“Whenever a law is obeyed, the results are always a certain degree or type of order or form.”
If you think about it, organizing a room or a space is no different than following a recipe to make something in the kitchen. After all, a recipe is nothing more or less than a series of “laws” put together in a certain sequence. The implied promise of the recipe is that if you follow each “law” one-step-after-the-other, in the sequence given, then you will have the results it says you will have. If you want to organize a room or a space, then all you need to do is to find the “recipe” and obey the laws that will get you that result. Whether it’s recipes in a kitchen to make good cookies or a “recipe” to follow to organize a room or a space, “Obedience to good laws makes good order.” It’s as simple as that.
The following list of steps is one type of “recipe” you can follow to make a room or a space more organized and beautiful. Be sure to try it out in a small space first–such as, perhaps, a silverware drawer. Once you see how the recipe works with a smaller space, you can then apply it to larger spaces or rooms in your home.
HOW TO ORGANIZE A ROOM OR A SPACE
1) Answer the question: What is the purpose of this room or this particular space? What is its job? What is it supposed to do? Is it a place for sleeping, eating, storing supplies?
2) Take out anything that does not help the room (or that part of the room) do its job. Make a condensed pile for sorting through later.
3) Clean the room or space. Dust, vacuum and wash the dirt away. Do the job right the first time. You will know if you haven’t cleaned properly and, since all unfinished business is an energy leak, you will feel worse instead of better. Instead, be sure to clean all the way through to the edges. You’ll like the way you feel.
4) Return the largest items to their proper places. Position items in such a way that your life is made easier. Think efficiency. Think assembly-line. Think flow.
5) Put the next smaller items back in the room.
6) Sort through the set-aside piles.
- Keep only the very best. (Choose quality instead of quantity)
- Keep only the most practical or most beautiful things that you still use or need. Goodness should be kept flowing. If you no longer use or need an item, pass it along to someone who can.
- Set limits. Just because you have space, doesn’t mean you have to fill it up. Answer the question: How much is enough?
7) Make the space beautiful. Remember: We are never done organizing until we make the space beautiful.
8) Admire your work. Too often we rush from one accomplishment to another with no time for recognizing our success. Stand back and choose to be delighted that you had the opportunity to create a “good thing.”
9) Always follow the final, personal law: “I always leave a space as good–or better–than I found it.”
Remember that the natural order of things is to fall apart and that it takes intelligence to put things back together again, to maintain the order. If you want good order in your life, then you will need to bring your intelligence to bear and apply the good laws that will make that good order. All it takes is a desire and a willingness to follow one step after another until the “recipe” is finished. The 18th century philosopher, Edmund Burke, was right when he said:
“Good order is the foundation of all good things.”
Follow the recipe. “Obey” the “laws.” You’ll love the results.
Image courtesy of khongkitwiriyachan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
