Everything in its place

[susandennis]

I spent most of my life as a slob.  Tidy, I was not.  Not even close.  My house was always in the state where it was not very practical to vacuum the carpet because there was too much stuff on it.  Picking up that stuff would take for ev er.  My clothes lived in two piles - dirty and clean.  My bed was rarely made.   Even during the years I had a house cleaner every two weeks, the place was generally a mess.  A mess with a clean, cluttered kitchen and clean windows and the few uncluttered spots were vacuumed.  And the bed did get made once a month.  I never liked the mess but I didn't know how to not be that way.

Then I discovered the secret by accident. I got rid of everything and replaced only half of it and hired a designer to organize and make pretty the half that was left and that's all it took. 

I've been frighteningly tidy ever since.  And today was more of that.  Doing laundry and putting it away.  Walking by the shelves I did yesterday and getting an amazing rush of peace and calm and happy.  Putting more stuff away and loving the organization of it all.  It amazes me how little tolerance I have now for clutter and mess.  My bed is made every day before I leave for the gym.  Took me 55 years but I like it this way.  I think it's kind of interesting that life long habits can change so relatively easily.