Do you ever feel like your house is like the picture above? I know I do. (Small sidenote: THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY MY HOUSE!) Boy, it seems we never get ahead of the mess. I try and try and try....and try, but to no avail. I organize the kitchen cupboard, the linen closet, the bathroom drawers, all to be undone within weeks; days! I have a place for toys and clothes, but all they do is end up in the middle of the floor, or in the hall, or on the kitchen table. I create systems but struggle sticking to them (so how can I expect my kids to?). I get infuriated sometimes that I do this and not one other person in the house can seem to keep them in working order, keep them functioning.You know, I used to say that I was clean. Cluttered (as in stacks of papers or books), but not messy (as in nasty bathroom or food left out for days). And this is still true (because I can't stand nasty bathrooms or food left out for days), but the clutter has taken its toll on my house because not only am I a cluttered mess, so is my husband, and each of my children. And it's out of control.
In Dr. Amen's book, Healing ADD, he writes, "Organizations struggles are also very common in ADD, specifically disorganization for space, time, projects, and long-term goals." I see this in my family frequently. As my husband and I are reading this book, we're realizing that we both likely have ADD ourselves. Which has been an interesting process (more on that in a future post). My husband struggles constantly with time management. He often plans more than he can do. Dr. Amen goes on to say, "People with Type 3 ADD often appear very organized on the outside. They are often perfectly dressed, and parts of their living space may be very neat. For example, they may insist on perfect living rooms, but if you go into their drawers or closets you'll find a disaster." Well, this is me. To a T. And I hate admitting it, but it's true. I've had so many people tell me that they're jealous I'm so put together. I can only laugh at the thought, because it's not remotely true. I've had neighbors ask how I keep my house so clean, and the truth is that I don't. Remotely. If a neighbor drops by before I've had a chance to clean things ups (because let's face it, the kids drag more out into the living areas than anywhere else), I end up completely mortified, don't want to answer the door, and worry for days afterward about how unimpressed they must have been with me.
So this year's goal is to be more organized as a family. In all areas of our home. "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." But sometimes I feel defeated before I begin. Any suggestions on better organization when it's a deficit for each person in our home? In the meantime, if you drop by and my house is a mess, please know that I'm mortified, but above all else, I'm human!
