Ahead of the curve

I have always lived with clutter--I'm convinced it's just part of my nature. In fact, it's when I straighten things up that I have problems locating the things I need. In what looks like a complete mess, I can usually get to the object I want fairly quickly. I'm not really proud of this, but I've come to accept it and just try to not let the mess get overwhelming. When that happens, I'm usually spurred to clear it up and vow to keep it neat. But within a short amount of time, the piles reappear and the cycle starts again.

You can imagine the smile on my face as I read the article in the January 29th issue of Time Magazine, Messy is the New Neat. The first paragraph goes right to my heart:

"Neatness is overrated. Let those stacks of paper pile up on your desk. Don't worry about the laundry tossed in the corner. Let the icons clutter up your computer screen. And whatever you do, stop obsessing over your letter-perfect filing system. Bless your mess, says a new group of "mess-iahs" spreading the gospel of healthy disorganization."

The article continues with quotes like "Moderately messy systems outperform extremely orderly systems," "Filing away loose office papers can be similarly counterproductive," and "Decluttering [your home] not only wastes time but also saps a home's sense of character."

It's nice to know that I've been on the right path all along. Now, if I can just stay in the "healthy disorganization" zone and not go too far over the edge, I've got it made.