How does everyone else keep their house clean and organized?
Do you ever wonder why other people’s houses look great when you visit but yours always seems to be in some stage of disaster? What is their secret?
I used to feel like a loser compared to my friends and relatives. Their houses looked tidy, and even their bedrooms and closets were organized. By comparison, mine only looked that way if I spent hours doing crisis cleaning, and that was only when I had enough notice (several days) to prepare for their visit.
I’ve always had a tendency to be on the slob side, but when I became an adult and had my own home and family, it was embarrassing and made me feel like everyone probably looked down on me. I could make it look presentable if I had enough time and could stuff the extra miscellaneous stuff out of sight behind a closed door, but it never stayed presentable. It always impressed me when I visited people’s houses that they had their bedroom doors open, and even their bedrooms were tidy and organized.
I wondered what was wrong with me that I just couldn’t get it together and keep it together. How did everyone else in the world (well most of them anyway) do it? Could I possibly have an organized home like other people?
Everyone else’s secrets
Along my journey to being organized, I found some of their secrets. Some I learned from other people and some I just kind of figured out on the way. These things helped me gain the self-confidence and skills I needed to get my house more organized and keep it that way.
- Be realistic. Instagram isn’t always reality; sometimes it’s more like “Isn’t-gram.” People only put the best of their lives on there. You see what’s behind them in the picture, but the other side of the room may be a mess. Most people, even the organized ones, don’t have a 100% perfect home all the time.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. This is a big one. The comparison trap harms us in a lot of ways. You aren’t that person. No two people have the same exact situations in life; no two people have the same strengths, struggles, opportunities, etc. Some people are naturally more organized, but some of us have to learn that skill. Don’t worry; with time and practice you can learn it.
- Declutter. This may be the most important tool of all for organizing. I didn’t believe it myself, but having less stuff to organize truly makes it so much easier. Most people who have well-organized homes have fewer things, so there’s less to clean and fewer things to pick up and tidy up.
- Learn a new habit. Pick up after yourself. Most of us had moms that told us that, but it seemed like way too much work at the time. But it can take just a few seconds to put away something you’ve used while it’s still in your hand, and you don’t have to remember to come back and pick it up (which will take more than a few seconds because now the pile of stuff to put away has grown). Go through your house and pick up at least once every day, such as before bed, and your mess will stop growing bigger.
- Aim for better, not perfect. Accept that your house is not going to be perfect every second of every day. But eventually you can get to the point of being able to have it company-ready in about 5 minutes, which is pretty awesome!
- Make it easy to stay organized. Make it just as easy to put things away as it is to put them down. Put hooks on the back of doors for jackets, robes, or clothes you’ll wear again before they need to go in the hamper. Have a large basket for shoes by the door so they won’t be scattered all over the room. Use small baskets for keys, change, billfolds, etc. so the stuff is contained and it looks neater. Put the clothes hamper where you usually change so you don‘t have to walk a long ways to throw the clothes in. Store things near where you use or leave them.
How to get started
Remember, changing your mindset is the first step: stop the comparison trap, be realistic, and aim for better (not perfect). Take some of the pressure off by just making baby steps toward improvement.
Start with small things: declutter, pick up after yourself, and make putting things away easier. Little by little you’ll definitely see progress and join me on the journey to a peaceful, organized home.