Here at Imagine It Done, we have a few mottos we swear by. One is that in order to live a more organized life you must eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary will speak. But our most important motto is that imperfection is perfection.
Organization, as I’m sure you’ve heard, is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Everyone needs a system tailored to them and their lifestyle. Drawing inspiration from others is fine, but it all comes down to how you make a routine work for you. And it’s important to know that routines and systems will always need to be evaluated.
Why is it important to embrace the imperfection is perfection motto?
People want to work with professional organizers after they see a transformation on social media. Often in the form of a before and after shot. It gives them heart eyes. They want their closet, kitchen, office, playroom, etc, to look exactly like that.
But their space is smaller and can’t accommodate the system they want to emulate. When it doesn’t come out exactly to their specifications, they feel uninspired and the cycle of disorganization starts all over again. They haven’t embraced the imperfection is perfection motto. A professional organizer shows you systems that work. But if it’s not right for you, you need patience while adjusting it.
Let’s look at some ways the imperfection is perfection motto comes into play.
1. Your routines and systems will need constant tweaking.
Life is constantly evolving and changing. More than that, it’s unpredictable. If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that things can change in an instant. With that said, it’s important to evaluate your current routines and systems. What works now may not work a year from now or even six months.
This is because cycles shift. Kids go off to college, you get a new job, you move to a new city. Shifts don’t always have to be major life changes. They can be little such as you downsized your closet and now you need to reorganize the clothes you have left.
If a routine or system that once worked stops working, the worst thing you can do is force yourself to keep up with it. The minute it doesn’t feel helpful or seamless is the time to sit down and figure out how to fix it. The good news is it doesn’t always require a big change. It may mean waking up thirty minutes earlier or doing laundry on Thursday instead of Tuesday.
As you adjust routines they won't be perfect right away. You’ll need time to adapt. Don’t rush this process. Make sure you’re comfortable and happy with the change before moving on.
2. Don’t copy someone else’s system if it doesn’t serve you.
We mentioned this earlier and now we’re going to dive a little deeper. Do you know someone who is a strict planner? By that we mean they schedule every little thing in their life? How productive are they? Our guess, quite productive. Have you ever tried their method of planning? Did you find it orderly or too restrictive?
The point we’re making is that what works for someone won’t always work for you. And it’s not just friends. The people you live with can have different organizational needs. You could thrive on labels while your significant other lives in organized chaos. One of your children could be an adamant planner while the other goes with the flow.
This is why copying someone else’s system step-by-step won’t serve you. Again, take inspiration and test it out. But if a part doesn’t work, adjust it until it does. And know that if you have to change a system that works perfectly for someone else, you’re not ruining it. You’re simply tailoring it to your needs and personality.
3. Incorporate a daily routine.
Daily routines are a great place to accept the imperfection is perfection motto. Incorporating a daily routine into your life is a great way to streamline your day — or at least your morning. Why? Because these routines are essentially habits that give you little wins throughout the day. They also give you things to look forward to so your day isn’t completely unpredictable.
But these routines and habits won’t always be perfect. Sure, you can have days where everything goes right and your daily routine is smooth and undisturbed. But then you’re going to have a day or days where life happens and your daily routine is thrown off course. This is the moment to embrace imperfection.
If something happens that breaks into your daily routine, don’t panic. Simply accept that these things happen and adjust accordingly. The most organized and productive people are the ones who know life isn’t always going to go their way. While it may, for the most part, they’re aware that at any given moment something can change. So if you have — or plan to start — a daily routine, understand that there will be days when you need to be flexible.
4. Clean a little bit at a time.
Many of our clients ask, “How do we keep our homes organized?” A professional organizer has done their job. Now it’s up to you to keep things the way they set them up. We understand that life happens. The examples we listed above are prime examples of that. But we also know that if you want to keep an organized home, you need to put in the effort.
One way to do that is to clean or organize a little bit at a time. Some people wait to clean until things are dirty. Or until their home is so cluttered they can’t see across the floor. Others will clean only when they know that company is coming over.
Instead, add into your daily routine a 5-10 minute cleaning habit. We’re not saying you need to go crazy and deep clean your entire home every day. Consider breaking the task into smaller chunks. If you spend 5-10 minutes cleaning or organizing every day, your home will remain clean and organized.
Get creative and make a map of your home. Start in your living room and move throughout the house. By the time you get back to the living room, there will be new things to clean and organize. We’d like to say that once your home is organized it stays that way. But even professional organizers admit to having spaces that get cluttered every once in a while.
The key is making cleaning and tidying up part of your daily routine. Over time it’ll become so habitual that anytime you see something out of place you’ll be more inclined to put it away than leave it sitting there. That’s why we prefer cleaning a little bit at a time rather than saving it all at once. After all, remember that habits are taught and learned. They are not part of our genetics.
In the end, our mission is to change lives by bringing order, function, and beauty into your home. With exclusive and proven methods and systems of organization, we tailor everything to our client’s lifestyles and personalities. So embrace that imperfection is perfection because you are uniquely you, no matter how organized you are. We make your home not only a place to live rather a place you will love.
Need some more inspiration? Check out some of our amazing transformations on our Projects page. You can also follow us on social media where we post about projects in progress. And of course, don’t ever hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help in any way we can.