By DaLona Niland
You’ve heard the saying, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” There’s a great truth to be found there, and in my book it borders on proverbial.
I’ve discovered a new syndrome that I just know will one day be documented in the National Institute of Mental Health’s official handbook. This syndrome is directly related to people who have not learned to follow the adage “a place for everything and everything in its place. The syndrome? It’s called FNS or the “For Now Syndrome.” Practically every one of my clients has it and it’s quite simple to diagnose. The symptoms of FNS are finding yourself holding a document or other thing and not knowing what to do with it so you
“put it here for now.”
FNS is often accompanied by another syndrome called Flat Surface Syndrome (FSS) which is characterized by most every square inch of the sufferer’s space’s flat surfaces noticeably covered, often deeply, with stuff.
Though it’s a serious condition, please do not be alarmed or discouraged if you have already self-diagnosed. The cure is manageable and uncomplicated if not simple and through hands on research with hundreds of clients, we’ve made marvelous breakthroughs in systems and solutions. To avoid the effect of FNS and it sister syndrome, FSS which manifest themselves in significant clutter, you must assign everything a home and, at least most of the time, put it there!
A pain in the neck…Now, if you find that after you’ve assigned everything a home, you’re still not putting things away because it’s such a hassle, you’ve probably assigned them the wrong home; they don’t want to live there. You have to think more practically. If you’re trying to keep your tape dispenser in the kids’ bathroom because you want to assign them the job of always putting it away since they’re the ones that use it anyway, but it’s just not workin’ for ya, you might want to rethink your strategy. Keep the things you use the most often close at hand and the things you use (key word is USE) less often, higher up or way down low, in the general area of where you use them. Please don’t keep the crock pot in the top of the coat closet in a container labeled “Christmas decorations.” You’re going to end up buying a new crock pot; don’t ask how I know.
Here are a couple tips: Try setting up a folder for items you don’t want to forget to take quick action on and label it “Action Items – Short Term.” This would be the home of things such as a doctor’s bill you need to call about, the directions for how to check the status of your passport application, or the recall on your husband’s truck.
Another tip is to set up a command central at the door you enter and exit through each day. It’s a perfect place to leave your purse, keys, sports equipment, backpacks, shoes, etc. Everyone always knows where to find them and once everyone’s trained, there’s no more, “Honey, have you seen my keys?” or “Mom, where are my shoes?!”
Next week I’ll talk with you about how to know if you just have too much stuff to house it all. We’ll consider the question: were you really meant to be a landlord?
Live Your Life on Purpose