You Don't Have to be Perfect to be Tidy

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But like, seriously.

There's this notion that being organized means you have fancy whicker bins lining every shelf in your closet and matching labeled containers in your pantry. That's a beautiful visual and there's nothing wrong with all of the above. But get that daunting image out of your head if you're the kind of human that will never be the Patty Perfection type. Tidiness is a lifestyle attainable to ANYONE and it comes down to an awareness of your physical surroundings and the belongings in your life. EASY PEASY. But how do you get there?

First things first. Make your bed every morning. It's the best way to feign tidiness until you're actually all squared away and organized. The tidy jumpstart to your day and reminder that you got this when you come back at the end of the day. It's almost cheating.

The toughest, most time-consuming step is sorting through your belongings and holding on to only those that you need. Kinda terrifying. So take it easy. Now that you're making your bed, the tidy world is your oyster. Sort one category or area of your home at a time and eliminate excess. Take note of what you own. Make sure you are fully aware of what's where. It feels ludicrous, but it's so easy to forget what you have. Take a museum tour through your home and remind yourself what's being housed where. This will help you avoid buying what you don't need. Which brings us to the last step.

Think before you buy. When in doubt, leave it out. Less is less is tidy is more. I can go on for days with made-up catch phrases that encourage minimalism (but not the scary kind of minimalism). Here's where that awareness comes in again. Don't let your brain trick you into thinking that lots of stuff will bring you joy. Things have this amazing ability to drown their owners and cause more stress than good. So don't let yourself get there! Think about your purchases and consider each an investment for the future.

You're tidy. You can still be creative. You can still have fun and feel good about material possessions. The difference now is your relationship with these things. You feel in control of them. You are their owner and not the other way around. After all, YOUR BRAIN IS BIGGER THAN THEIRS.

Now go be tidy and have a damn good time doing it.