I have a confession to make… I have a shocking memory. The day I started work my pockets filled with of little scraps of paper with scribbled To-Do notes on them. At the end of each day of racing around being Super Woman, I’d empty my pockets and organise them into Done (the Bin), Must-Do and Tomorrow.
The busier I got, the worse my memory became and the more I relied on my little scraps. They worked really well, I had a reputation for being efficient, responsible and organised. But it was no good having a notebook because I’d put it down somewhere and forget where it was!
What I discovered over the years is that I wasn’t alone. We all have different ways of being. Our energy levels vary and our ability to concentrate might be very different from the people we know. Some of us can multi task like crazy and some of us can’t at all.
And that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with you, you just handle the things that make up life differently from other people.
Let’s look at some things that might be causing your forgetfulness or disorganisation:
Maybe you have too many things to manage by yourself.
Who said we have to do it all ourselves? Stop comparing yourself with others, just smile and know, that’s not you. We are going for better, not perfect. Tidy-ish.
Sometimes you might feel like completely giving up, especially if you feel criticised or disrespected. And you know what? That’s your choice.
I would like to suggest though, that you get some assistance. I bet you’ve already thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if I had someone to…” Find these people. Build your support team.
Maybe you have too much stuff to do.
“Schedules! Ugh! Systems! Are you kidding me??? I don’t have time to sort all that stuff out. I’ve got too much to do and too many people relying on me!”
So drop some of it. Is this how you want to remember your life? Screaming through the house like Kermit The Frog on speed?
I don’t care if your perfect neighbour has 7 kids, four dogs and a three-legged cat and still glides out of her house at 6:30am to go the gym looking like a Morning Show presenter. We are talking about helping wonderful you to live your best Tidy-ish life.
Maybe you have too much stuff.
Yup, it’s that old tune of mine… But bear with me.
Imagine if your house was full of squeaky toys. Really full. Everywhere you look, mountains of the bloody things. Everywhere you sit or walk… SQUEAK!!! Getting into bed, SQUEAK!!! You can’t see the floor for squeaky toys.
And they keep flowing into your house. Through the garage door, the front door, the back door, in the kids back packs, in your shopping bags, in gifts from your friends (who are trying to get rid of their own explosion of squeaky toys!) IT’S NEVER GOING TO STOP!
Whew. Yes you guessed it. Those squeaky little so-and-so’s represent the stuff you already have and the stuff you and your family bring into your house. How could you possibly stay organised with all of that!
The less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to manage. Seriously.
Maybe you’re just not that interested.
And you know what? That’s OK!
There’s no law that says you have to have a Pinterest perfect home. There’s no law that says you have to enjoy tidying (or cooking or cleaning or taxes.) There’s no law that says your house has to be tidy at all!
You might have LOADS of other things to do that are WAY more important to you. A tidy house might be way down your list of priorities. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But if you are getting a bit stressed out by your home, or someone you live with is, then maybe it really should be dealt with, once and for all.
I’m a big fan of making use of any tool that serves the purpose of making life easier. My smart phone is now my memory buddy. It helps me remember all my to-do’s as well as the routine stuff. Because, to be honest, I often forget boring things.
Funny that.
Liz.
The Tidy Lady
Declutter Coach & Tidyness Expert.
