folders of stuff “to read” and on my desktop there are folders called “links,” “more links,” and “even MORE links” to sites I’d like to go back to.
Add to that my online storage. A del.icio.us account I created years ago and finally abandoned (I planned to one day go back and re-save the good stuff but I never have.) A newer del.icio.us account that I still save links to but rarely revisit. I have my Google Reader saved items, Google Reader starred items, and an Instapaper page with links I still believe I’ll get back to.
Out of sight is out of mind.
I no longer organize. I stash. I stow. I hide away. I declutter but only visually. The stuff is still there, it’s just been shoved into a drawer.
The amazing thing is, more often than not- I don’t miss any of it. I don’t go back looking for it. Sometimes I happily re-discover it. Sometimes I grab a black trash bag and get rid of a bunch of it (I have to admit it’s usually the kids’ old stuff that suffers that treatment!) But usually, it just sits there.
I suppose, in a way, it is organized. I have a general idea of where to find anything I would need. The important things- legal papers, seasonal clothing, tools- all have their place and it’s easy for me to put my hands on them. It’s all that other stuff, the things I don’t miss, that are shoved into whatever space was nearest.
Maybe I’ll just look at as creating a giant time capsule, filled with our stuff.
George Carlin Talks About “Stuff”