Don’t despair if you were not born with the organizing gene
I am convinced that in DNA there is an organizing gene. People with this gene are naturally organized. They just get how to set up systems and manage them so that everything has a home and lives there. Doing some research, I couldn’t find any evidence that there is a gene for organizing, however, according to Major Mom, “only 10% of humans are born with the innate ability to create systems and maintain them.” From my unscientific research, I have noticed that some people seem to be naturally organized while others, like myself, are not.
My sister is one of the most organized people I know. Everything is always put where it belongs. She has a home for everything, and it lives there. She doesn’t hold onto things so there is no clutter to deal with. She claims she inherited this skill, however, what I know is she didn’t get it from our mother. I take after mom, she was totally unorganized and totally unabashed about it. She had a sign on her desk at work that read, “An organized desk is a sign of a sick mind.” My mother’s desk looked like a bomb had exploded on it. The claim that she could find anything she was looking for was true. However, as I know, when a person isn’t organized finding something takes time. I pride myself in the fact that I never lose anything, it just may take me years to find it. The reason that I have embraced being organized in spite of myself is I hate wasting time.
For years it didn’t bother me that I was not organized. At times it was embarrassing when people would make comments about my messy car, apartment or desk, however, I would shrug it off and use my “didn’t get the organizing gene” excuse. Finally, after wasting way too much time looking for things I gave in and admitted, being organized has its rewards.
To get organized I read books and hired an organizer (several times throughout the years) to teach me the skills of organization. What I realized is that I indeed was not a born organizer, however, I could learn to be organized. There are processes and structures that set one up to be more organized. Will I ever be at the level of my sister? No. Can I have an organized home and office (most of the time)? Yes.
One of the tricks to being organized is “Everything has a home and it lives there.” My Grandmother, who passed the gene to my sister, was a very organized person and this was her anthem. Turns out this is key for any organized person. One of the organizers I worked with advised that if something doesn’t have a home, it is clutter. The first step to becoming more organized is to find a “home” for everything and keep that thing in the home. If you use something put it back where it lives once you are done using it. This one trick helps me be more organized and clutter free than anything else I know.
For those of us without the gene learning to put things back where they belong is key to being organized. I know this isn’t rocket science but to those of us that were not born with the gene, this doesn’t come naturally. Doing this one thing will make a huge difference.
For those of you who were born with the gene, be patient. You have a gift and that is great, however, don’t hate those of us who don’t. Do your best to teach the unorganized person in your life what you know and if they are not ready to learn, just move on. Screaming at someone who isn’t organized or shaming them or putting them down isn’t going to make them more organized. It is just going to make them resent you.
What I know is that being organized saves me time. I hate wasting time looking for things and because of this, I am willing to stay mostly organized. Find what works for you and work it. There are different levels of organization. Whatever level you are comfortable with is what you should work at maintaining.
What I know: Everything has a home and it should live there.
Let’s Do This,
Rachelle
P.S. For support and help to act and reach your goals please feel free to contact me for a 30-minute complimentary session to help you get started on your goal.
References:
Major Mom (2019) The Organizing Gene, did you inherit it? Retrieved from https://www.majormom.biz/organizing-blog/the-organizing-gene-did-you-inherit-it/