12 Things You Don’t Know about Organized People

It's easy to assume that organized people just have their lives all together.  If you're struggling right now, being organized can seem almost unattainable, but this is totally not true!  Keep reading or watch the video here for 12 things that might surprise you about organized people!

1.  Their spaces all look very different.

There is no one way to be organized.  People have different personalities and organizing styles, and all of this works differently for different people.  Sometimes it helps to think about the only two things you have to have to be organized:

1. Every item needs a home.
2. It has to make you smile.

That's it!  As long as you know where everything belongs and can find it when you need it, you're set!  You can have a lot of stuff (that you need and use!) or less stuff, but if it all has a home and you aren't searching all over when you need it, then it's organized!

An organized space also doesn't have to look like it belongs on Pinterest!  As long as it makes you happy and you can find what you need, you don't need to worry about what it looks like to someone else.

2.  Organized people are all very different.

Anyone at any age can be organized!  Organized people all have different needs and preferences, and there is no one-size-fits-all system or type of person.  Anyone can do it!

3.  They may not have always been organized.

If you're not organized or you've struggled very long with disorganization, it can feel like organized people must have just been born that way.  This is totally not true.  Sometimes the stress and craziness of disorganization can be the catalyst that makes a person finally organized their life.  This can happen for any one at any age or stage in life.

It's also important to remind ourselves that organization is a learned skill.  It's not inborn, and with some effort, literally anyone can make some changes for the better!

4.  They don't always love organizing.

So, to be honest– I absolutely love organizing!  I can geek out all day on creating a new organizing system, LOL!  But not all organized people are like this.  Some absolutely hate the organizing process, but they like the results or how it removes stress from their lives.

It's okay to not enjoy the process of getting your home to run more smoothly.  It's okay to hate decluttering and doing all the initial setup work.  As long as you can make yourself actually do it, you don't have to like the process.

5.  They're not all minimalists.

I'm not a big fan of clutter, obviously.  But I am by no means a minimalist!  I have a pretty big house, and I have a fair amount of things, too, but I just don't have clutter.  I like keeping my home decluttered so it's easier to find homes for what we do need, and it's easier to find those things when we want them!

But the idea of a tiny home or getting rid of all but two kitchen utensils totally makes me squirm!  There is a difference between keeping your home decluttered and trying to live with as few items as possible!

6.  Their houses are not always tidy.

Organization can easily be confused with tidiness.  In reality, you can have one or the other or both combined (the sweet spot, of course)!  Organizing and tidying are two different things.  I love organizing, but I pretty much hate tidying, LOL!  So this is a constant struggle for me.

If you were to just drop in at my house, about 20% of the time, it's a hot mess!  About 60% of the time it's in decent shape but not perfect, and about 20% of the time, it looks spotless and perfect.  Despite the occasional mess, I'm organized almost 100% of the time.

I've never been great at sticking to a cleaning routine or schedule.  With my chronic illness over the last few years, keeping up with housework has gotten even harder.  I don't always pick stuff up right after we use it or get the dishes washed right after dinner.  I've had to learn to be okay with this.

One good thing about being organized though is that since everything has a home, we're never more than about 10-20 minutes away from being tidied up!  This relieves so much stress when I find out a last minute visitor is coming by.

7.  They're not always consistent.

Consistency is a great trait, but you can still be organized without it!  I wouldn't call myself consistent, really.  I tend to organize all at once, and I work in fits and spurts.  I'm also bad at sticking to a consistent routine with cleaning or decluttering.  All of a sudden I'll just decide something is too much to live with anymore, and I'll finally do something about it!

8.  They can be forgetful.

Organizing tends to keep you on track, not missing appointments, and not running around searching frantically for something right as you need to leave the house.  However, sometimes it's the forgetful people who have to have an organization system to keep themselves on track.  If they don't set up a system, they'll forget!  Know yourself, and if you're the forgetful type, what systems can you set in place to help you remember?  I'm a big fan of setting reminders for everything on my phone.

9.  They spend little time actually organizing.

Most people have to spend more time on maintenance than on actually getting organized in the first place.  With this in mind, it's important to think about how you'll maintain the space once it's organized.  How can you make it easier to put something away than it is to leave it out?

Always organize with the intention of making maintenance as easy as it can possibly be.  This is the way to create a system set up for long term success!

10.  They may be lazy.

This is me in some areas, LOL!  A good organization system will literally make it easier for you to be a bit lazier!  Systems should be there to relieve stress and make your life easier.  For example, when you know where to find keys or shoes, etc., then you won't have the mad dash of searching for things on the way out the door.

11.  They don't do it all alone!

Literally every influencer you see online has help of some kind!  No one can do everything on their own. Lots of people have a nanny or a house cleaner, or sometimes they have hired people to help them run their business.

Even if they don't have professional help, most organized people at least have family help if others live in their household.  My kids can make messes faster than I can clean them up, so I could NOT do everything on my own.  My husband does dishes at least as often as I do (probably more!), and we're working on getting the kids to help more as they get older.  It takes time to teach them, but in the long run it comes back to you in less work.

Help can also come in the form of inspiration.  When I was first organizing the bookshelves in my video backgrounds, I had seen a picture of someone else who had done things this way, and I loved it!  Pinterest is great for inspiration, of course, but our GOHQ community is also so good at supporting and encouraging each other.  Help can come from online as well!

12.  They may not be organized in all areas.

I'm constantly asked if I have a “Monica closet” or a place where I just toss stuff.  For the most part, I try to stay decluttered, but almost everyone who is organized has at least one area where they aren't.  Or they have a catchall area where they stash anything that they just don't know how to deal with.

One benefit from having a place to keep stuff that's in limbo is that it does help keep the rest of the areas in pretty good shape!  This is a stress reliever and helps with motivation to keep going with organization.

Organization that sticks for busy, happy lives.