So you have a space that needs to be organized. What are your first thoughts about it? The effort? The energy? The time? Most of us contemplate the project itself but not the rewards along the way, aside from having our space back again. These rewards can come in many shapes and sizes, from finding things again to turning the process into a game. You have your space back again, and new opportunities can be opened back up to you.
1 No longer lost in space
We all have that one room we skip. It has been lost to time, space, and the things we have thrown in there. You might wander into that room on occasion, but for the most part, it is just a glorified storage closet. Having this cleaned up is usually on everyone’s wish list and the most obvious reward on our list. The benefits to organizing this are apparent: you get the room back, have extra space for activities, and are proud that the room is available once again.
2 Hide and Seek
Our next reward helps resolve a colossal time waster, endless playing hide and seek with lost items. Once the room is organized, this reward repays you repeatedly. All the time spent looking for a missing item is now in the bank. Instead of wasting 20 minutes, you know your desired subject is where you expect it to be. In addition, you save energy by not having to move around excess items that are in the way. This reward makes sense, and it is one you will remember every time you need something.
3 Dust bunnies with teeth
Ok, this will get ugly, like dust bunnies that have evolved into dust dinos. I have cleaned up enough homes to know what lurks beneath a long-sitting pile. Let’s say the reward for organizing that space is good for your health. You can again get to those locations that need to be adequately cleaned. This helps to keep dust and pests down, which helps with allergies and all sorts of other ailments.
4 Have a nice trip?
So our next reward deals with staying out of the hospital; that is trying to avoid breaking something just crossing the room. It is odd how accustomed we can become to a mess. At first, it is just a tiny pile here and there, but as it grows, we adjust our behavior and activities to avoid the stacks as they slowly build up over time. At some point, you may step on something or bump into a pile and suddenly find yourself on the floor. This reward is one of the more serious ones on our list, but the savings is almost immeasurable.
5 Mental Health
This is probably my favorite reward and has yet to be realized. In a few jobs, I have worked with people utterly distraught. They know they need to organize the place, but the job is a tsunami that has completely overwhelmed them. It is usually about ½ way through that the reward starts to take effect. There is a sudden realization that the job can be done, and they can have their space, or even their life, back to normal. A renewed energy arises like a fire in their eyes, and these people come to life. In some cases, I swear, some people regain ten years of their life. That makes my job completely worthwhile.
6 Memories
This next reward is one of three that usually catches people by surprise. In this case, it is memories. Now, this kind of reward should be savored and left until the project is over, but it is a great reward.
I have sat with several customers while they went through picture books or held some objects of immense sentimental value that they hadn’t seen for ages. This is one of those rewards I think most people don’t think about when trying to organize their space, but one where every one of my customers had a smile every time.
7 Early Christmas
So when exactly does the Christmas Season start? December 1st? Just After Thanksgiving? Or the day after Halloween? Well, when you are organizing, Christmas is whenever you want it to be.
With this particular reward, I usually found my customers playing with some toy or gadget they had not seen in years. This is another time waster when you are organizing, but it almost always brings a smile when you see something you haven’t seen in a while. It may be a set of juggling balls or a toy from your childhood, but whatever it is, it is almost guaranteed that an hour or so will soon be wasted having fun.
8 Puzzle Chasing
Our final reward is less enjoyable than the rest, but it can relieve some stress.
Have you ever opened up a drawer or a cabinet expecting to grab a tool or an object and expected to find the attachments to it? You may have opened up an old puzzle box and found none of the pieces. Then the next hour or so is spent finding the mate. This reward is all about re-grouping lost parts together, thus saving you time in the long run. I organize just for this purpose in my tool shop. Usually, at least once a year, I pile and then sort all my bits and pieces to get them back in their proper place again. It may take an hour or two, but that beats the time lost by a long shot of looking for them when needed, usually when I am stressed and in a rush to find something in a hurry.
