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 Restoring
Order to Your Home
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CBN.com –
With the glorious sunshine we’ve been having, I’ve
begun to notice that my windows are streaked and
dusty from weathering the winter, and are now in
desperate need of cleaning.
Spring is the time that we all begin thinking
about cleaning and organizing our homes. But is
there a difference between cleaning and
organizing?
Yes! One of the most common mistakes we make in
the pursuit of organization is to substitute
cleaning for organizing.
Cleaning de-grimes your living space. The smell
of bleach or lemony dust spray means that someone
has been cleaning! It feels great to enjoy
disinfected surfaces, dirt-free floors, and
sparkling sinks.
However, cleaning can actually create clutter.
Many of us stash as we clean, tossing bags of
items into hall closets and stuffing loose ends
into drawers to give the appearance of tidiness.
We do the “step and toss” ... we open the door to
the garage, step in, and toss the items that we’re
trying to put out of sight. This stashing leads to
junk drawers and “time capsules” (bags and boxes
filled with countertop clutter or long-forgotten
projects).
Instead of stashing, organizing asks you to
stop and think and make decisions about where
items really belong. Organizing requires planning
and space allocation to activities and items.
Because decisions are involved, organizing takes a
little longer than cleaning, but it’s worth it.
By choosing not to just hide clutter that you
don’t want to deal with, you’re making smart
choices to create and maintain order, which will
prevent clutter from accumulating in the future.
Organizing also prevents loss of items, which
costs you enormous time, stress, and frustration.
Once simple, intuitive systems are established,
staying organized is an ongoing daily practice of
sustaining that order.
Most of us know deep down that organizing is
going to take longer than cleaning, so we
procrastinate. It might help you to know from a
professional organizer’s perspective that most
projects within the home (like organizing the
bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, or garage) are going
to take anywhere from 12-24 hours. Deeply layered
or very large rooms (like a three bay garage or
sprawling basement or buried kitchen) may take
longer. Yet, even 24 hours of your life is a tiny
investment in a 365 day year, and it is an
investment of your time and energy that will pay
you back every single day. You’ll experience more
satisfaction using your space, knowing where items
should live. Finally, or maybe for the first time,
you’ll enjoy opening up those formerly
embarrassing spaces to hospitality and greater
family enjoyment.
Many people substitute cleaning for organizing,
yet each has its own distinct purpose. Cleaning
will produce a hygienic, unsoiled environment and
it will produce a temporary sense of relief.
Engaging in the organizing process will produce
sensible use of space and resources and yield more
freedom and peace of mind.
The good news is that you can have both an
organized and a clean home! When a space
is organized, it is easier to clean, because
nomadic items can be confidently returned to their
appropriate location, and surfaces aren’t clogged
with clutter.
I invite you to begin your own process of
organizing; it is an investment in your quality of
life!
 About
the Author: Vicki Norris is an expert
organizer, business owner, speaker, television
personality, and author who inspires people to
live out their priorities. She is author of
Reclaim Your Life™ © 2007 by Vicki Norris and of
Restoring Order™ to Your Home, © 2007, a
room-by-room household organizing guide, both
published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR
(available now at
www.RestoringOrder.com). 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.
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