Neat Does NOT Equal Organized

I had an incident with my wonderful husband Friday, whom I will try to embarrass as little as necessary in this post... let's just say it involved a lost car registration sticker. (I love you, honey!) But it was very time-consuming and annoying for both of us. He is someone who fortunately is very neat and tidy, but then things like this happen, so...

It is very possible to be super-neat but not be organized. If you stash items in a box, drawer, bag, tray, or other container, it may look terrific but it is NOT organized because you can't find anything when you need it. In the organizing industry there is a great deal of association with the word "neat," such as TV shows and names of businesses (and I do love the word!), but unfortunately the word sidesteps a big myth about true organization.

It's like having a beautiful shiny sportscar that, when you open the hood, has a dirty and broken engine. Looks great, doesn't run. True organization requires functional systems that allow you to find things efficiently and know what you have. (See my recent post regarding Form vs. Function for more) Form must be secondary to function.

Stashing usually is caused by delaying decisions, so if you can, catch yourself doing this and make decisions about the items right then and there. If you MUST stash (because your mother-in-law is coming over unexpectedly in 5 minutes), use a container that you really need for something else, like your everyday laundry basket, so you will be forced to clean it out very shortly afterward.

Do you have stashes, and are they stealing time from your life when you can't find your stuff?

Comments

[theOrganizedMom]

This is SOOO completely my husband. I am constantly having to go through and organize our drawers because his idea of "cleaning the house" is putting all the junk in a cabinet or drawer!!

[Susan Sabo]

You are so right Lorie! Tidy gives one a good reputation until stressful situations start. Organized allows a good reputation and a system that hums along supporting every need, situation and incident!
Susan@ProductivityCafe.com

[Monica Ricci]

Lorie, I love your sports car analogy! Excellent!

Your post made me laugh because in March, Christmas Boy and I were in his car trying to enter a miltary base in the Savannah area, and the guard wanted to see his drivers license and registration. Drivers license? Check. Registration? Hmmmm... not so much. The most recent one he had in the glove box was from 2004.

Thankfully, our contact showed up at that time and told the guard we were with her, and to let us on base. Zoinks.

Finally he did find his current car registration at home a few weeks later in a desk drawer.

I agree with you... stashing is not organizing and just because your surfaces are clear doesn't mean you're organizing. Great post!
~Monica

[Megan@Disorder2order]

We (my DH and I) have been there done that and got the t-shirt. I am glad it all worked out okay.... funny to share though.

[Debi W.]

I heard it said once that organized people often appear messy because they won't put anything away until it's in it's place - and if it doesn't have a place it sits out until it does. Neat people, however, don't mind stuffing unseen places with all the clutter. All that matters is that the counters are clear! This is so true for us! My husband is neat and I'm the organizer, but I tend to be lazy and put off doing the organizing I desire. That's why I joined your Club, and it has helped motivate me to do things I've put off for years!

[Debi W.]

I heard it said once that organized people often appear messy because they won't put anything away until it's in it's place - and if it doesn't have a place it sits out until it does. Neat people, however, don't mind stuffing unseen places with all the clutter. All that matters is that the counters are clear! This is so true for us! My husband is neat and I'm the organizer, but I tend to be lazy and put off doing the organizing I desire. That's why I joined your Club, and it has helped motivate me to do things I've put off for years!