People always ask if my home is perfect, and I say it functions perfectly. I’ll let you read between the lines there. Striving for perfection can be an obstacle in itself. Most people are surprised to learn that perfectionism is a common reason for disorganization.
Common problems with perfectionism and organization:
• Perfectionists might say to themselves, “If I don’t have time to do it right, I’ll wait until I do have time.”
• Waiting for a “good” time doesn’t work. The time will never present itself. You need to schedule it.
• Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time allowed for it.
• The law of diminishing indicates that the more we hone, tweak, and perfect the less efficient and effective we become. We also neglect other important projects.
• The project waits, grows, and becomes a big, hairy monster.
It’s not important to do everything perfectly. In fact, if you think of organization as a spectrum, perfection is one end and extreme disorder is on the other. A healthy balance is really the best middle ground. Always having every dish put away, every toy in the toy box, and every surface clear is unrealistic. The important things to remember are:
• Every item should have a home.
• Everyone needs to know where those homes are located.
• Storing things closest to where they are used simplifies retrieval and return.
• Set limits on how much is enough. “More” can undermine organization and make maintenance more work.
• Storing like items together in containers helps to stay on top of inventory.
• Planning a time to clean-up is part of every project, not something we do another time.
Perfectionism paralyzes action. Done is better than perfect!
The next time you feel paralyzed by perfection, remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
Yours truly,
A former perfectionist
About the Author
I find it interesting that highly disorganized people sometimes don’t realize they might actually be perfectionists, waiting for perfection to happen. You used the right term: paralyzing. Knowing that perfectionism leads to paralyzation can help some people “settle” for good enough when they are actually living in chaos.