Is organizing the same as hoarding?

Recently, I have come across multiple people saying that organizing is just another term for hoarding.  After serious thought, I actually sympathize with this bold statement; we often needlessly and repeatedly organize things that are of no sincere value or use to us.  Simply put, we 'organize' in order to make our 'hoarding' less intrusive and obvious.  However, I believe there is thin line between hoarding and organizing, a significant difference between what each verb represents.  It comes down to motive, one that is either based in anxiety or purpose. 

Organizing is the act of creating systems to help us efficiently use that which we have, specifically our physical possessions and time.   Hoarding is a defeating habit of keeping items out of fear - fear of not having enough, the unknown, or even wasting money.  Here, the difference is easy to see.

We cross over the line when we find ourselves organizing things kept in fear.  We organize, accumulate, and organize again.  Our systems now operate to mitigate our fears instead of make us more productive.  Our stuff inhibits us more than it helps us.  Here, organizing slyly becomes hoarding -  color-coded and extensively labeled hoarding.  This type of organizing is a dangerous place to be.  It keeps us bound to our stuff, when our stuff should be serving us.

So, what do you think?  Is organizing the same as hoarding?

My thoughts on Minimalism

"Minimalism is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives.  By clearing the clutter from life's path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life:  health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution."  

-Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

There seems to be this new buzzword floating around more these days - minimalism* - and I decided to learn some more about it.  After following some blogs and reading some articles on minimalism, I understand its appeal - the beauty of living without bondage to stuff.  As a human product of consumerism, I grapple with the difficulty in finding worth outside of our physical possessions; our society linearly correlates status with ownership.  We find comfort in owning everything could possibly need, even if we have no idea where it actually is in our home.  Our drive is often fueled by the desire for the next thing on the list:  a bigger home, a nicer car, another gadget or smartphone.  The mantra of 'Just-In-Case' reigns supreme.

As with most things, there are extremes.  Some folks latch onto the idea of minimalism, taking it to one end of the continuum of owning almost nothing, while there are TV reality shows about folks who cannot seem to let anything go.  Most of us think of ourselves somewhere in the middle, being responsible by having items on hand for emergencies, but also slightly in denial by holding on to jeans and dresses from our days of optimal metabolism (as I guiltily walk to my closet).  

The goal of minimalism is to find the right balance.

Ironically, there is no right or wrong way to look like a minimalist - its principles are grounded in perspective, one that focuses on living right here, right now, not the nostalgically in the past or impatiently for the future.  It relates to the "no bag for your journey" approach that Jesus told his disciples when they were about to embark on their mission.  Minimalism is about living with only the necessary so that we are available to experience life with intention and purpose, not for the sake of obtaining more or in fear of losing our precious stuff.  What constitutes 'necessary' varies from person to person, to family to family, from season to season.

As "neat" and "organized" are not the same, the difficulty with minimalism arises in one's ability to accurately defining what is truly necessary, filtering out the influence of our culture from our real needs.  It's about letting go of the motion of acquiring for frivolous reasons:  sales, newness, convenience, therapy, or status.  It's about taking a look at all the stuff (and this includes our schedules) and weighing the pros and cons.  It looks at quality over quantity.  It appreciates simplicity and generates gratefulness.  It encourages us to value relationships, enjoy our work, and pursue our passions.  At the core, minimalism asks us to dictate how we spend our time, intentionally instead of haphazardly.

Our lives are in a perpetually fragile state, with our last earthly moments never fully known - and the stuff stays here.  What if our drive was no longer based on what we own, but on who we can become?  People who exude love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  People who help build, not tear down.  For me, it's harder to make strides towards these qualities when my energy is devoted to things.  So, this is my concluding thought on minimalism: holding on to stuff keeps you from being the best person you could be.

If you are interested in generating your own thoughts on minimalism, here are a few blogs that you can reference:

Becoming Minimalist, a blog by Joshua Becker

The Minimalists,  Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

Zen Habits, a blog by Leo Babuata

*Side Note: I know 'minimalism' is often referred to as a type of decorating or artistic style.  What I am speaking to here is more of behavior or mindset, which ultimately would affect design choice at some level.

Organized does not equal Neat

Contrary to popular belief, being organized does not mean you have to be neat.

Shocker?  I know.  A while back, I read a book entitled “Sorted! The ultimate guide to organizing your life – once and for all” by professional organizer Lissanne Oliver.  It’s full of how-to information, with tips on how to start, complete, and maintain the process of organizing all the physical stuff in our lives.  Even as a natural-born organizer, this book challenged me to rethink how I view organization.  In the introduction, the author asked "What does it mean to be organized?" and then "How do you define neat?" Her answers?  Neat is the visual appearance of order, whereas organization is how efficient the order actually is.  Simple, yet brilliant.

How often do we use neat and organized interchangeably, without realizing that those words are not synonymous?  Related, maybe, but not the same. Think about it, if you have some guests coming over and you haven't had time to prepare, you might stuff things in places that they do not belong - in random drawers, under the bed, in a closet. Sure, your place looks NEAT, but it is FAR from organized. Later on, you might find it difficult to find the mate to a shoe or that book you want to read. Even worse, that mess stays hidden and one day rears its ugly head, especially when it comes time to move.  On the other hand, as some artists and left-brain creative folks may claim, you can have organized chaos - an efficient system for someone that may not appear to be organized and is definitely not neat, but works well for that specific person.  Think of the piles of papers on a scientist’s desk or maybe a spread of paint in an artist’s studio.

While reading through the book, I re-evaluated my spaces first and foremost with an eye on efficiency.  When looking at a system or space, my list of questions followed in this logic: 

1)      EFFICIENCY:  How easy is it to get to what I need?  Can I/we maintain this system with minimal/comfortable effort? 

2)      QUALITY:  Will the setup withstand its designated use?  Is it worth investing into higher quality materials?

After the first two questions have been addressed could I tackle the final category:

3)      NEATNESS and AESTHETICS:  Is it neat? Is it pretty enough or fit into the décor?  (Granted, a little bit of aesthetics can come in with the 'quality' question.)

The best part?  YOU get to define "easy," "effort," and "enough" for whatever it is you are organizing.  Take the time to find efficiency first, and, if you choose, follow up with neatness.  Once things work more smoothly for you, the easier it will be to maintain and by extension, stay neat, if that’s your goal.  

Hopefully, this concept gives you permission to be more organized without the pressure of being neat.  In the future, I want to share with you how I used this approach in some disorganized areas of my home - so stay tuned!

Do you have any tips on how you found more efficiency in your life?