The Lesson of the Three Staplers

Once upon a time, there was a client--let's call her Judy. I was working with her on several areas of her house. She and I agreed that I would work on certain projects separately, and she would focus on doing some preliminary work in the home office before we tackled the more detailed levels together.

I went to check on Judy and she was just finishing up a hutch where there were lots of office supplies. Everything looked very neat and tidy, but there was something wrong. On an upper shelf, carefully lined up next to each other, were three staplers.

 

I said, "Judy, this looks very nice. But why do you need three staplers?" And she laughed when she realized she definitely did not need them. She had collected them over the years and they had ended up near this hutch, and she just mindlessly put them away. Neatly. Perfectly spaced apart, actually.

My friends, take heed of the lesson of the staplers: Organizing is not about "neatening things up" and finding homes for all of your stuff. It's about intelligently considering what you need and how you use it.

We talk about objectivity being important-- sometimes it takes someone with a fresh pair of eyes to come in and ask why you have three staplers, because you've been looking at them too long! Hiring an organizer is a great way to get this objectivity, but working with a friend is very effective too. I often recommend to our Clutter Diet members that they get a strategy from our expert team (we consult with our members in our message boards where they upload photos to show us), and then work with a friend trading organizing favors to help get it all done hands-on. (Did you know we provide unlimited expert advice in our member message boards for the price of a pizza??)

Have you ever had a "stapler moment?" Share in the comments!

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Comments

[Patti DeNucci]

Lorie, you are such a wise woman. Great post! I know I am having plenty of "stapler moments" just today, as I write this. They are all over my home, office, and life. We all have them and we need help seeing them and correcting / tweaking them so we can be truly successful, fabulous -- and not quite to tired all the time! That's why it's so important to bring in smart, objective, compassionate experts like you.

[Linda G]

There is nothing wrong with having three staplers. It's having them in the same place! Three strategically placed staplers, scissors, or rolls of adhesive tape would be a time saver, right?

[Fran Wheeler]

I have cheap reading glasses all over my house, so I never have to hunt for them. Sadly, they seem to walk away from their assigned places and often, they huddle together in some unsuspected spot--like a kitchen cabinet! But I have to have them in order to see anything up close, and I don't want to wear them around my neck! I have no idea what to do about this problem.

[Marcia]

My life is a stapler moment! I agree completely with your statement: "It's about intelligently considering what you need and how you use it."

I also agree that an objective eye can be very helpful in dealing with this.

Thanks for this and your posts in general!

[Gina]

I am like Linda G ... I have 3 tape dispensers and 3 pair of scissors: one set in the laundry room, one set in the office and the last set in the kitchen - strategically placed so I don't waste time looking for them.

[Lorie Marrero]

I posted replies to these but they didn't publish... hmm! Anyway, Linda and Gina--ABSOLUTELY! You have been paying attention. :) Definitely good to have duplicates for scissors and other such supplies. Thanks for the comment! - Lorie

[Lorie Marrero]

I think this is a very common problem, Fran! As someone earlier commented, it’s often good to have duplicates of things around the house, and I completely agree. I think the best thing to do is be as “conscious” as possible when you put your glasses down, just like you would be conscious of where you are putting your purse. And have established homes for glasses in each room that you frequent so you would tend to put glasses back down in the same places each time. That way you have fewer places to look when you are hunting them down. And another tip—look on top of your head! LOL—just kidding! That has definitely happened to me. - Lorie

[penelope]

yea with my magazines which i barely look at. but on January that's about to change.im throwing them out and starting new.new year new me!

[Staples]

It's one of those situations where you just forget about something until someone else call you out on it. Oh how age makes people forgetful.

[stapler]

why can't you have three of me, why can't you have three of me? haha