Can you relate to this? Do you get overwhelmed by things, by material stuff? I was just looking around my house for a specific photo album. It was not with the other photo albums and that intrigued me. I wander from room to room with the focus quickly changing from the photo album to simply feeling overwhelmed. So much stuff is unorganized.
Let me give you a bit of background on my quirky personality so you'll understand why I'm troubled. When I was a teen and in my 20's before I got married I used to be super organized: the Cd's, Videos, and DVDs were in alphabetical order. My clothes were categorized and then color-coordinated. Those are just to name a few; I could go on and on. My friend Suzanne used to mess with me by moving things around. I made Monica from Friends look easy-going. I was very happy this way. I knew that my ways were a bit unusual but it was not a problem for me so I didn't feel like changing.
Then came a house, dog, cat, two desert tortoises, husband, and a child. With all of those things come a lot of stuff (not so much the dog and cat). Please understand that I'd rather have all of those things than be super organized but I get stressed out by my lack of organization. I've also become more lazy over the years so that doesn't help. I used to stay up late organizing things; now I choose sleep.
When my mom passed away I took on all of her stuff that didn't sell in the estate sale or go to Good Will. Things that are sentimental and the like. Again, more stuff. I'm not a minimalist by any means but I have a strong belief that material things tie us down by taking up space physically and emotionally.
A normal person would take the situation step by step and organize a little bit at a time realizing that Rome wasn't built in a day. Me, on the other hand, I look at all of it and don't even want to deal with it unless I can do a marathon organizational stretch. This is all a part of my quirky-perfectionist personality type.If things can't be done the way I want them to be I don't want to even try. Wow, now all of you probably think I'm more crazy than you originally thought!
PS-The reason the CD's, videos, and DVD's are not in alphabedical order is because Tyler has a lot of fun playing with the cases. I was actually able to let go of the desire to keep alphabedizing them! That was an accomplishment for me.
7 years ago
4 comments:
I can totally relate!
The more kids I add to the mix the more chaotic my life gets. Of coures I wouldn't trade any of it BUT that didn't stop me from falling apart this morning because I couldn't find a silly Wal-Mart reciept I needed to return something.
I often feel overwhelemed by the sheer amount of stuff that I have to get done in one day. This morning when I got back in the car after dropping the kids off and realizing that I forgot to give Siennah her medicine and had yet to nurse my crying baby I just cried.
We, as Moms have a lot more on our plates these days.
Like Heather told me this morning when I pulled up next to her pathetically crying in my van, "You're doing a great job--cut yourself some slack!" :) :)
My sanity is LISTs! and Sterlite containers!! :)
Jen, I'll never forget one of the first times I met you. Tyler got into my diaper bag and dumped out my "bag-o-coupons". I thought you were going to hyperventilate when you saw my "organizational" system! You were so funny, describing to me what a coupon organizer is and asking if I had ever seen them. I came home that day and told Dave the story b/c your reaction to my ziploc baggie mess was just so hilarious. You'd be happy to know that since then, I've organized my coupons :)
Jen, it sounds like you are actually doing great. In fact you sound just like me now. You have come a long way!! People may think you are kidding about the Monica thing, but you put her to shame.:)
Yeah, I can relate. I can totally relate. I think you've hit it on the head... I used to be super-organized and tidy, in otherwords I was totally in control. Add in 2 kids and all the stuff that goes along with that and I am no longer "in control" and I'm not handling it well. I used to tell myself that it would get better as the kids got older, and I'm still waiting and getting worse it seems.
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