For far too long, the words "organized" and "clean" have been used synonymously and we think it's time to clear up the confusion: They aren't the same.
At the most basic level, organization is essentially the way in which you structure and arrange your home, while cleanliness pertains more to how you maintain it.
If you still aren't sure where you fit in, let us explain...
If you're organized and clean...
You live life dust- and disorder-free. That means that if something isn't on your to-do list, there's a good chance that it's not going to happen. But it's okay, because at the end of the day, there's no clutter on your coffee table and no chance that you've forgotten to pay a bill.
For example, a person in this category might find themselves...
- Dusting a neatly stacked pile of color-coded books in the living room.
- Washing all the dishes in the sink before writing down tomorrow's schedule.
- Making his or her bed immediately after waking up (because that's what the schedule says).
If you're organized and messy...
There's a place for everything and you don't let a few dust bunnies stop you from keeping things that way. So you haven't vacuumed the floors this week? At least you've put everything back where you found it. You know it's all about getting stuff done and not how pretty the box looks when it's checked off.
For example, a person in this category might find themselves...
- Ignoring the laundry that's been piling up on the floor because laundry day isn't until tomorrow.
- Having their lunch made the night before, but skipping the whole making-the-bed thing in the morning.
- Filing away important papers in a binder that then acts as a coaster for the next week.
If you're disorganized and clean...
There are odds and ends all over the floor -- but it doesn't matter, because it's an incredibly shiny, dirt-free floor. In other words, even if your day-to-day isn't perfectly tidy, you can still rest your head in a bed with clean sheets.
For example, a person in this category might find themselves...
- Sifting through a closet full of clothes where nothing is categorized, but everything is on a hanger.
- Going on a cleaning frenzy, only to accidentally throw away an important invitation with that pile of mail that's been accumulating by the door.
- Running extremely late to a meeting on recently-mopped, shiny floors.
If you're disorganized and messy...
You live free of schedules and systems, and you thrive on chaos. You enjoy taking each day as it comes -- even if that means you're always running late and ignoring stacks of dirty dishes for days on end.
For example, a person in this category might find themselves...
- Not washing the dishes because there is no place to put them when they're clean.
- Without a vacuum because he or she just cannot find the spot to store it.
- Doing the laundry on an as-needed basis -- tackling dirty clothes only when it's necessary and taking clothes out of the dryer only when they're to be worn.
And for more great organizing tips, visit our friends at Domino.
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