5 lies that keep us from becoming more organized • notice the LITTLE things

do you wish you were more organized? it’s easy to get sucked into some of the myths that are associated with how an organized person looks or acts. these lies keep us from even starting projects, have us believing we can never be good at keeping it all together, and cause us to have unrealistic expectations of our lives and homes. in this post, learn the 5 lies that are keeping you from becoming a more organized mom, and start feeling more on top of it TODAY!

FREE PRINTABLE! 5 Steps to Organize Any Space

before we dive in, i wanted to point you toward this super helpful (AND FREE) cheat sheet i created, with 5 Easy Steps to Organize Any Space. it is part of the FREE Grateful Home Starter Kit (downloaded by hundreds of women!). these are the exact 5 steps i use to organize a new space, every single time. this cheat sheet was designed to help you fight the overwhelm. it’s true, getting started is always the hardest part, but when you’re done and you’ve created an area for your family to breath a little easier, you’ll be glad you made more room in your life for the things that matter! grab your FREE Grateful Home Starter Kit with the 5 Easy Steps to Organize Any Space right HERE.

now, when it comes to becoming more organized, it’s likely you’ve been wondering:

why do i struggle to stay organized?
how do i get better at organized?
how can i train myself to be more organized?
what are some tips to be a more organized mom?

the good news is, you can START answering all of these questions if you can STOP believing these 5 myths about organizing. i cannot wait for you to get these lies out of your head so you can replace them with the truth that you CAN get and stay organized (all you need is the right mindset and the right tools).

5 Lies You Should Stop Telling Yourself So You Can Become More Organized

[ORGANIZING MYTH #1] everyone else’s house is more organized than mine.

it’s not. and you should probably consider why you think that. is it because you’ve seen pictures of other homes on social media that look like no one lives in them? is it because you went to a friend’s house and her kids’ toys were actually put away? that does not mean their homes are more organized than yours.

here are three pictures i’ve posted either on the blog or on social media. next to each picture (on the right) is what the same space looked like a week later! i know. the basement!

here’s the truth about becoming more organized. the look we are given into people’s houses on social media is not a true picture of what these spaces look like every single day. also, just because something is organized doesn’t mean it can’t be also be messy sometimes.

this is hard to remember, i know.

as Moms, we have to remind ourselves that social media posts are snapshots in time and there is ALWAYS life behind that tiny square that we don’t see. and if there’s not? then who cares if their pillows are perfectly arranged on their bench. if their kids aren’t allowed to ride their hoverboards in the hall, that’s no fun! really, truly we do not want houses like that.

here’s something else we forget to remind ourselves. we all straighten up a LITTLE bit before we have guests. even good friends get a quick how much can i put away in 7 minutes tidy. if you walk in my house, and you’ve given me any notice, it is probably 7 minutes cleaner than it was before i knew you were coming.

here’s something to remember: disorganized is not the same as messy. most days, my house is messy. it’s not super dirty, it’s not disorganized, it’s just messy. because we live here. the exact same is probably true for your house. and this leads me to my second myth about organizing.

[ORGANIZING MYTH #2] once i organize something, it will stay that way

i wish this was true, but it’s just not. what is true is once you organize something the first time, it IS much easier to keep it organized than it was before you gave it any attention at all. take another view of my laundry room for example.

my laundry room is organized. right now, though? it’s messy. the lighting is also ALWAYS terrible because, no windows. so sorry about the blueish picture.

for the past week no one has used the organization that is in place in this, including me. it’s freezing here so we have all the coats out. probably, though, we don’t need every single one of the coats on our hooks, and some could go up in our closets. my kids get the batteries down from above the washer/dryer at least 37 times a week. they never put them back. ever.

the point is, this space IS organized. it is just messy right now. this is probably true for most spaces in your house. to return this laundry room to it’s picture perfect state would only take me 20 minutes (and a new light fixture. wink.). all i have to do is put in the 20 minutes. which brings me to my next myth about organizing.

[ORGANIZING MYTH #3] organizing takes too much time

on the front end, yes, organizing a space for the first time takes longer. but not THAT long. after that? it is SO MUCH EASIER to keep something organized once you’ve done the initial overhaul.

i have learned that organizing actually frees up time. recently, i reorganized my junk drawer. it took 10 minutes because i’ve already organized it before. even if it had taken an hour, that would have been NOTHING compared to the time it was taking me to find the things i needed in that drawer before i decluttered.

if the problem is you’re not sure where to start, grab your 5 Steps to Organize Any Space cheat sheet. i’ve taken all the guesswork out of the process for you. these 5 steps are quick, to the point, and will make room in your life for the things you really want to do!

[ORGANIZING MYTH #4] organizing is too expensive

this does not have to be true. in my dreams, i would LOVE to get all of my organization bins/baskets/file boxes/containers/etc. from IKEA or the container store. if i did that, you’re right, it could get expensive. but most likely, you already have things in your home that you can reuse in new spaces. if not? i get many of my organization tools at the dollar store!

i will admit, dollar store organization tools are not always the colors i want, but there are ways to make things cuter. these buckets in my freezer are from the dollar store. i don’t like the color AT ALL. but i do like chalkboard labels. the labels help me like the buckets a LITTLE bit more. i have the same colored buckets in my pantry. i would LOVE these buckets to be all white, but that is not always in the budget.

for now, dollar store organization is better than no organization because organizing SAVES TIME! and sometimes, SOMETIMES the dollar store has aqua like the baskets you see in my laundry room pic especially in the spring!. there are always ways to make it work! which brings me to my final myth about organizing.

[ORGANIZING MYTH #5] you’re either good at organizing or you’re not

back in college, if you would have asked my roommate beth if i was organized, she would have answered with a resounding NO! in college, i had stuff everywhere, on every surface, and all over the floor. i didn’t care, firstly, and secondly i hadn’t yet learned the value of organizing. i also only had to worry about myself. now, as a VERY BUSY mom of three, my reality is very different.

organizing is NOT a natural born ability. if it was, i wouldn’t be organized. organizing is a step-by-step process ANYONE can follow.

now, what’s probably true is that not everyone LIKES to organize. most likely because it seems hard, you don’t know where to start, or you believe one or more of the lies here. if this is you, it’s time to forget the lies and pick one space or routine in your house to organize this week (and if you want to get your kids on board, just click HERE). remember, organizing is a system anyone can learn, you just need the right information to get started. the FREE Grateful Home Starter Kit has everything you need to start filling your head and your home with the truth about organizing – anyone can become organized and it is the ticket to making the time and space for the things that matter in your life!