Is there some correlation between becoming an empty nest parent and becoming a messy, unorganized person? Because if there is, I totally would be a perfect research participant for this study! I have no idea why my last youngest child leaves for school and I become unable to find anything of importance or function in manner that I had been accustomed to my whole adult life.
Okay, the reason stated by my ex-husband when they asked him in court why he wanted to get divorced, he said "Beth has poor organizational skills". But hear me out....I used to hang all our clothes in the closet in order, by color, then prints, with matching wooden hangers, all set two fingers apart! I handled all our financial affairs and did out taxes. All gifts and holiday cards were done and sent in a timely manner. I could go on, but you get the gist. Relatively speaking, I was more organized than most people.
I digress, but that's a whole other post!
When I worked in real estate development, my desk was the envy of all my co-workers. I had neat piles for each area (contracts, marketing, sales, entitlements, etc) placed in order of importance. The plants in my office were thriving and I always had healthy snacks in the office kitchen and my gym bag in the car ready at anytime to go exercise.
For whatever reason, now, I cannot seem to get my ducks in a row.
I have items for my blog mixed up with my insurance papers, cannot find my daughter's speeding ticket that I need to mail in(what's the due date?) and I have scattered pictures of family and my kids stuck all over in random fashion behind my computer. The only area that remains organized are my shoes in the closet. (They are placed perfectly in their little cubbie holes and are in order seasonally and by degree of "fanciness"). It's no wonder my posts seem to be "all over the place". Hey, I write them as I find them.
Clearly this new empty nest status is making me off-kilter and maybe I'll just wake up someday and be just like I used to be. I hope so, because this messiness is a bit annoying. I want to hear your story. Have your organizational skills changed since the kids have left the nest? Or, if you have little ones around the house now, are you organized? Just curious.
(Here are the random shots of my family mixed together with the article and picture of Sonia Vera who's supposed to inspire me to lose weight with her sassy swimwear collection and shots of her modeling the suits. Only it's not working because she is tucked behind a picture of my hubby and I cannot see her skinny body!)
6 comments:
Move the picture! That's your first important step. Each day, take an area and have fun with it. It sounds like you need to make things interesting! Get pink and green folders or whatever fits your fancy.
I clean up by carrying all the clutter to a new location, instead of trying to do it bit by bit. It's very satisfying to have the space the way you want it immediately. The I go through the stuff, and I'm very reluctant to return it to my dusted, polished, neat workplace.
Of course, 2-3 weeks later, you'd never know I did anything . . .
I am great at cleaning up my desk. if it is in a pile that has not been moved in a week, I trash the whole pile. if it is not in its place, then it can't be that important.
I don't know how I found your website Beth, but I think I was searching something about "Hiking".
Interesting article on organization. I'm not an emtnester, nor do I have younger children. In fact, it's just my husband and myself. When the kitchen counter gets cluttered by mail put there by him, and the magazines start adding up (I've cancelled all subscriptions!) I just freeze up.
I emptied out our storage unit, trying to cut back...now all that stuff is now in our garage! Yikes! It's very overwhelming! I hate it. I'll tackle it, because we have relatives coming, that is a good cure!
Living Passionately,
AriZona
www.arizonaoffthewall.com
I agree with Arizona. Somehow, when company's coming, you get a whole new perspective on your living space. Sort of like "Oh, sh_t! We gotta clean this place!" It was always the most nerve wracking when it needed to be 'Mom and Dad' clean!
Beth,
Once my little boy left for college, I got really messy too. When little John was home, I wanted to show him how a proper adult should organize his or in my case her stuff. Once he left... I never really cared, which I now realize is not good. I love your advice June. I remember school shopping and seeing some adorable folders with whales on them. Maybe I will take the next step in my life and reorganize my desk!
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