I want to delve deep into the question I get asked a lot – and that is “Can you be TOO organised?”
It probably seems like such a weird thing for me to be saying, after all, I run a site all about getting organised, but I really do think that we CAN get too organised, and it’s worth remembering when we’re striving to get things sorted out in our homes and lives…
In fact – if you’re not careful – the quest for the perfectly organised home and life can take over everything.
This is definitely NOT the goal!
I always say you should be looking to get as organised as YOU need to be to make your life easier.
Everyones end goal with getting organised is therefore different, but it helps to know that running your own race can help stop you comparing yourself with others, help you to not become too overwhelmed – and simply improve your existing life.
As such, this post aims to explore how trying to get too organised can go wrong. If you’re aware of this, then you are more likely to see the signs and draw back a little.
Knowledge as they say, is most definitely power!
Organising should enhance your home and life, not be another stress or burden for you
So – lets take some of the pitfalls of over-organisation and you can see whether you are on the right side of organised with them!
How You Can Be Too Organised… With Your Time
Over Filling Your Schedule
When we want to get organised with our time, we naturally look at ways to get more out of each and every day.
This is fantastic!
It can transform how much you get done, and give you back time to do more of the fun stuff in your life.
HOWEVER – if you have started to be a slave to your schedule, leaving no options for plan changes or impromptu people calling in or asking you to meet up etc… it can make you very stressed very quickly.
Schedules are there to be followed, yes, but I always stress that you should ensure there’s some wriggle room for the unexpected and / or crises – that way you can be scheduled and maximise your time, but you can also be flexible and roll with things when they come up – thats what life’s about!
Getting the balance right
You can also end up with burnout very quickly if your idea of a full schedule has no downtime at all.
If you are filling up your time with all your TO DOs, then you are asking for trouble.
Yes, you need to get things done, but you ARE human, and we all need a rest!
Me time, Relaxing Time, Social Time etc… are all crucial for a balanced and happy life – and are as important (if not more so) than some other things you do.
Its al about getting the balance right – that way your organised schedule is much more likely to stick.
Being Too Organised… At Home
Treading on eggshells?
Now, I’m totally obsessed with people taking their shoes off in my house. For me, it’s just wrong to tread in the dirt picked up from outside, and why on earth do I want to spend more time cleaning after people leave!?
It’s just common sense.
However, this leads to high stress levels (ever tried to ask a builder to put boot covering on prior to an internal job!), and honestly, we have hard floors over most of the ground floor that can be mopped very quickly so I do need to lighten up a bit sometimes!
On asking my friends and family as well, it’s obvious that the house proud amongst us want everything just so.
With me it’s the no shoes policy, with others it could be hoovering everyday without fail, never having anything out of place, or even just having cushions all at right angles to each other (that’s me too, but I digress…).
All these things are fine, and all well and good – but don’t actually NEED to be done so often or with such intensity for your home to still be clean, tidy and organised.
Basically, if you have organised your home and your cleaning routine to within an inch of its life, and you are getting stressed about having people over, not because you’re embarrassed by the mess but because you actually don’t want the guests to mess the house up – then you have over organised!
Take a step back – relax a little, and enjoy the home you have created!
Are You Being Too Organised… With the Kids?
Teaching children to be clean and tidy, and to have routines in their lives is really key to a happy and organised home.
I truly believe that it’s a key skill to be able to pass on your our children, that of running a home well, and its one of the few things that we all have to do in our lives, and yet is barely taught in schools.
Thats where we simply have to lead by example.
Getting the children involved in daily chores, showing them what needs to be done for the house to run smoothly, and being able to spend more time with them as a result, will end up in a happy family life,
But, just as showing children that organising the management of your home is a good thing, you don’t want to make it so regimented that they start to resent it and back away.
Putting it another way – If you are finding that you are spending more time with the children sorting their art box than actually creating some art, then you know that its time to reevaluate!
Ways You Might Be Being Too Organised… With Life in General
Do you know what “organised” looks like?
Most people think of an organised person and think of someone floating around their day, always on time, always remembering birthdays, living in a perfect (usually minimalist) home, and having perfect (no mess) children etc…….
And then they try and get themselves organised to be just like that picture – where anything less just won’t do.
Thats DOOMED for failure.
“Organised” is actually very simple.
It’s when you are doing the right things (habits) within your day that ensure that things get done to the level you need to do them.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Set yourself a realistic target of being organised, and you will feel much more satisfied with the whole process.
Don’t aim for perfection, you’ll only be disappointed.
You will actually over-organise yourself and are much more likely to let things slip as its an unsustainable way of living in the long term (think in terms of healthy eating rather than a crash diet – what can you easily maintain as part of your lifestyle while making it that little bit easier and better for you).
Even the most organised people I know always say that they can be a little more organised in some areas of their lives – but the important thing is that they are organised in the right places for them.
Get yourself as organised as you need to be, and you are much more likely to stick to it!
What were your goals when you started getting organised?
If, like me, you have a tendency to run with something to the point of OCD (and beyond….) then its probably worth rechecking what you wanted out of getting organised in the first place, before you reach overkill.
Ask yourself what your goals were, and whether you have reached them.
Sometimes we are so busy DOING that we don’t see how far we have already come, and this is really key to getting the organising balance right in your home.
Get yourself organised, yes, absolutely – but don’t let getting organised take over your life in a detrimental way and become TOO organised along the way.
Know what your goals are when you start to organise something, and recognise when you have got there.
Reward yourself for a job well done, maintain the systems you have put in place, and then live your life!
Done right, getting organised can be freeing and a relief – but don’t get too obsessed – and NEVER beat yourself up for not reaching perfection.
There’s a big difference between being more organised and being perfect – and only one of those is actually achievable…… just a thought!
By the way – if you want to become more organised then I highly recommend taking the Free Quiz HERE. It will show you how organised you are right now – and then – based on that – tell you what to focus your efforts on next. It’s truly a game changer and I can’t wait to hear how it’s helped you!
