Peace of Mind Organizing

A pocket of order

30 October 2008

This week, as part of my Level III certification program through the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, I analyzed the book Making Peace with the Things in Your Life, by Cindy Glovinsky (link at right).

I’ll write more about this tremendous book in a later post, but today I wanted to focus briefly on a concept she mentions near the end of the book. When you’re living in disorder and feel overwhelmed by all that has to be done to create order, Glovinsky recommends that you create a “pocket of order.” That’s one little spot you can clear out and organize in the amount of time you have available in your organizing session. It serves as a shining beacon of hope for you. And also an oasis of calm. (Please forgive all the metaphors.)

Once you’ve taken the time to create this pocket of order, it’s easy to keep it orderly. And then you have a place to look to reassure yourself that order is indeed possible. “No matter how exhausted, how overwhelmed, how inept, or how grief stricken you may feel, you can always create a small pocket of order in your world and in yourself, ” Glovinsky writes on page 240.

I love this. if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your clutter, give it a try. Even if you have just a little bit of time, find a spot and create some order. Maybe it’s your bathroom counter, the cupboard where you keep your dishes, or your car. Make it a place you see on a daily basis so that you can appreciate the peace it brings. Keep it tidy. Then select another place and do it all over again.

If you don’t have a huge block of time to declutter your house, creating little pockets of order will get you on your way. They’ll motivate you to keep going. And who knows—do it long enough and more pockets of order than pockets of clutter. Doesn’t that sound nice?

I should mention that Glovinsky wisely suggests that creating order will do you no good unless you change your habits with regard to your stuff. The book provides the tools to do self analysis to help you decide what habits to change and how to change them. So the pockets of order are just a small part of what she writes about. It’s just a little gem I wanted to share.

Tagged with: cindy glovinsky, clutter, decluttering, disorder, motivation

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