I decide when to clean my refrigerator by noticing how much stuff I have to shuffle around when I’m putting away new leftovers (instead of on a scheduled date). I avoid filing papers that represent something I want to think about or work on because it would take more time to file them and create to-do items for them than it takes me to glance over them when I’m looking for something else.

The thing is, at some point, we all have to decide when we’re striving for too much organization. Organization takes time and effort, and sometimes we overpay in time, effort, and money, for what we get back on our investment in organizing our lives.

There are many other ways you can use disorder to make your life easier. Below, I’ve listed 5 easy ways to let disorder and disorganization into your life.

5 ways you can use disorder and disorganization around the house to make your life a little easier

1. Go simple with the filing systems. If you can find what you need, when you need it, your filing system already works for you—even if you don’t use folders. Why spend money on filing supplies when you don’t need to? Why spend time overhauling a system that already works?
2. Plant a flower garden, the easy way. Mix all your seeds together in a jar, shake them up, and pour them (somewhat) evenly over your flower beds. You’ll end up with a profusion of flowers overflowing your beds, drowning out the weeds, and bursting with color.
3. Let your mail pile up and sort it once a week. You’ll only have to get out the envelope opener once, run the shredder once, and pay the bills once that week.
4. Leave on your kitchen counter an appliance you would love to use more often but don’t because it’s difficult to get out and put away. If it’s useful to you and you want to use it, then why not make it easy for you to do so? See? A little disorder can make your life better.
5. The next time you plan to “clear out the clutter” ask yourself why you’re doing it. Is it because of what you think others might think of you if they saw your mess? Why does it matter? If you’re not clearing out the clutter because you want to make your things easier to find, use, or put away, then you’re probably not clearing out for the right reasons.

As for the book, A Perfect Mess, if you’re looking for someone to remind you why clutter isn’t always bad to have around—and why having clutter doesn’t make you a bad person—you’ll want to read this book. I listened to the abridged audio edition, so I can’t say with certainty that every word in the book is a gem, but what I heard was excellent. This was front porch listening, although you could listen at any time. There was something very relaxing about the voice of the reader, and the subject matter is something most of us could stand to hear.

The point of the book isn’t to encourage you to be disordered, cluttered, or dirty. In fact, some order and organization is essential to a happy, productive life. However, as the author discusses the subject of disorder, it becomes clear that some disorder can actually improve your life, give you more time, save you money, and spark your creativity.

Those are the reasons I suggest you read—or listen to—this book.

Ever since Einstein’s study of Brownian Motion, scientists have understood that a little disorder can actually make systems more effective. Yet, most people still shun disorder or suffer guilt over the mess they can’t avoid. With a spectacular array of true stories and case studies of the hidden benefits of mess, A PERFECT MESS overturns the accepted wisdom that tight schedules, organization, neatness, and consistency are the keys to success. Drawing on examples from business, parenting, cooking, the war on terrorism, retail, and even the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abrahmson and Freedman demonstrate that moderately messy systems use resources more efficiently, yield better solutions, and are harder to break than neat ones. Applying this idea on scales both large (government, society) and small (desktops, garages), A PERFECT MESS uncovers the ways messiness can trump neatness, and will help you assess the right amount of disorder for any system.

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5 Ways to Use Disorder and Disorganization to Keep Your Home Running Smoothly

Organization is all well and good, if you have the space. The problem is, most people don’t have the space to be truly organized. Household organization isn’t about creating more space—or it shouldn’t be. Organizing your home is about creating places for your things and then always putting those things back into those places. How can you do this effectively if you don’t have any space available? You have to make space.

The Home Organization Solution

It’s really a simply stated two step process you have to follow any time you want to organize something.

1. First, you make space
2. Then, you organize that space

Making space to organize

If you’re not one for giving things up once you get your hands on them, this is going to be hard on you. If you really want to organize your space, though, you have to do this part.

Get rid of everything you don’t need, want, or have room to store. Sometimes this can mean making hard choices. I’ve already written about how you can use three quick questions to help you cut clutter. Start there. Ask yourself those questions and then move on to the tips below.

The first and easiest step to creating more space in your home for organizing your things is to do away with duplicates. Getting rid of duplicates will cut clutter, save space, and give you more time to put things in their place.

Yes, you love your electric can opener. But does it work for all your cans, or do you find yourself using your hand held can opener at least once or twice a week? If so, you might as well get rid of the electric space-hogging can opener and use only the hand held. The hand held is multifunctional, and it’s much easier to store in a much smaller amount of space than your electric. Apply this thought process to all your kitchen gadgets and see if you don’t end up with a lot more space (or a lot less overflow) than you started with.

To get rid of even more junk around your home, cut out the clutter. How do you make room in your bathtub for clean, clear water? You drain out the old. You’d never dream of leaving that old used water in your tub after it had outlived its usefulness. Why do the same with household clutter?

Next, immediately throw out anything that’s broken or not working properly. It might not be clutter, but it’s useless. If it’s something you use a lot and really need to have around, then why haven’t you replaced it yet? Only sentimental items should get a pass on this step, and then only if you truly want to have the item around.

Finally, take a close look at everything you have. Do you like it? If there’s stuff lying around that you’re hanging on to because of guilt or family pressures, but you don’t really like, get rid of it. Give it away or throw it away, but don’t let feelings stop you from living an organized life.

Organizing your space

You’re going to love this part. Organizing is nothing more than designating a place for each of your belongings and then putting those things in their place.

How you decide what goes where is really up to you. Some people like to alphabetize books, others just want to know there’s an empty spot on the bookshelf for the book they’re reading. It makes sense that you do it however you like it. You’re more likely to put your things away if it’s easy to do.

I keep my like items grouped together, and I make sure there’s room for those items where ever I’ve designated they should go. Always try to keep some spare room. You’d be surprised at how much easier it is to put things away when you know where to put them and that yes, there’s enough space there. Your family will love it when you can tell them exactly where to find something.

Look around you, make some space, and get organized!

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Want to organize your home? Make space

Does this have a function that is useful to me?

Just because something is useful doesn’t mean it’s useful to you. Do not keep items you might use someday, unless they’re part of an emergency kit or stash of goods or tools. Otherwise, the items are just hogging space that could be better utilized.

When I look at this, does it make me feel good or bad?

Some things that we keep, even for sentimental reasons, don’t give us feelings of joy when we look at them. If that’s the case, consider giving the item away. If you just can’t do that, then pack the item away. There’s no justifiable reason why you need to keep things out in your home that you can’t look at and feel joy about seeing.

What’s the worst thing that could happen to me if I get rid of this?

If no reason comes to mind within five seconds, toss it. If the reasons that do come to mind could have come out of a science fiction movie, toss it. Finally, if the reasons are valid and dire, treat the item with the respect it deserves and put it in its place.

How to use the questions in a typical clean up

Let’s go through a few examples. Pick up an item from the counter. Quickly ask the following questions.

Say you picked up a hairbrush.

• Does this have a function that is useful to me? —Yes, but it has a broken bristle and I have another…
• When I look at this, does it make me feel good or bad? —Bad
• What’s the worst thing that could happen to me if I get rid of this? —Nothing

Result: Toss it!

Say you picked up your cell phone bill.

• Does this have a function that is useful to me? —Yes, I can pay my bill from this…
• When I look at this, does it make me feel good or bad? —Neutral
• What’s the worst thing that could happen to me if I get rid of this? —Late fees or my phone could be turned off…

Result: Keep it, and put it where it should be.

If you can learn to treat your home and your things respectfully, and put them away, clutter wouldn’t happen. Because what is clutter? An accumulation of items that aren’t in their place.

The world is full of junk, don’t feel bad about wanting to get something out of the house. Set aside items to donate only if you are positive you’ll get the donations to the appropriate drop off spot within a week.

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3 Questions to Cut Clutter

You can instantly see results when you get rid of junk that’s sitting around on counters and tables. Here’s a quick tip.

Sweeping the floors is the simplest way to get rid of floor clutter. Take your broom and sweep up anything in your way, including shoes, toys–anything at all that’s in the floor but shouldn’t be. Then pick out the items you absolutely must keep and put them away. Seriously consider leaving the toys, because it’ll teach your children a valuable lesson about picking up and putting away their things! Throw out the trash and you’ll be amazed at what having a clear floor and clear counters and tables will do for your room.

Without something for your eye to catch on as you view the room, everything will look much more clean and tidy, even if you haven’t done more than pick up all the junk.

Although the authors of It’s Here…Somewhere go to extremes to save money, the principles behind their method as outlined in the book is the best I’ve ever tried. I still use it today to keep my own home streamlined of clutter and excess. Only used copies are available these days because the book has gone out of print, but if you need inspiration to get you started on the path to clutter free living, you’ll want to get a copy of this book.

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A clutter-free house looks cleaner