This is a question I get asked a lot. Often asked through a worried smile and eyes that say, ‘I really hope my home won’t give you a twitch when you see it.’
Firstly, I’d like to make it clear that I am absolutely judgement-free. We can all get ourselves into a pickle at different times and for different reasons and your home won’t make me twitch! Life happens and we are all human. Don’t forget that without people needing help decluttering and organising their homes, I wouldn’t have a job that feeds my soul.
Secondly, I’d like to get on my high horse. I really dislike the word ‘perfect’. Having grown up in a ‘practice makes perfect’ kind of culture where top marks were expected and ‘perfect’ was always the goal, I’ve experienced first-hand the negative impact this has on well-being and practically all areas of life.
A past colleague of mine introduced an alternative to the phrase when he said to me: ‘Practice makes progress’. I could have cried. YES, this is what we should be saying to ourselves and each other. This is the culture everyone should grow up in. It’s all about progress and the journey we are on, not someone else’s idealised end goal for us.
So, spoiler alert, NO MY HOUSE IS NOT PERFECT.
Perfection, after years of chasing, is something I no longer strive for. I actually don’t want it.
Is my house organised? Definitely.
Is my house uncluttered? Mostly. (Children’s toys and their junk model ‘creations’ are something I need to constantly keep on top of!)
Does my home give me a warm, fuzzy feeling when I walk through the door? Absolutely.
Do I know where everything belongs in my home and can we all find things quickly? Yes!
While perfection is a myth, achieving order is entirely possible, with a dash of realism in the mix. Our home is lived in and we prioritise family relationships and personal growth. But we all know the effects our environment can have on our minds and we see the positive impact a calm and orderly home has on us all, which means we place a high importance on tidying up regularly. We know that in a quick tidy up of 20 minutes or less, we could have our home ‘back to normal’, looking presentable to calm our minds and ready to welcome any visitors.
I often hear surprise at only needing 20 minutes. Well, here are my secrets to maintaining a home that is only 20 minutes away from serenity:
1. Items all have a home of their own and get put back there regularly. Not necessarily immediately, I have other family members with their own minds and priorities, after all! But we all know where things belong and can return them quickly and with ease.
2. We have routines and systems in place that keep daily life flowing. For example, toys are organised by category, school bags are unpacked and repacked for the following day as soon as we get home and all the items needed for hobbies are ready and easy to grab and go.
3. Everyone chips in and we all have responsibilities on a daily basis. The items my children need for breakfast are all accessible to them and they know where they are, so every morning they get out what they need and tidy up afterwards. Even my 5-year-old. I never come home to a cluttered breakfast table, and if you haven’t experienced the joy this brings, give it a try tomorrow!
4. We regularly declutter, not on a grand scale anymore as we don’t need to, but the odd item here and there that we no longer use or need. Just the other day we passed on to a family member a scooter my youngest had grown too big for, and we recycled a pair of tights with a hole. Noticing and dealing with these things straight away keeps our home orderly and functioning.
5. We are intentional with our purchases. Before we buy anything, we consider what purpose it will have in our home and where it will belong. If we’re not sure, we don’t buy it!
This might seem like a daunting amount to put in place and these tips might not work in every circumstance. We didn’t get to where we are overnight! It has taken time and practice because practice makes progress. Organisation should promote well-being rather than feel like another thing to do, so start small and focus on the progress. A professional organiser’s job is to work with people’s lifestyles and put systems in place that make daily life run smoothly so reaching out for help is always an option too.
Obviously the 20-minute tidy up is not as achievable during a big life event such as a home renovation (which we are no stranger to), so give yourself grace, aim for ‘good enough in the circumstances’ and make peace with it, knowing it’s temporary.
And if someone did pop round for a surprise cuppa and there was no time for a quick tidy, I know they wouldn’t mind the odd mug by the sink or the washing machine running or a coat on the banister. At the end of the day, they are here to see us and hopefully feel as cosy in our home as we do. What they will see represents the balance between organisation and daily life realities.
So no, my home is not perfect. It doesn’t constantly look like a show home. But it is functional, tidy and welcoming and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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