From an early age, I loved organizing. I fancied myself quite adept at it until I moved from a relatively spacious apartment in Los Angeles to my studio apartment in New York and my stuff-to-storage-space ratio went off the charts.
It turns out what I'd been good at was putting stuff away. In my new place there was no "away." As the movers filed out, it looked as if Christo had done an installation using to-the-ceiling stacks of boxes.
My memory gets a bit hazy at this point. But I am pretty sure that as I sat among the cardboard towers, on the remaining patch of floor -- head in hands, overwhelmed by STUFF -- my attention was drawn to the window. The clouds slid apart and a Terry-Gilliam-animated deity boomed, "Arthur!"
"It's Karen."
"Whatever. This is your quest: Fit into one room!"
The clouds slammed shut, and suddenly my life had meaning and purpose.
In the dark days following, I wound my way through the labyrinth of websites, books and mega-stores devoted to home organization, seizing upon each tip that might lead out of the morass. Unfortunately, most were not helpful.
"Eliminate half your belongings," one small space guru advised.
Good idea, Solomon -- which half of the baby do I keep? Sure, at times I craved an ascetic lifestyle unshackled from worldly possessions, but, on the other hand, I liked my stuff.
"Pack one third of your clothes away. If, after a year, you don't miss them, give them away."
Of course I won't miss them, Mr. Magazine Article on Organizing, because I'll FORGET about them, but when I do come across them, I'll be all, "Purple shirt! I love you!" Thanks for nothing!
Then there were the closet-system ads -- photos of beautifully laid-out storage in closets the size of my apartment. Look at all that space, I'd sigh wistfully, the clothes are so... uncrowded. Then I'd look closer. Wait a minute! Why does that closet owner have only three shirts and two pairs of pants? I could fit that into MY closet!
Then, at last, the organizing deity smiled upon me and, and I chanced upon a copy of
Organizing From The Inside Out
by Julie Morgenstern. Morgenstern eschews any particular "technical" tip regarding an arbitrary weeding-out process or one specific storage system over another. Instead, she
that organizing is "a remarkably simple skill that anyone can learn." And she gives you permission to keep your stuff. Organizing can be overwhelming at best, and downright unsuccessful at worst, because we assume -- or are told -- it will require painful decision-making about what to keep and what to discard. We want to avoid wrenching evaluations such as:
- I've never liked this towel, but what if all my other towels are dirty?
- Is it possible I'll need this folder of six-year-old receipts one day?
- This shirt is ugly, ripped and stained, but it might make a swell painting shirt, should I ever take up painting.
Morgenstern takes the fear of decision-making out of the equation and instead has you sort whatever it is you are organizing -- the contents of a small drawer or the contents of your entire kitchen -- into categories that make sense to you. Sorting is not decision-making. Instead, you are simply taking stock and grouping like objects. Paradoxically, decisions flow naturally from this left-brained process and arrive mostly without pain. With Julie Morgenstern's book in hand, everything eventually fell into place and my studio apartment became not only livable, but also uncluttered and pleasant. In fact I considered changing my name to Julia and writing my own book entitled
Julie and Julia
.
Wait. That sounds familiar -- Siri, has that already been done?
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.