How Do You Know if Youre Disorganized

How disorganized or organized are you lot, and how much of the organizing is work?

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Asked by JLeslie (62184 ) Baronial 14th, 2012

This question is inspired past keobooks recent Q about her new blog regarding getting organized and uncluttered.

I am trying to figure out some of the differences between the corking and organized people and the messy unorganized people. My hypothesis is the neat people don't view all the tasks it takes to continue things keen as neatening tasks. I know there is more to it and so that, merely that is what I am interested in on this Q. On keobooks' Q we talked most keeping a firm/flat great past doing a half hour of organizing actvities a day. Well, that is what I said my aunt had told me. Keobooks mentioned her organizing specialist said it is only 5 minutes.

So, here is what I would similar to know:

How practice you rate yourself at home on a scale? Disorganized/messy being 1 and organized/not bad beingness a v.

Next, tell me if the activities listed below in your mind count equally organizing activities if you were adding upwards how much time a day y'all spend organizing and keeping things keen. Putting away something means in its proper place. For instance, putting shoes away means in the very spot they should exist if yous did a massive clean upwardly. And then, if shoes are supposed to be on the top shelf in your closet, kicking them off in the closet and leaving them there in the middle of the floor does not count.

Putting away shoes or coat
Sorting new mail
Putting away laundry
Filing paperwork
Clean upward later eating or cooking
Emptying the dishwasher
Putting abroad hair products, pilus dryer, and cosmetics
Put away new purchases

Any thoughts or advice on the thing I would love it to hear. Thanks in advance for taking my quiz.

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I would say I'm a one.5. I have no natural tendencies toward neatness and information technology is a constant battle. All of the activities you listed, I would consider straightening up work. I accept actually been thinking lately well-nigh hiring someone to get my house organized, only I don't know if it would help, I recall we probably only have too much stuff and demand to get rid of some of it.

@nikipedia I highly recommend hiring a professional organizer. They assist you throw things away as well, and put in systems to go along things swell. Neater. Just two visits tin be magical in my experience. Commonly 3–4 hours each.

I am very organized in some means and very disorganized in others. For example, I am a really efficient and organized packer.

@marinelife Me too, I am organized in some realms and non in others, that's why I specified maintaining the home.

May be 2. When I am alone, I try to follow Toyota's way: Everything in identify, and place for everything!

It's the way I grew upward, and whether I wanted or not, I learned some of the techniques in Industrial engineering science. There are some really astonishing techniques, while some are common sense like 5S at dwelling house.

I'd say I'grand nigh a 4. But living with people (especially kids) requires a level of flexibility here. I can't/don't await anybody in my business firm to have the same priorities, simply I take found some level of balance by targeting detail areas that I tin control in a way that eases my mind.

@JLeslie: "Next, tell me if the activities listed below in your mind count equally organizing activities if y'all were adding upward how much time a solar day you spend organizing and keeping things neat. "

Work is work. Information technology doesn't disappear if you lot put it off or pretend information technology isn't. For example, my kids decline to put their shoes in the mudroom where they have their ain shoe buckets. Information technology's understandable because they are kids, but they seem to remember that putting their shoes where they go is "work", but kicking them off at the back porch or exterior or leaving them in the car is easier. Only they invariably demand to scramble around searching for their shoes whenever we go somewhere.

Clean upwardly afterwards eating or cooking

If in that location is one system I could implement in my house, it would be this. I proposed the "make clean your bowl" idea to my family, and they all laughed at me. It's simple – and it'due south something I do when I am lone. Whatsoever dish that I have dirtied in preparing, cooking, or eating my repast is cleaned immediate after consuming the repast. The unabridged process is considered a transaction, and it's not complete until all steps take been completed. It hurts my head to see dirty pans sitting in a sink or beingness loaded into a dishwasher. Dramatic me sees this every bit symbolic of our inability to stay focused long enough to complete anything. Nosotros constrict our mess away in the dishwasher or throw them in the sink because we'll bargain with it "later".

Anyway, yes – I have some "tendencies" to exist ridiculously organized (or some might say "crazy"), but they are tempered by the reality of living with 3 kids and a wife who is probably a 1.

@tom_g Ok, but as a neatnick, if I asked you how much time do you lot spend a day neatening and organizing, how many minutes is it? And, what are yous counting? Are yous counting rinsing your plate? Are you counting putting your shoes in the right place? Or, are those in your mind just standard household things that of course are done?

I think of myself equally an organized person, but I'm really not. I don't care much about a mess if I know what the components are. I'm very expert at organizing, just doing information technology on a regular footing escapes me.

How do you rate yourself at dwelling house on a scale?
Me = 5
Married woman = one
Girl = 4
As a Household = iii

Putting away shoes or coat
Sorting new mail
Putting away laundry
Filing paperwork
Clean up after eating or cooking
Emptying the dishwasher
Putting away hair products, pilus dryer, and cosmetics
Put away new purchases

I do all of the above on a regular ground. Everything in its place equally you described. I as well organize drawers, launder & windex about surfaces, wash floors, etc. My married woman does very little to none of this, so a LOT of my time is spent re-doing these multiple times per calendar week.

On average, I spend near v–8 hours a calendar week cleaning and organizing. If I lived alone (or my married woman was organized), I'd probably spend about three hours a calendar week. I know this considering when she's gone on week-long business organisation trips, and it's just me and my daughter, I've spent only virtually 3 hours on information technology.

Oh, and I have a arrangement.

2 to 3 days a calendar week, immediately later on work, I spend an 60 minutes cleaning and organizing before dinner.

Every Sat morning, every bit shortly as I get upwards, I spend iii hours cleaning and organizing before breakfast.

Sunday'due south I do nix.

I'm worried this calendar week as my wife is taking a stay-cation and will home far more than than usual. Much more opportunity to make messes. I may full out at ten hours this calendar week.

@cprevite Thanks for the detail. See, I think it really does take time to be neat. I know @tom_g tried to say information technology is less time to do straightening as you go, but if you are inclined to but exit things a mess, it overall is less fourth dimension "working" on cleaning. But, the identify is hell-raising. Eventually, things might demand to go cleaned up, and so it is a lot of hours to exercise information technology at in one case.

@JLeslie: "Ok, but equally a neatnick, if I asked yous how much time practise you spend a day neatening and organizing, how many minutes is information technology? And, what are you counting? Are you counting rinsing your plate? Are yous counting putting your shoes in the right place? Or, are those in your mind just standard household things that of course are done?"

I'm not counting. They're but standard household things. I tin can do them now (which provides me a sense of guild and calm) or I tin can do them afterward.

@JLeslie: "I know @tom_g tried to say it is less fourth dimension to do straightening as you go,"

Lamentable. I didn't mean to say it takes less fourth dimension. Rather, it takes the same amount of time. It'south just a thing of when to bargain with it. I suppose it'south only preference, merely I can slumber a lot better knowing that I am attending to what needs attending to, rather than tricking myself into believing that it's all done.

@tom_g I should say I agree with the thought that doing piece of work every bit you go keeps things smashing, and is near the same amount of time (maybe a footling less) than doing it all at one time. But, permit's say I simply kicking off my shoes and have a pile of shoes I employ often past the door. That is less fourth dimension than putting them away, considering I am almost never putting them away, they might be there for three months until I take people visit. I don't exercise that, but it is just an example.

Very interesting those things named you are non counting. This is what I had assumed, merely didn't know. So, in a manner they aren't "actress" work to you.

@JLeslie: "Very interesting those things named you lot are not counting. This is what I had assumed, but didn't know. And then, in a way they aren't "extra" work to y'all."

Yeah. In a way, the piece of work that is the result of – only disconnected from – the source seems like "extra" work for me, however. I don't bask doing dishes if they are from a meal nosotros ate yesterday. That'southward challenging to get through. If I am working on a project and do not clean up before going out, the cleanup feels very draining and tough – physically and emotionally. But if I clean up immediately, the same exact amount of work might just flows.

I used to be very careful about putting things abroad, and I knew where everything was. In my four bedroom house, one bedroom was my sewing room and one chamber was a computer room. Now the bedrooms are all full of people, cats and dogs.

My sewing things are scattered around on shelves and closets in nearly every room in the house and I don't know where annihilation is. The living room is now the computer room and all our books are stacked on shelves in piles. They used to exist in alphabetical gild by author and the reference books were in Dewey decimal order.

My dining room tabular array is stacked with apparel, towels, sheets, blankets and toys. My two car garage is stuffed with storage items, and no machine fits in it at all. I had a shed built in my back m for use as a playhouse/piece of work room, but it is stuffed with storage and spiders.

The simply thing that is notwithstanding neat and ordered is the kitchen and both pantries. By ordered, I mean I know where everything is, and that includes the counters, where I store a lot of things.

From what I have read, professional organizers advise throwing away at least half of the ataxia, and installing expensive cupboard systems to shop the rest.

I'd say I am a four. I don't listen letting things get some now and then, only, overall I am more than dandy and organized than non. I also practise not have a hoarding bone in my torso, I am very much out with the former and in with the new, or, at least, out with the quondam.
I'm the blazon that volition look at your carte for a minute, and throw information technology abroad a few hours later. lol

I am about a ane.5. I tin can be exceedingly organised with my piece of work but at habitation – not so much.

Putting away shoes or glaze – I stick them in the corner of my sleeping accommodation and shoes I am wearing a lot are (being honest) on the hall table past the front end door. I put them on the shelf nether the table the dog chews them!
Sorting new mail – urrm… sorting… I read it it and stick it in the mail dohicky or a drawer or if it is tax related in a slot in my desk.
Putting away laundry – eventually. Information technology might spend some time in the basket or on the top of the chest of drawers. However, when I wash I hang things on hangers so they go direct back in my wardrobe.
Filing paperwork – terrible. I have so much work related paperwork it is a never ending task. I do become through my work stuff fairly regularly and bin things. I also have a few piles around I but never get to.
Clean up after eating or cooking – I love my husband. That'due south all I can say.
Emptying the dishwasher – Ditto – I practise practice it occasionally but my husband is much more efficient at emptying the dishwasher.
Putting away hair products, pilus dryer, and cosmetics – I have a handbasket or information technology goes in a cupboard. I do this.
Put away new purchases – Eventually. They might sit in that location for a while though.

[Going back to re-evaluate my original assessment of 2.5…]

Information technology'southward funny because people at work would say I am very organised. My desk isn't tidy but I know where everything is and I am very careful about managing things like my diary, paperwork that relates to students, working to deadlines etc.

@nikipedia, want to get halves on a house organiser?

I would rate myself at five at getting organized and about a 1.5 at staying organized. I am really, really skillful at organizing things. I tin set up filing systems, put things away in perfect order that makes absolute sense, I tin can clean the heck out of whatever room in the house and accommodate stuff like nobody's business. The only problem is that it never stays that mode. And so I get my system all prepare, slack off, and then a couple of months later go it straightened out and dorsum in gild.

I consider all of the tasks you listed, with the exception of putting abroad new things, neatening type tasks and non organizing blazon tasks. When I lived solitary with my kids I did most of them in one case a week or then. I have never been bothered by a messy house. Listen yous, my firm was messy, just never dingy. I accept always scrubbed kitchens and bathrooms regularly. Withal, information technology is incredibly important to my husband that the house in neat and clean, then now that nosotros are living together I try to do all the things you listed (that he tin't do) daily. I am also very fortunate that my kids are old enough non only to clean upwardly after themselves, but to pitch in to help continue the house in general clean and organized.

It'southward hard to stay organized if information technology's not organized well. I hope this makes sense. Permit me give examples.

Putting your shoes and glaze away could be a 5 on your scale if you forced yourself to put your shoes in the attic every dark and you had to get the fiddling ladder and climb upward and go to the back of the attic and put them in the special shoe spot. It would be a 0 on the scale if you lot put a shoe bin next to your door and all you had to do was take your shoes off and throw it into the bin.

Organizing isn't just about making things tidy and great looking. It's most putting things in places that brand sense. If y'all make a prissy neat space in your closet in the kitchen for your coat, you're probably not going to succeed in putting up your coat consistently. If you put a coat rack in the place you seem to constantly throw your coat, y'all'll accept a much higher hazard of putting it up.

This is what I meant nearly things existence less piece of work. You don't make up a cool organizing organization and then force yourself to stick with it. You attempt to build an organic system that's going to be centered on how your listen works and how you live in your surroundings.

This is why I wanted to weblog near working with an organizer. Too many people think information technology'due south about getting out the former label maker and buying tons of bins and containers and then forcing yourself to go along that system in identify. The organizer works on helping you effigy out how and where things should exist so that when y'all haphazardly toss something, it's going to practically land exactly where it's supposed to be.

My organizer came in and we worked on half the kitchen. Side by side week, she's going to see what I managed to keep clean and what got wrecked. I volition NOT be scolded for the messes. The messes merely signal that the organization organisation we set up today isn't working. And so peradventure things need to move around to a amend location or put away in a unlike manner.

Oh and btw, my 2d mail service is upwardly, only it's just a "wait for the next postal service" postal service.

JLeslie You asked for it. This may be more that yous asked for!
Starting with specifics:

Putting away shoes or coat
I tend to let several pairs of shoes pile upwards in my living room in assorted locations and and then on the weekend I make a sweep, collect all of them and dump them on the floor of my closet. I tried to be organized when I got my walk in closet. Oh! I thought it was going to modify my life and I was going to be soooo organized. I was going to turn over a new foliage. I bought these stackable clear lucite shoe boxes and we put in a cupboard shelving system with a shelf on height to hold them. Now the shoeboxes are filled with all of my nice shoes with heels that I never wear and the floor is cluttered with the everyday sandals I wear all summertime and the collection of boots I wear all wintertime!
I also have a coat drove. I love how a jacket or coat completes an outfit. I think I am crazy over coats like some women are crazy over shoes! My hubby complains that I buy new things and the problem is, I never get rid of the erstwhile. I do give things away to Goodwill and other such organizations only I am sort of a fashion collector. Believe it or not I still wear some things that I've had for over 10 years. I take good care of my wearing apparel and so when I buy new ones I utilize the old ones with them and it all looks new again. I beloved playing with all the combinations. Simply of class, having a lot of dress means they are spilling out of every cupboard!!!

Sorting new mail
I allow it stack up and periodically go through information technology and decide what to go on what to throw. Even my mode magazines can sit for a couple months earlier I wait at them. Hardly my intention when I bought my subscriptions only sometimes I have style aversion and I think of it every bit piece of work and I merely tin't go upward the motivation to look at information technology. Only throw it out? NEVER!!! Not simply that, I have to look through everysinglegoddamnpage earlier I throw out a magazine to rip out pictures for my photo morgue that I have been keeping (as per my loftier school art teachers communication) since high school. Ah me!!!

Putting away laundry
My husband says that I don't seem to understand the purpose of laundry baskets. He tries to tell me that they are non garment storage facilities. Nuff said.

Filing paperwork
I am very careful about saving things that I need for official reasons. One matter I am very organized nigh.

Clean upward after eating or cooking
I melt, he cleans upward. It works perfectly.
Emptying the dishwasher
At that place'southward only 2 of us and although nosotros have a dishwasher we rarely use information technology. My married man is the ipso facto dishwasher!

Putting away hair products, hair dryer, and cosmetics
I am then totally organized nigh this. My cosmetics are organized into bamboo Container Shop stackable trays. My every 24-hour interval corrective items are organized into a decorative container and go directly dorsum into it as soon as I apply them. Hair products-some shop under the sink, some in the shower. Very organized. In fact I buy in duplicate so I never run out. I am very choosy about what I utilize on my pilus, of necessity. My hair is very temperamental.

Put abroad new purchases
Groceries-aye and no. Depends. Obviously perishables get stored right abroad. Beverages and canned goods seem to clutter counter space mode too frequently.
New clothes-They get hung up correct away.
New books-They become added to ane of the piles of books in every room of the firm.
Miscellaneous-by and large get put in their proper place right away.
The funny thing is that I take loads of unused storage space and cabinets in my house. I need to utilise them more. I think I am agape that I volition forget where I put things if they are out of sight. It needs to be an established place for keeping them, OTW i'g lost. When I'm looking for something I ask myself, now where would I have logically put that according to my "system"? Sometimes the organisation works, sometimes it doesn't.

I don't spend much time during weekdays organizing. All of my organizing is done on weekends for the most part. (I am not counting basic maintenance and cleanliness, that'south an every day thing.) I get home at 8:00 every night and and so I cook dinner. so I don't have time to do it. (mmm, tonight I had store bought crab cakes with homemade Pineapple salsa!)
I like to differentiate between dirt and clutter. I think it'southward important to keep the bathrooms clean, keep clean sheets on the bed, sweep the floors, and dust and vacuum. I have to have clean and neatly pressed clothes. But I have a good tolerance for various types of clutter. I also hate to throw out things due to sentimental value. I have a full general stash place for all sots of things like photos, sentimental things, messages, cards journals and poetry. But I wouldn't say those things are organized by whatever stretch of the imagination!
On to prasad 's link. I liked a lot of what information technology said but this:
"Then, for accomplishing it, they have out everything that is needed to end upwards that job inside the time available. For instance, take cooking. You have force per unit area on y'all of completing the cooking in time since yous, you spouse and children have to start for their work places on time. You pick out from the cupboards all the needed utensils, all the gadgets, all the raw materials and spread all of them around y'all, all at a time on your kitchen platform and island thinking that placing everything around yous would permit yous piece of cake access to them. Only the very ataxia around you really becomes an obstruction in efficient working. Plus, y'all are compromising on safety due to the clutter. It looks untidy and loses aesthetics."

I totally disagree!!!
When I am cooking the first thing I attempt to do is take out all my ingredients and assemble all my tools. It' makes everything get quicker. I retrieve that is organized and efficient. It seems totally giddy to take things out one by 1 and put them abroad as before long as yous use them! I believe in batch processing! Not equally the term is used in computer lingo. I think of information technology as doing things in batches. Mode more efficient. I beloved the idea of work, work, work! Coooooooasst!!!!

"Do you find following things within fifteen to xx seconds later they are needed?
• A particular medicine; say antacid tablets, pain killers, your daily medicines md prescribed, sprain cream etc.
• Stamp and related cloth: say stamps, envelops, inland messages, post cards, glue, gem clips, stapler, staple pins, stationery etc.
• Banking concern documents; like pay-in-slips, check books etc.
• Income revenue enhancement related documents; like papers related to your investments, previous years' income revenue enhancement returns etc.
• Electricity/power bills, phone bills, water bills, corporation tax bills etc.
• Telephone numbers and addresses of your particular relative or friend or your or your spouse's particular colleague.
• Writing pad and pen/pencil to take down the messages over the phone.
• Locks and keys of your house, scooters, car(due south), cupboards, safe deposit lockers, office, the keys and locks of your suitcases, brief cases etc.
• Desired pair of shoes/footwear, matching wearing apparel, hairpins, kerchief, boom polish, lip stick etc.
• Children's school handbag, books, notebooks, their shoes/footwear, socks, progress cards, i-cards, date of birth certificate, their particular toys, ink bottles, pens, pencils etc.
• The stitching kit like pairs of scissors, sewing needles, threads of particular colors and types, buttons of diverse types, measuring tape, knives etc.
• Towels, toothpaste, molar brushes, soaps, detergents.
• Candles and match box when the light/ability goes off of a sudden.
• The tong, the gas lighter, the manus mixer, right kind of serving bowls, correct kind of cutlery, cups and saucers.
• The cooking recipes yous so diligently took down from a Tv set program, or copied from a mag or spider web site.
• A particular novel or book/magazine yous wish to read today, at present.
• Your housecoat when suddenly some guests arrive and you have to receive them at your door.
• The money or change you kept some where.
• Your or your spouse'southward i-cards, credit cards, pass ports, club membership cards etc.
• Shoe polish of diverse colors and types, shoe brushes, shoe laces etc."

This is where I excel. I am disorganized nearly then many things. Just totally organized about the of import stuff!

It'south impossible to score myself because I am very organized in some areas
and terrible in others. I am one of those people who accept perfected the art of the "organized mess". I enjoy organizing but I've been the same since I was a kid. My sister that shared a room with me always complained that when I was cleaning the closet I would get too sidetracked. I would sit down and look at things and information technology would slow me downwards. I would exist like "oh look! here'due south that report I did in tertiary grade on
Springs and Geysers that I got an A on!!! (BTW, I still have that report, lol)

For another instance, my basement is a shambles since we had a water "situation" a few months ago. I fabricated a stab at organizing and sorting. Only this past weekend I needed to discover a wire comb that I bought years ago. I looked in my tool box, not there. But then I looked in another box right next to it and institute it. I haven't used information technology in about 5 years at least. Merely it didn't take me long to track it downwards.
As far as cleaning I am consistent with everything else in my personality. I am a combination of polar opposites. That is how I'chiliad best understood.Yin/Yang.

My old ADHD self didn't end to think about what the one – v scale was. To me it was scale of difficulty of the tasks you mentioned. On a scale of one – five for neatness, I am a -3. I am seriously the most explosively sloppy person I have ever met. I can be standing however and messes will appear. 10 minutes afterwards the organizer left, at that place were apple slices and some laundry on the kitchen floor and I take no idea how they got there.

On a on to 5 calibration of neatness, I am a 1.
I don't like to see clutter and messiness, simply I don't similar to clean information technology upwards either.
All of those tasks (if I were to exercise a massive clean up) would be considered organizing activities considering I'm putting information technology all in it's rightful identify instead of clothes on the flooring and papers askew. I put new purchases on my computer desk and kind of forget well-nigh them until I need them.

To respond the rest of your question, to me all organizing is work. My house is currently in a state of 2. I can quickly find near of the things on the listing in a higher place by @Earthgirl so it's not a total disaster.

On @Earthgirl's list, I am a 5. I like her listing. I shall spend the rest of the day preening about my organisational skills.

@YARNLADY and @Bellatrix I loved that list too because those are the thiings I'grand good about keeping organized. I guess nosotros sort of take our priorities when information technology comes to this stuff! Simply I cannot take credit for the list. The listing came from @prasad 'south list. I don't agree with all of the communication on the site he linked to but some of information technology is great and information technology is very exhaustively thought out! It's like a whole entire organizational philosophy.
Hither is the complete list.

I only wanted to say that subsequently having the organizer fix up my kitchen on Tuesday, I accept not had to clean my kitchen (except for bound cleaning type stuff that I will have to practice to make upward for the fact I've never cleaned cabinets and stuff like that earlier) When I wake up lin the morning, it'due south cleaner than my best clean sweeps that I was doing an hour a day every day up til concluding week.

I think people think of organized as having things neat and tidy, but it'southward not like that. Organized means you don't have to work to keep it make clean. Some people are naturally tidy, then they don't need to organize as much to keep things make clean. But if you lot are naturally sloppy, organizing helps a lot.

Once again I'll say, you shouldn't demand will ability or stamina to keep things organized. If they are well organized to fit the way you lot live, you will not have to piece of work to keep things in guild.

@keobooks That'southward bang-up! Information technology sounds like hiring the organizer is actually paying off.

I am going to check to see if we accept organisers in Brisbane!

@keobooks My organizer, peculiarly the first one I worked with many years ago, was exactly how you described, she was sure to ask if I really thought a system she suggested would work for me. She helped me with my office. She said people tend to either similar to put everything downwardly in a file with everything out of sight, or be terrified to file everything away liking everything in sight, even if information technology is in the lesser of a pile. I'm the latter. She was good at suggesting organizing systems that I was comfy with once she got a hang of what I was comfy with and what I would most probable maintain. She inverse drastically how I file and organize my desk.

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