Remember when Tina Turner asked us: Whats Love Got to Do With It? According to the song, not much at all. But Tina wasnt singing about organizing and I am. My response to the question is everything! Theres no better time than February to examine your relationship with your space. After all Valentines Day is coming and you cant love another until you love yourself, right? How we love ourselves is expressed in our environments as personally and uniquely as any fingerprint. It would be overwhelming to look at the entire house this month so lets concentrate on the bedroom. Here are a few questions to get the self-discovery ball rolling:
When you walk into the room do you feel invited in to rest and play? Or does the chaos literally keep you awake at night?
Can you and your partner get into bed without pole-vaulting over piles of books, toys (kid and pet variety) or other miscellaneous debris?
Is the bed made?
Are the sheets clean?
Do you have so many pillows on the bed that it takes extra time to make it in the morning?
Is there an office in the room? Do you sneak out of bed at night to work? Or is that your laptop on the bed waiting to disrupt your sleep?
Do clothes litter the chair?
The antidotes appear
I could go on in fact I do in One Year to an Organized Life. Did I nail at least one or two of your issues? Take heart. Im not psychic; Ive just been in a lot of homes over the past 22 years. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to tell you that the cure for each of these issues is the opposite. To wit:
The bedroom is for sleeping and sex. It shouldnt be your de facto office. It isnt a playroom for the kids. If the home is meant to offer respite from the chaos and stress in the world, your bedroom is intended to be your ultimate sanctuary.
Bookcases and baskets, anyone?
When you make your bed, you are putting a period on the nights experience. It is the gesture that ushers in a new day. If its never or rarely made just entering the room will make you sleepy and not infrequently a bit depressed.
I know people who launder the sheets every morning. Thats too much for me so lets just say at least once a week, OK?
My mother loved military corners. You could snap a quarter on those tight sheets in every bed in my childhood home. Me? I have a really beautiful duvet. I put the top sheet back into place, fluff the pillows and smooth the duvet. Case closed or rather bed made!
If you live in a tiny apartment and must turn a corner of the bedroom into your work area, put a screen in front of your desk so that you dont have to be reminded of your work life when its time to sleep. If you have a wood floor, you can also mark off the work area by putting the desk and chair on an area rug. Please leave the laptop in the family room!
I am a purist who prefers no electronic devices in the bedroom hence no TV, radio or even a source for music. I find there is magic in silence just as I find peace in empty space. You dont have to go this far but if you try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. And yes battery operated devices are absolutely the exception to the rule.
When the closet is organized, youll find its just as easy to hang up a garment, as it is to toss it on a chair. In fact why not claim the chair as your reading nook? The piles of books long to entertain you!
Whatever floats your boat .
What are you buying your Valentine this year? Will it be the same old/same old of chocolates, dinner, maybe a movie and some flowers? Why not branch out and buy some new sheets? Or maybe give a gift certificate offering a few hours with a professional organizer or decorator? Maybe you could give an IOU for a fresh coat of paint for the room? Of course you have to know your audience and what is expected. In some cases these would be nice additions to the chocolate and flowers but sorry substitutions.
In the end life is what we make it. I have a friend who complains about everything. I dont think she remembers how to be happy. Does that sound like you? What does your environment tell you about your habitual mental state? I taught a class a few years ago to a small group. One young woman was impossible to read. I couldnt tell if she hated me, loved me or was bored to tears. When the class ended she didnt move a muscle. She stared into space as if I had hypnotized her. Finally she looked at me and said: I thought this class was going to be about what containers to buy. Instead it was about my life. Organizing always is. Love yourself this Valentines Day. And remember there are detailed instructions in One Year to an Organized Life to help you transform every square inch of your home into a persona sanctuary. What are you waiting for? What have you got to lose?
