A reformed slob tells all.
If you are one of those lucky people who knew me between the ages of 0-28, you probably wouldn’t believe I am the one writing this next post.
Why, you ask?
As a child, I hid everything under the bed and in closets. I thought that was cleaning.
As a teenager, I think I saw the color of my carpet twice. And I think it was purple.
Up until a few years ago, I was a broke, happy, sloppy bartender, who wore dirty clothes straight off the floor, trying to make it as mediocre writer on the first draft.
But then something changed. I wish I could describe it as if it happened in a day, but it was gradual. I met my future husband (messier than me if you can believe it), graduated from college, got a job in marketing, and decided it was time to be my own boss and start my own business.
Now that girl I knew years ago has been replaced with an organized, punctual, business focused woman, trying to smartly get her work out in the world. This means multiple revisions, practicing with wire like a crazy woman, and remaining annoyingly optimistical every time the door gets shut in my face.
And if I wasn’t as organized as I am, none of this would be possible.
Now don’t think I’m going all June Cleaver on you. I still cuss, drink, have armpit farting competitions with my husband, wear shirts with coffee stains all over them, and go days with out washing my hair. Some things you just can’t change.
But with organization I have been able to accomplish more than ever.
Here are some reasons why it is awesome:
1. It is a HUGE time saver. How much time have you spent looking for car keys, pieces of paper, or phone chargers. Wish you could have those minutes back? Get organized.
2. It is pretty to look at. Now there are some beautiful messes, but, for our psyche, a tidy work place, home, car is where it’s at.
3. It exhausts less mental energy. I used to spend countless hours thinking about what I needed to clean and organize, but never really do it until it was at the ultimate point of destruction…and even then I would weigh options — if I leave the house, the mess is gone. So I’ll just stay gone more.
4. You don’t turn into a hoarder. I have a lot of trinkets that I like to hang on to and it has gotten a little out of control at times, so I have to go through my house once a year and toss stuff. This way, I don’t end up on Dr. Phil talking about my ceramic frog collection that has reached 1000 pieces. It’s right next to my Elvis plates.
5. You don’t have to make up excuses. It’s like your mother always said, wear clean underwear in case you get in a car wreck…odd advise since my clean underwear would immediately get soiled in the actual act of a car accident. But the point is a solid one. You never know who is going to see your mess, or when you are going to have to bring your mess in public. So the tidier it is, the less you care if people see it, and you don’t have to make excuses why you aren’t having the bridal shower at your house (you’re sleeping on the couch because your bed is covered with clothes), or why someone can’t ride in your car (18 empty coffee cups in the passenger seat). You get the idea.
That wraps it up nicely with a bow.
Before it would have been wrapped up with newspaper and duct tape.
The point is, it takes work to get organized and then remain organized, but it is worth it for so many reasons. I have lived on both sides of the fence and I could never go back to being as sloppy as I was in the past. I would not be able to achieve what I am striving for. It is not the only piece to the puzzle of starting this business, but it’s a big one.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you love or hate about being organized. I want to know!
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