Organizing with Intention

During my hot yoga class this week, I noticed that when I move with purposeful intention, I feel better and get more out of the practice than when I get frustrated by how hard it is and just flop down on the mat out of exhaustion.  This same principle can be applied to many areas of life but organizing in particular.  When we take the time to mindfully create systems in our home that work with our lives, we create a place where we can feel calm and at peace in our surroundings.

Decision Fatigue

Rather than just throwing our bags on the floor, kicking off our shoes and letting them land wherever, take a breathe, pause, and take the extra effort to place things where you want them and can readily access them.  A speaker at a recent organizing seminar I attended put it well when she said that clutter is really just decision fatigue or delay. We’re tired at the end of the day so we don’t want to even begin to think about putting away the groceries. Or we just did all the laundry so know we don’t ALSO want to put it all away.  This can be tempting in the moment but ultimately it creates a cycle of unfinished tasks that are always at different stages and are never really “done.”

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Intentionally Put Away Your Items

Challenge yourself to complete all aspects of the task and not create further work for ourselves or our partners and families later. We throw our keys wherever because we’re rushing to run to the restroom or settle in to answer our Boss’ email. Taking the time to intentionally put away our items will save time in the long run because you’ll set yourself up to always know where your items are.

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Throw the Rules Out

Throw the rules out the window when necessary. Sometimes life can be pretty exhausting and the thought of doing anything else aside from getting those pajamas on and watching TV is just too much to bear. On those rough days, cut yourself some slack and know that sometimes, taking a break and being kind to yourself eclipses keeping your house in order. Just try and not make it a daily habit to benefit yourself and your home maintenance routine.

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What other ways can you interact with your home intentionally? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Photo Credits: Annie Spratt, Nik Shuliahin, Vadim Sherbakov, Drew Coffman

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