5 Myths about People Who Like Being Organized

There are a number of myths about people who like being organized. Let’s take a look at some of them!

Myth #1: Organization is a personality trait, not something that can be learned

You might think, ”People who are organized were born that way … they’ve been organizing things ever since they were kids!”

Consider this:

People have unique personalities and innate predispositions, yes! Some people are born valuing organization. As we look at our kids, we see that the birth-order stereotypical tendencies of a firstborn ring true!  Our eldest daughter prefers neatness and order much more than our second born.  Just take a look in each of their bedside table “collection drawers” and the difference is clear! 😆 It can’t be denied that we all feel differently about the process of organizing.  There IS a personality component. 

At the same time, organization is a skill that can be learned!  There are examples of people who were not innately organized or tidy as kids who but have developed a value and skill of organization as an adult.  I (Brianna 🙋🏻‍♀️) am one of those examples.  When we were kids, my sister would sometimes mention to me how messy my room was (and our shared bathroom 🫣). Clothes on the closet floor, things scattered around my room, a cluttered dresser, and things covering the bathroom counter. I’d respond with something like “well, your room always looks perfect … at least it looks like I live here!” 🙃

Though it might not come “naturally” to us all, everyone can learn and apply organizational principles that will serve their families and make life easier! Habits to maintain an organized space can be learned too ☺️When there is newfound motivation, a “why” that is significant enough, rhythms can be created and habits can be learned to keep an organized and tidy home.

Myth #2: People who like being organized are motivated by “image”

You might think, “People who keep their home organized and tidy just do it so they can ‘look good’ and impress other people.”

Consider this:

Yes, sometimes we believe the lie that, somehow, if our home looks neat and tidy and put together, people will believe that our lives are neat and tidy and put together, too.  We may want to project an image that we think will impress our friends or our in-laws or whoever.  But what other people think about your home really does not matter, does it? 

What matters is that you and your family feel peace in your place. Also, that you have time for each other, and you feel free to use and welcome others into your space in a way that is authentic and connective.  Most of us have probably executed the “last minute tidy” at one point or another. That flurry 5 minutes before company arrives where you hurry around throwing the clutter behind closet doors and tossing things in drawers.  It’ ok, we get it. Somehow this urge is very hard to resist 🤪 

But!  At the heart of organization, the strategic and sustainable kind that we’re talking about, is the motivation and desire for a clear space that leads to a clear mind and a more peaceful place for your family.  It’s motivated by an inner desire rather than an external image.

Myth #3: To keep an organized home, you need to be an introvert who is home a lot

You might think, “I’m too busy and love people too much to be home all the time in order to keep it organized.”

Consider this:

It’s true that organizing a home does take some time up front (the “set up”).  And it does take some effort to be consistent with the rhythms you’ve created to help “keep up” your home while you’re there.  However, both introverts and extroverts can learn the skills to keep a home that is organized. It isn’t a question of having enough time, whether we are at home enough to become and stay organized. Rather, it’s a question of how we manage our home while we are there, regardless of whether that is a lot or a little. 

Effective organization takes some allotted and focused time up front, but it does not require a lot of time spent at home ongoing. In other words, extroverts can have organized homes and enjoy being away from their homes, too! Home organization means less time managing your things, which frees up more time for you and your family in the long run.  You can choose whether to spend this extra time that organization can save you at home or out of the house.  

Myth #4:  People who keep an organized home value things more than they value people

You might think, “Organizing means I have to think about, look at, and spend time with my things!  I’d rather spend my time with people!”

Consider this:

Effective organization means that we actually spend less time with our things. Less time moving our things around and putting our things away, or wondering where they are.  This is the benefit of an established system that helps us do that efficiently!  The strategic side of organization means that with some designated time up front, the “set up,” we can actually save a lot of time in the long run.  One of the benefits of home organization is that we can manage our things efficiently. This way, we don’t have to spend a lot of time dealing with them.  Instead, we get the joy of spending time with people (or alone … whatever is it that brings you joy!)

Myth #5: People who keep organized homes feel uncomfortable in homes that are not organized or tidy

You might think, “They say their mind feels cluttered when their home is cluttered. So then, they’ll for sure feel uncomfortable when they are surrounded by my family’s clutter … I guess I shouldn’t have them over.”

Consider this:

We have shared the connection between a clear space and a clear mind for those who are naturally attuned to organized and tidy spaces. We believe this applies to the natural-born organizer’s own home. It applies to the space that exists to serve their family and meet their family’s needs. When they leave their home, they leave the place that is in their control. They are no longer managing the space that their own family needs to function in. When they enter into another home, the things that serve their own family’s needs at home are not relevant. Spending time with other people in their homes is about gathering and connecting. Whether a person who keeps their own tidy and organized is a guest in a home that is organized and tidy or lived-in and messy, it’s all good! At least, this is true for us.

Home is unique. It is yours. The needs and desires for how you feel at home do not transfer over to how you feel in other homes. If we start to feel pressure to pursue perfection (unattainable!) and begin comparing to others (unhelpful and unhealthy!), we have gotten off track.

Encouragement

Let’s remember the heart behind the pursuit of home organization, which is not about material things and image, but about peace and about people! It all leads back to people.  Let’s never allow our differences to become a deterrent for acceptance, hospitality and connection. Instead, let’s celebrate who each person was uniquely and intentionally created to be. And then, explore and discover the “whys” that will inspire each of us to grow!

Much love from,

Brianna and Ben