That Fine Line Between Decluttering and Organizing

How often do you organize your stuff?

I've been obsessed about organizing my stuff for as long as I can remember. When I was kid, I really can't concentrate on my homework without organizing everything around me first. The sad thing is that, once I'm done organizing or cleaning up, I often have little to no energy left to do my homework or to review for my upcoming tests. This actually contributed A LOT to my forever average grades while I was still a student. I was living with my family and relatives then, so, I remember that everyday is chaotic - everyone is messing up everything inside the house. It's a hopeless cycle, there's no way it would ever end, unless I move out. 

And so I did! 

In my early twenties, I've been living pretty much on my own. I've been living in different apartments and dorms (sometimes, even office dorms) since I was about 23. At least twice in the last 9 years, I was fortunate enough to have my own room that I can organize and customize according to my needs. And this year, I actually got my own room again! I couldn't be happier since I can finally have a decent amount of space even for my art materials that have been gradually piling up. 

I haven't really achieved the "final look" that I want for it, but I'm almost there. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I can do a "room tour" that I can share on my YouTube channel as well. But so far, I'm happy about how it looks, and even though my room is pretty small, I actually have enough room for my stuff. If you've read my previous post, you'll know that I've been trying to live a minimalist lifestyle for several years now. I've discarded A LOT of my stuff that are no longer serving their purpose nor making me happy in any way. I sold and gave away clothes, shoes, bags and other accessories that I'm no longer using or wearing. And you know what I realized? I feel so light and free now that I only have the basics with me! 

Even though organizing is like second-nature to me, I realized that I could actually save way more time if only I don't have all those sh*ts that I don't really need. I feel less stressed because I don't have to carve out time to organize and fix them because THEY'RE NOT THERE anymore! It's almost human nature to want to fill in the spaces with more crap - bigger crap, because it looks weird and incomplete when you see a space with nothing but air. But if you get a different perspective, if you finally get satisfied and contented with an empty space, you would see how beautiful it actually is to leave it that way. This might sound crazy, but, energy flows better when a closet, a room or house is not cramped. The bad vibes that we feel - that suffocation, they all come from TOO MUCH CRAP and they're always waving at you, even though you don't really notice them - or should I say even though you're trying to ignore them. The reason why we feel 'heavy' and not peaceful is because our eyes and brain are always overwhelmed by what we see even just from our peripheral vision! At least that's true for me, and that's why I gradually walked into this minimalistic lifestyle. And I don't think I would ever look back on my hoarding days!  

Being a minimalist does not mean that you have to stop buying food and stop buying stuff altogether. It just means that you are choosing ONLY the things that actually make sense to you! You can still enjoy the things that you want, but you have to be more aware of the things that only clutter your living space. That, I would say, is the fine line between decluttering and organizing. It's not a bad idea to organize stuff so they wouldn't have to be an eyesore. But, imagine the time and energy you'd save NOT organizing when there are fewer things to begin with.      

The insane amount of time you spend organizing could be used to find new hobbies or to hone the skills that you already have. You can also spend your free time just doing some self-care ritual such as taking naps, reading, pampering yourself with your favorite skincare products, having coffee or tea, meditating or doing any kind of workout routine that you want. You can catch up with people you love as well if you feel like sharing your time with others! 

It only sounds daunting at first, but if you want to give it a try, maybe you can start with something small. Find a spot in your house or room that you'd want to declutter. It could just be a desk! Check out what's on your desk, even the drawers (if your desk has drawers). Think about the things that you often use or need on a daily or weekly basis. Throw or put away anything that doesn't fit in those categories. Notice your level of productivity now that there are no distractions, and now that you only have what you need right in front of you. Keep on doing that routine for months until it feels really natural. Then, move to other parts of your room or house!