N is for "Not Perfect"

I recently saw a feature on getting organized in the media showing a home that was about as perfect as it could possibly be. I understand wanting things to look nice for the camera (believe me, when a camera crew comes to my house, I do straighten up!), but I want to make sure that people know organizing is not about being perfect. As I have said before, we teach that you should strive to be N.E.A.T.E.R.:

Not perfect, but...
Effective- doing what works best
Always improving
True to your style
Efficient- not wasting time and energy
Ready for anything- being prepared for life

(NEATER acronym © 2006-2009, Clutter Diet, Inc.)

This is the first post in a series on our N.E.A.T.E.R. definition, to talk more in depth about what each one of these words means.

I really think that a lot of "suffering" is caused out there from people having misconceptions about what it means to be organized.

There is not an organized "nirvana" out there that your co-worker, your sister-in-law, or even your friendly neighborhood professional organizer has attained where she sits on high meditating and enjoying the hum of a spectacularly efficient home. EVERYONE has disorganized areas of their lives at any given time-- a closet, a drawer, a messy desk... Getting organized does not mean that nothing ever goes wrong, that the dog doesn't barf on the carpet, or that your kids suddenly start doing the dishes. Life still happens.

I remember when I first started attending NAPO events as a new organizer...I thought I had to have my ducks in a row, by golly, when I showed up to a meeting! I better be on time, I better have my notes in a perfect little portfolio with labeled folders, and heaven forbid I would forget my business cards! I figured out really quickly that everyone there was human too. Organizers are occasionally late to meetings, and there have been many times that we have laughed with each other over a forgotten item or a missed detail. When we go to our national conferences, invariably someone still forgets her toothbrush or misses her plane. This realization really put me at ease!

Don't forget that when you see a home in a magazine or on TV that it has often been carefully staged by interior designers and stylists, sometimes for hours. It does not always represent how people actually live, and it creates an unrealistic ideal that people have a hard time living up to. It's very much like women having body-image problems from rail-thin, airbrushed models being held up as the ideal. Don't fall for this trap! Your home is going to be lived in and loved-- it's not supposed to be a museum. I preach the gospel of Good Enough!

Next week I will be exploring the next letter, E for Effective. Have you given up the pursuit of perfection? Share in the comments! See also my previous posts, "The Paradox of Perfectionism," and "2:30--The Perfect Time."

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Comments

[Michelle Morton]

This is a great article Lori! It has been my mission as a professional organizer - who has taken a little break - and wanting to redo my business to let people know this same message! I was one of the very few who hated it when the shows came out like mission organization because it really did not address the organization issue all it did was create more havoc around an existing problem and it left people feeling like their house had to be perfect inorder for it to be organized - I used to have people say I don't want you to come into my house because you are organized and perfect and it drove me crazy! So I have been on a mission to change that and let people know that they are missing the point! I am very passionate about this topic as I live and walk it everyday - one day my dream will come true and will be able to help get that message out there and help others! Thank you for this amazing article!

[Genny Esterline]

Love your neater philosophy! I grew up with a mom that always said "Perfection is boring." Not that she was messy, she was goal oriented and kept a nice home, not perfect. I remember growing up with my step sister who claimed to be a perfectionist. When she was "on" the hangers in her closet were the same width apart, her drawers all tidy to the nth degree. It made her crazy to get to that point and when she couldn't do it, she was a mess with chaos all around. Perfection is not a goal when human.
Another great post.

Genny
www.connectionsforwomen.com

[Amy in Oz]

Thanks for that! I've never lived in a perfect house (as a child or as an adult) but it's something that i beat myself up for. Crazy isn't it! I saw someone refer to the perfectly manicured lives and houses on TV and in magazines as "Lifestyle Porn" - making us want to attain something that isn't real, just staged.

[Carole]

hmmm, funny you should mention the 'not perfect' thing. You know, my whole house will be clean and looking great, except for 2 spots - my desk and the dining table. I am a pile person. Everything is in it's own categorized pile. I know where everything is. When I have to clean it up - it drives me crazy trying to remember where I put everything.

I've tried the clean desk thing. It doesn't work for me. I need things right in my face. Not perfect, but it's what works for me.