| Organized living perfectionism is starting to become | | | | The participants in a stress management class were |
| epidemic. | | | | involved in a class discussion that required them to |
| There are stores that sell nothing but organizing | | | | share their stresses. One table was having an |
| products so you can have a lot of containers to sort | | | | animated discussion as one woman shared all all the |
| and store your stuff in. | | | | things she had to do, explaining that she could not get it |
| There are books on how to declutter and practice | | | | all done in the short 24 hours of every day. |
| clutter control in order to have a better life. | | | | One woman complained that she could never get |
| Feng shui tips for removing energy blockages and | | | | enough sleep because she could not get the |
| clearing the clutter in your home are plentiful. Is it any | | | | housework done. She was literally staying up until 1 or |
| wonder that some people are obsessed with closet | | | | 2 am everyday doing housework! |
| organization and storage ideas for organized living? | | | | Here is how the exploration of that issue unfolded. |
| The problems of organized living perfectionism result | | | | Me: "Why are you doing that?" |
| from obsession with the organization process instead | | | | Her: "In case somebody comes over I want the house |
| of realizing and enjoying its benefits. | | | | to look nice." |
| How can you tell if you have this affliction? Here are | | | | Me: "Who are your expecting at that hour?" |
| the symptoms of organized living perfectionism : | | | | Her: (she paused for a while to think about it ) "Well in |
| - you make lists of your lists | | | | case somebody breaks in or something." |
| - your organize your organizing products | | | | This person was guilty of perfectionism. She was |
| - you label the container that holds the labels | | | | trying hard to do everything she thought she was |
| - you measure the centerpiece to make sure it is | | | | supposed to do without stopping to set priorities and |
| actually in the "center" | | | | figure out what she wanted her life to be like.She had |
| - you refold laundry several times to get it "just right" | | | | continued adding so many things to her life (including |
| - you "straighten" your children's drawers after they | | | | going to school full time) that her life was now out of |
| have put away their laundry | | | | control and she had to make up a silly reason for |
| - you have assigned housecleaning to specific days of | | | | doing housework at 2 am because she really didn't |
| the week and that chore is completed on that day no | | | | have a good reason. |
| matter what happens in your life | | | | Sometimes you just have to say it out loud to realize |
| - you clean and organize spaces that are already | | | | how silly it can be. |
| clean and organized | | | | The disorder of organized living perfectionism is not |
| - the amount of time that you spend with your kids is | | | | fatal and not contagious, so you need not worry that |
| less than the time that you spend tidying up their "stuff" | | | | your family will catch it from you. |
| - you schedule time in your day planner to "complete | | | | However, unless you do something about it they might |
| my day planner" | | | | miss you a lot while they are having fun and you are |
| The true perils of organized living perfectionism are | | | | busy organizing something! |
| illustrated in this anecdote. | | | | |