The Cookie Cutter
We so badly want a magic potion for our organizing challenged that we will try almost any solution. The last serious organizing mistake we make is applying a universal tip or method to our mess. This is the cookie-cutter approach to organizing. I have come to believe that no one tip or trick will work for every person. Each person needs and deserves organizing solutions designed with him or her in mind.
Just because open shelves work in your neighbor’s garage, for example, doesn’t mean they will work in your garage. Perhaps your neighbor needs open access to items but you like to store your gear behind closed doors. Your girlfriend might use a system for household chores that works in her family, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work in your family. Good organizing proceeds from good self-observation. Organizing systems that work are customized to the users, not borrowed from conventional wisdom.
We all wear different sizes and have different body types, and we look for attire that fits our type and style. One size rarely fits all. If you’ve ever been enticed to buy something that either didn’t fit or wasn’t quite “you,” then you know what I’m talking about. Cookie-cutter organizing solutions may seem tempting at the moment, but like an ill-fitting garment, they will end up in the bad idea pile before very long!
Related:
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 1: Product Panacea
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 2: The Rearranging Remedy
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 3: The Cleaning Cure
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 4: The Stashing Solution
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 5: The Tidying Trick
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 7: Why We Cheat
- Common Organizing Mistakes Part 8: Due Diligence
