Myth: You have to be minimalist in order to be organized
That is what is known as a false choice.
This post is meant to help you if you are struggling to get organized and feel the only answer is to become a minimalist.
To clear up a common misperception, minimalism is not another word for organized. Minimalism is a lifestyle, organization is a way of being.
It is entirely possible to be an organized “maximalist” (Abbondanza! More is more! Buy all the things!) or a disorganized minimalist (I only have two forks, how can I have misplaced one?)
How is that, you ask? 🤔
It’s because being organized is about your state of mind around your possessions, not the amount of possessions themselves.
😀 Do your possessions make you smile or give you a pit in your stomach when you look at them? 🥺
🥰 Do they remind you of someone you love or evoke memories of someone who makes you angry?😡
If your belongings make you feel pressured or guilty (I never said I like puzzles, why does mom keep giving them to me?!?) it’s easier to shove them into a closet instead of dealing with them.
Closet becomes the Temple of Guilt.
And you might only have two or three puzzles but chances are they are stashed randomly - one on a shelf under wrapping paper, another behind a box of camping gear, etc = few items but disorganized.
However, if puzzles bring you nerdish nirvana (3D puzzle? Round edge puzzle? Japanese animation puzzle? Why yes I do!) then you probably own loads of them but can get your hands on them easily without having to dig through the Christmas ornaments to find them = lots of items but organized.
Merely reducing the amount of stuff you have just makes you someone who has less stuff, it doesn’t make you organized. Chucking out most of what you own in a quest for organization might create a simplified space but not necessarily an organized one.
If what you own delights you and having more of it brings you joy, carry on!
If what you have makes you feel weird, sad, resentful, etc., consider your thoughts and feelings and manage those instead of creating a home shaped landfill.
Whatever your reason, if you elect to minimize your payload, you should only do so for your own personal reasons, not because you feel that the solution to your current state of disorganization is to become a “minimalist”.
The takeaway - it’s not the amount of stuff you have, it’s your feelings about your stuff that shape your organization.