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Less Than Perfectly Organized
by Liz Canavan
  close friend doesn’t understand why, on a beautiful Saturday, I would rather clean my garage than play in the mountains. Nor does she understand why I’ve turned down social invitations because I was sorting papers or rearranging a closet. What she can’t understand is how much creating order delights me.
Am I this way all the time? No way. The last-minute John Mayer ticket, the weekend getaway, and the urgent trip departing at 4 a.m. are all excellent reasons to say “I’m there” and leave the dishes in the sink. The question is when to let it go and when to tidy it up. How can we be organized enough to find what we need when we need it, but also remember that organizing isn’t about making everything perfect?
In Greek mythology, Chaos is the name of the goddess of emptiness and confusion, a shapeless void who gave birth to the universe. Yet chaos also provides the opportunity for growth and change and creativity. And chaos—both the goddess and the state of being—is fertile and alive, unlike order, which is sterile and inanimate. If we always choose to stay home and get organized, our lives will be dull. Life isn’t intended to be boxed, labeled and put on a shelf.
For some of us, however, organizing is a pleasure. Before I start my work, I need to clear my desk to feel the literal and figurative space to create. Without that peace of mind, my energy is drained by thinking about what still needs to be done.
As with all things in life (and my friend constantly reminds me of this), the answer is in finding a balance between chaos and order. A house without sticky fingerprints is missing a child’s laughter. A kitchen without dirty dishes lacks homemade meals. In all life there is evidence of living. Sometimes that evidence looks like clutter; sometimes it looks like the reason to be grateful for the abundance in your home. So before you start attacking every mess, grouching at your kids or partner and forgetting to actually see out of the window you’re so intent on cleaning, look around and consider: Is all that surrounds you clutter—or abundance?
Liz Canavan
Liz Canavan is a professional organizer in Boulder, Colo. Visit her website at www.alchemyoforder.com
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