The Clutter Connection. Cassandra Aarssen
of sight, but still fast and easy to find.
4.Visible and organized properly for quick access.
You remember things best from:
1.Visual pictures and instructions.
2.Reading and researching about it.
3.Someone showing me how to do it.
4.Figuring it out on my own.
Pick the sentence that best describes you:
1.I struggle to put things away when I am done using them.
2.I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I prefer minimal clutter.
3.I like my home to appear spotless, but I hide things away where no one can see.
4.I like functional spaces that make doing hobbies and working easier.
You like your favorite things to be:
1.Out where I can always see them so they don’t get misplaced.
2.Stored or displayed properly so they will last.
3.Neat and tidy and displayed in an eye-pleasing way.
4.Organized in a visual and functional way.
You like to decorate your home:
1.With bold colors and artwork.
2.With minimal, neutral colors.
3.With current design trends.
4.With useful, functional pieces.
You would like your home to be:
1.Fun, bright, and cozy.
2.Functional and minimal.
3.Beautiful and minimal.
4.Practical and efficient.
What Clutterbug Are You?
Add up your answers. Are you mostly a 1, 2, 3, or 4? You may also be a combination of all of these organizing styles!
If you answered mostly 1, you are a BUTTERFLY!
If you answered mostly 2, you are a CRICKET!
If you answered mostly 3, you are a LADYBUG!
If you answered mostly 4, you are a BEE!
You may find that, though you are a combination of all four styles, one stands out to you in particular. You may also find that you tend to fall into different category based on different rooms in your home or workplace. This is typical, but I can assure you that there will be a clear front-runner for your organizing style as you continue reading this book. I recommend that you read each and every chapter, no matter what your test results are.
In the following chapters, I will unpack each of the organizational styles in detail and offer practical solutions to help you work with your strengths, create new daily systems, and yes, finally get your life organized for good.
I will also show you the magic of learning how to live, work, and organize with those people in your life who may not have the same organizing style as you. Follow me, and let’s start your journey to an organized, clutter-free, and productive life!
Visual Abundance
and
Organizational Simplicity
Photo Courtesy of Christina Dennis, www.TheDIYMommy.com
A Butterfly rarely focuses on the small details and instead tends to look at the big picture. Butterflies prefer to see their belongings for fear of “out of sight, out of mind.”
A Butterfly Brain
A Butterfly is fun-loving, creative, and outgoing. Classic dreamers, Butterflies are “big-picture” thinkers and spend a lot of time coming up with great ideas and ensuring that they are doing things that they enjoy. Order, structure, and routine do not come naturally to a Butterfly’s carefree nature, so traditional organization is usually an area that they struggle with.
In general, when we think of organization, one picture comes to mind: micro-sorted categories hidden away inside closed cabinets, closets, and drawers. Everything, from school desks to filing cabinets, is based on this one system—which is the complete opposite of how a Butterfly brain works.
In a world designed to accommodate one organizing personality type, it’s easy for those who don’t fit that mold to feel like something is wrong with them. A Butterfly, more than any other “Clutterbug,” has probably felt messy and disorganized his or her entire life. When a child struggles to keep her room clean, instead of adapting her storage solutions to work with her brain type, we try to force the child to adapt to the current system. This rarely works, and frequently causes this child to be scolded for being messy or lazy. Don’t get me wrong. Kids are messy, but this is different. As a parent, you need to look at yourself and the child critically and see how much is the messiness of youth, and what is due to her natural organizational type working against your expectations. Help her organize to her strengths and potential, to save your own sanity.
Unfortunately, being told (or telling yourself) that you are a naturally messy person can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Butterflies have the ultimate excuse for not putting their things away when they are done with them: “I’m just a messy person.” I can’t blame you for thinking this way; you have probably tried and failed to get organized so many times in the past that you have resolved to simply stop trying. The idea of organizing and tidying your home is so overwhelming and daunting because you know you won’t succeed. This is your internal excuse, and you likely don’t even realize that you’re telling yourself this.
For those of you who see yourselves in this scenario, you are not a messy person, everyone just organizes differently! Make today the day you stop assuming you are going to fail. It’s time to let go of the excuses and start understanding how your brain processes organizing. I’m going to walk you through how to work with your strengths to design a system that will finally get you organized for good.
But if you’re sitting there thinking, “That doesn’t sound like me, I’m not that messy, but the test said I was a Butterfly,” let me clarify that not every Butterfly struggles with clutter. Many Butterflies have immaculately clean and clutter-free homes. Once you understand your style, you too can create visually abundant homes with simple organizing solutions that work for you.
Being a Butterfly in no way means that you are doomed to a messy home. Most of the beautiful photos in this chapter are from the talented and inspirational designer Christina, from The DIY Mommy (who is totally a Butterfly!). Christina is by far my favorite interior designer, and her YouTube channel, blog, and Instagram are filled with beautiful Butterfly spaces. Her home is bright and filled with visual abundance and simple organizing solutions. If you are looking for Butterfly inspiration, look no further than The DIY Mommy. You can visit her at www.thediymommy.com.
For the purposes of this book, I am going to focus on those Butterflies who have not yet embraced their organizing style and are currently struggling