How To Decide If Organizing Is Right For You

Want to Get Organized?

A highly organized pantry
Photo: Done & Done Home

How to decide if organizing is right for you? Is that a trick question?! Have things gone bananas at Done & Done?

Not exactly. Well, at least not more than usual 😉

But if you caught our latest Done & Done Discusses on Instagram, you’ll know we posed the question, “what’s the point of organizing?” So are we implying that organizing doesn’t matter? Or that it might not be for you? Not at all. Obviously we believe that organizing has a purpose and that it can improve your life.

But there are two different kinds of organizing. The kind that is beautiful and edited and curated in the little squares on social media, and the kind that occurs in our own homes and the homes of our clients.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret. We love Instagram, it’s a very effective way for us to showcase our best work and to share the expertise we’ve gained over the years. But (are you sitting down?!) most of the organizing photos you see on Instagram aren’t real. Shocker, right?

A beautiful curated pantry
Photo: Done & Done Home

To clarify; the images are real, they’re taken in real homes, and those spaces actually exist. But they’re a snapshot in time and are quite often staged. And we don’t think there’s anything wrong with that! We love gorgeous pantries and styled walk-in closets as much as the next person and we’re more than happy to share those pictures when we get the opportunity.

The problem is that it’s led people to believe that perfection is the standard. That if you don’t have all of your bookcases arranged in a rainbow and all of the containers in your home labeled, then you have failed in some fundamental way. And that’s just not the case. Not one bit.

If you have a functional, efficient home then you have won! Pretty spaces are just the icing on the organizing cake.

A realistically organized closet
Photo: Done & Done Home

Why Do Function and Efficiency Matter?

So if organizing isn’t about pretty spaces, what’s the point? Ah. Now we have something to say about why organizing is right for you.

When you don’t have working systems and your home is in disarray, you’re going to have unneeded stress in your life. And honesty, who needs more stress?! Can’t find your keys in the morning? Not a great way to start off your day. Have ten loads of laundry to do on the weekend (plus the load that got forgotten in the washer?). Not the best way to spend your weekend.

Organizing allows us to have more time for family, more time for the activities we care about and more time to simply live life. It’s really that important!

An organized garage
Photo: Done & Done Home

Don’t believe us? If you love to garden but have to spend 2 hours at the grocery store because you don’t have a list and have no idea what’s in the fridge, that’s quality time lost in your yard.

Maybe you want to spend more time with your kids in the morning but you don’t have a routine and it’s utter madness trying to get everyone out the door on time. A nighttime routine which prepares for the following day could give you more time and less stress. No more yelling, no more rushing, no more days started off on the wrong foot.

There are so many examples of how efficiency can help you and how disorganization can hurt you. All you have to do is pinpoint something in your life that you dread doing. Choosing an outfit? Cooking dinner? Putting the laundry away? You may have tasks that you don’t like doing, but if you have systems in place, they can be done quickly and you can get on with your day.

A tiny but functional laundry room
Photo: Done & Done Home

Therefore, we can say without a doubt, organizing is for you! It doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty, it just has to work. If you agree with all of this but you don’t know where to start, we got you! Sign up for our Love Your Home Again course and we’ll walk you through every room and teach you how to set up systems and routines so your home will be your sanctuary.