 Restoring
Order to Your Home
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Congratulations! If you have been following our
five part series on the causes of our
disorganization, you have reached the final
installment! Hopefully, you’ve discovered how you
became so messy and frantic in the first place and
have gained the motivation to dig out.
In our series, we’ve covered five kinds of
causes of disorganization:
- Situational Disorganization-- When Life
Events Get You Downright Disorganized
- Habitual Disorganization --When Your Habits
Catch Up with You
- Historical Disorganization –When Family
Matters When It Comes to Disorganization
- Social Disorganization –When Keeping Up With
the Joneses is Keeping You in Chaos
- Chronic Disorganization--When Clutter Has
Followed You Throughout Life
A Deeper Level of Disorganization
Chronic
disorganization is another way people arrive in
chaos. This phrase is not a subjective term. In
fact, there is an actual condition called “chronic
disorganization” as well as a group of people who
study it. (Don’t jest, it’s a real problem and I
belong to that study group!) If you’ve ever
wondered why none of your efforts to organize
yourself have succeeded, you might fall into this
category.
In my organizing business, I have worked with a
small percentage of people over the years who are
chronically disorganized. Most disorganized folks
do not fall into this category. They are simply
overwhelmed by accumulation, life events, a
fast-paced existence, and other transitory
problems.
The chronically disorganized, however, are
likely have a home or work space (or both) that is
piled to the rafters with clutter. Often, they
feel helpless to overcome their disorganization.
Some television shows profile those with chronic
disorganization, including hoarders and lifelong
collectors. Indeed, chronically disorganized
people require more specialized service than those
who came by their disorganization by way of
situation, habits, family history, or social
influence. It is unlikely that a chronically
disorganized person can independently pull
themselves out of their circumstances alone.
Defining Chronic Disorganization
If you’ve tried a number of methods to dig out,
only to find yourself in the same place you
started, this may be your unique brand of
disorganization. According to the National Study
Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), the
definition of chronic disorganization is “having a
past history of disorganization in which self-help
efforts to change have failed, an undermining of
current quality of life due to disorganization,
and the expectation of future disorganization” (www.nsgcd.org).
In short, if you’ve been disorganized in the past,
have tried to change on your own, and forecast
similar unsuccessful results in your future, you
may suffer from chronic disorganization.
Sometimes, there may be conditions that
co-exist with chronic disorganization, like
depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, or
obsessive compulsive disorder. These conditions
may or may not be present in an individual with
chronic disorganization. These conditions can
exacerbate the living and working situation of the
individual with chronic disorganization.
The important thing to know is that just
because you suffer from chronic disorganization
does not mean that you are stuck in disorder
forever. I encourage anyone who thinks they may
suffer from chronic disorganization to visit the
website of the National Study Group on Chronic
Disorganization. On this website, you can find
more information and a referral directory in case
you decide to enlist the help of an expert or
investigate resources for you to conduct further
research.
Authentic Organizing
If we really want to get organized for good, we
have to change our thinking before our behavior
will begin to change. If we want to banish our
backsliding ways, we must identify and remedy the
ways we became disorganized and we must embrace
authentic organizing.
What is authentic organizing? It’s not what
you’ve heard….it’s not about plastic bins and
baskets. It’s not the latest shortcut, tip, or
trick. It’s not about having a beautiful home that
looks like it could be featured in a magazine.
Authentic organizing is for the brave who are
willing to examine themselves and change their own
ways. You can become authentically organized when
you willing trade your circumstances, past, bad
habits, and social pressures for the freedom of
quality of life. I invite you to throw off
anything that has hindered you from getting
organized –including these five causes of
disorder--and step into the life you were meant to
live!
Read How Did
I Get So Disorganized, Part 1,
Part 2,
Part
3, and Part 4
Adapted from:
Restoring Order™ copyright © 2006 by Vicki Norris
(available now at
www.RestoringOrder.com and in July 2007as
Reclaim Your Life™. Copyright © 2007). Published
by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by
permission.
About the Author: Vicki Norris is
an expert organizer, business owner, speaker,
television personality, and author who inspires
people to live out their priorities. Norris is a
regular on HGTV’s nationally syndicated Mission:
Organization, and is a recurrent source and
contributor to national lifestyle publications
including Quick & Simple magazine, Better Homes &
Gardens, and Real Simple magazine. Norris is also
author of Restoring Order™ to Your Home, a
room-by-room household organizing guide. |
