Peace of Mind Organizing

That craving for order

4 January 2008

On New Year’s Day, I was inclined to write in my journal. I wrote about my aspirations for the year, and so forth. In years past, I wrote in my journal quite a bit…it was a real stress reliever for me. Now, I pretty much write only on special occasions.

Before I sat down to write in my journal on January 1, 2008, I decided to read the entry I wrote on January 1, 1998. I don’t throw away old journals; they’re stored in a filing cabinet drawer. I found the 10-year-old spiral-bound book (I use Miguelrius journals, like this Bright Spot one).

It was an interesting read. My aspirations have certainly changed, since I was three years into my freelance writing business ten years ago. (I’m happy to report that some of aspirations were realized.) But there was one theme that still resonates 10 years later: I wrote about my need for order. I wrote about how important order was for me, how I knew how to achieve it, but how it always seemed to be just beyond my reach.

That craving for order still resides within me. I know now more than ever how to achieve order. And I achieve it regularly. But I have not mastered maintaining it. I’m still always searching for the perfect system, when I know that the perfect system for maintaining order resides within me.

I hope that 2008 is the year that I figure out a way to maintain the order I crave. After a crazy busy December, I’m starting the new year out with a pretty messy home and office. I’ll get that cleaned up fairly easily, because I really do have a place for everything. But the thing I want to work on is establishing the routines and habits that allow me to effortlessly pair “A place for everything” with “Everything in its place.” I need to put stuff away! That’s the key to living mess- and clutter-free.

Tagged with: clutter, journal writing, new year, order

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