Organizing Overboard!

I have long been a fan of Good Weekend Writer Stephanie Dowrick and this weekend her ever-thoughtful column was related to Home Organizing in an article titled "The tyranny of Tidiness."


The article espoused healthy 'untidy' homes, as opposed to unhealthy ones. I must say I agree with her comment that "The ordinary tumble of daily life does not fall into that (hoarding) category. I say we should not be servants to our homes! Rather, homes should serve, happily - those who live in them." Having a slightly dis-organized home does not mean you live in constant chaos and need 'help', it simply means you are busy like everyone else and are choosing to 'live' life (at least some of the time) rather than be a slave to it.

Some people can go overboard when it comes to having a well presented home and overly house proud. There is a fine line between being house proud and being obsessive about it to the point of not 'living' ones life as a result. As one of my favourite quotes says "On your death bed, what will you remember more the sparkle of your kitchen floor, or the sparkle in your children's eyes."

Yes of course it helps to have a home that is organized to a degree, as long as there is room for 'real life' to fit into it, without the worry of how it will 'look' to others. Make sure your tidy/untidy, organized/dis-organized house expectations of yourself and others are realistic, and if not, stop giving yourself such a hard time - Life's too short!