Organizational Dynamics

I was standing at Kinko's the other day, waiting for the fax machine to spit out my invoice, and I passed the time perusing the books they had for sale. I wasn't conveniently close enough to the fiction, or this post might have been very different.

Instead, I was by the "self-help/business-help" rack. Did you know that Highly Efficient People now have eight habits? I guess they weren't efficient enough to include that one in the earlier book. You can learn how to work for a jerk, give one thousand great answers to tough interview questions, and find new clients. Up in the top corner, however, was a title I thought I'd look at: "One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day." Not a clutter free title at all, but still. The fax machine was taking its time, so I looked at it.

You may be more disciplined, but I never look at the first pages of a book that I pick up. Not for me, reading instructions on how to apply the wisdom of the book! Why would I even want to find out if the author has any qualifications to write this book? No, I leap in, and open at random.

And I got "Go to bed half an hour earlier." Which is totally my thing, right! I am a True Believer in the Power of Sleep, so I read on. Basically, she says, most organizing books tell you to get up half an hour earlier and accomplish a bunch of stuff before the rest of the day crowds in. Which is fine, the author says, but you need your sleep! If you are going to get up half an hour earlier, then go to bed half an hour earlier too, or you'll just deplete your own resources.

Now, that I liked. Starting with self care, and then tackling the world! So, I bought it, with the intention of reading it, highlighter in hand, to get some ideas about how to live with four busy people in a tiny house.

And, I've started reading it, but as I got a few chapters in, I realized that my mother, JoMama, had given me a book called "Organizing for the Creative Person" which I still hadn't finished. Already, this wasn't going well--I was cluttering up my space with books on reducing clutter. So, Good Intention #2--reading BOTH organization books.

Because I have taken an interesting tack on clearing clutter in our lives. Basically, I have removed all storage from the house. This works in an interesting way. First, if you eliminate all your horizontal surfaces, there is no place to put stuff, thus less clutter. Sort of. Plus, with no shelves for tchotkes and trinkets, you eliminate items that collect dust. Not bad.

But--what happens to the stuff that used to be in the shelves and on the flat surfaces, you ask? Well you might inquire! It all ends up in the basement. All of it. Not organized at all. So, when you need something, you can go spelunking through your accumulated possessions, or you can just buy another one so you have it when you need it, which is NOW.

I'm thinking that this wasn't such a good strategy. So--I've got to rethink this organization thing. Good thing I've got some books to help me--if I can find them...