Let Me Deinfluence You About Organizing

I want to start by saying that I genuinely love organizing, so much so that I once even took a home organizing course. I’ve organized closets, kitchens, kids’ spaces and everything inbetween. But the longer I’ve been doing this in my own home, the more I’ve realized how different real-life organizing looks compared to what we’re usually shown in reels and on Pinterest.

So today I'd like to gently deinfluencing you about organizing. Not to tell you not to do it, but to help you feel less pressured, less behind, and more grounded in what actually works. If you'd rather watch a video, here's one below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrOp09cprE4

1. Organizing Can Be Expensive

Let’s talk about money first. Bins, baskets, drawer dividers, shelf risers, and labels can add up quickly. Organizing can quietly turn into hundreds of dollars.

A lot of organizing can be done with what you already own. But I think it’s important to be honest that aesthetic organizing is often tied to spending money. Choosing not to spend that money doesn’t mean you’re less organized, it means you’re being realistic and intentional.

2. It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

Every organizing project starts the same way, by making a bigger mess. You have to take everything out before you can put it back in organized. That messy middle is where a lot of people stop because suddenly the house looks way worse than it did before you started. But the mess is part of the process. You’re sorting, deciding, editing, and rehoming things. It’s uncomfortable and inconvenient, but also so very normal.

3. It Takes Maintenance

Organizing is not a one-and-done situation. Life changes and systems drift. All this means is that you live in your home. Homes aren't meant to be photograph ready at all times (and neither are we!).

Maintenance doesn’t have to be huge. Sometimes it’s five minutes here and there. But it is part of the reality, even if no one posts about it.

4. It’s Not Always Aesthetic

Some of the most organized spaces I’ve ever had weren’t pretty at all. They consisted of mismatched containers and hand written labels. The important part about these spaces is that everything had a place and I could find what I need quickly.

Aesthetic is optional, but function is not. One again, please let me remind you that your home doesn’t exist to be photographed at a moments notice, it exists to be lived in.

5. It’s Supposed to Change

This is one of the most important parts that rarely gets talked about, organizing is meant to change.

Your organizing systems should grow and evolve with your life. Your routines, hobbies, and even amount of people living your home change, so of course your organizing will need to adapt!

Needing change isn't a sign you created organizing systems that were wrong, it's a sign that life is moving along and you're home is moving along with it.

The Real Goal

Organizing is beautiful, satisfying, and helpful. But it's also expensive, messy, ongoing, not always aesthetic, and requires change.

For me, being a productive homebody isn’t about perfect systems. It’s about systems that support my real life even when they’re a little messy, a little mismatched, and very much lived in.

If organizing has ever made you feel behind or like you’re doing something wrong, I hope this gives you permission to do it in a way that works for you.

Until next time,