Taming the Clutter: I don't have an organization problem!

I realized something the other day, as I looked around my cluttered kitchen struggling to find even an inch of empty counter space. I really do not have an organization problem. Oh, I have claimed to be a disorganized person many, many times. Honestly, it became an excuse of sorts...a way to justify my messy life.  I can't tell you how many times I've said, "I'm just not a very organized person."  Maybe you've used that line, too.




As my New Year's resolution, I made it my goal to try to get my home in order. I wanted simplicity and order in my surroundings. It's hard to have an uncluttered spirit in a house filled with excess "stuff". I spent a solid 2 weeks going through every kitchen cupboard and meticulously organizing it. I reorganized the spices in cute little alphabetized glass jars. I came up with a solution for overflowing Tupperware containers. I did a total revamp of my kitchen drawers. I did one heck of an overhaul on the pantry. It looked amazing. Notice the past tense--looked--as in, used to look amazing. 




Here's the thing I discovered. The best systems in the world don't automatically create organization. You see, I don't actually have an organization problem. What I have is a discipline problem. I don't put things back when I'm finished using them. I know they have a "home", because I've created one for them...but I don't take the time to maintain my "system". Take my spices, for example. It now takes me just as long to find the one I need as it used to before I put the spices in the cute labeled jars. It's really not that hard to put them back in the right spot...yet I don't do it. Ugh! Why can't I just take the 3 seconds to put things back where they go?

I have started to catch my lack of discipline lately. I will carry clothes up to the kids' bedrooms and instead of putting them in the drawers, a task which would take less than 60 seconds, I put them on top of the dresser instead. I will leave a stack of 4 or 5 recipe cards out on the counter for a week instead of simply putting them back in the recipe box. I really hope I am not the only mom with a discipline problem. I desperately WANT to live in a clean, orderly home. I even set up systems to make it happen (like our shoe organizer that stays empty while the shoes pile up in front of it! LOL) but I fail to maintain the system and my lack of discipline creates disorder and clutter. I want to lead my children by example and that means I need to step up and work on my discipline issue.




They say that acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it. I sure hope so! Disorganization wastes so much time in my day. Looking for lost keys, that one rarely used spice, the pajama bottoms that have vanished even though the top has been washed 3 times by itself...you get the idea. You can't change a problem that you don't realize exists in the first place. I'm going to put forth an effort to take the extra few seconds to put things where they belong. I worked too hard at reorganizing my home a few months ago, to let it go back to the chaos it once was. Now...if you'll excuse me...I need to go clean off some dressers.

Ashley