You’re the reason your home is disorganized. Here’s how to fix that.
- Katheryn Hunt
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 8 minutes ago
Original article published in The Washington Post. This summary has been adapted for clarity and educational purposes.
Professional organizers agree that clutter is rarely about laziness or lack of storage. It is about habits, emotions, and decisions we avoid making. In this article, organizers share the tough-love truths they see most often in real homes.
Here is what they want you to know:
You buy organizing products before you declutter, which creates more clutter instead of less.
You label too many things as “special,” which prevents you from honoring what truly matters.
You decorate out of guilt instead of joy.
You save clothes for a future body, even though they will not fit the same when that day comes.
You try to organize entire rooms at once and burn out before finishing.
You store items for who you used to be or who you hope to be, not who you are today.
You store things where there is space instead of where they are actually used.
You treat flat surfaces like temporary holding zones instead of final homes.
You stack items on the floor instead of using vertical storage.
You keep things “just in case” without a realistic plan to use them.
You think you have a storage problem when you actually have too much stuff.
You keep items because they were expensive, even though the money is already gone.
You delay small decisions, allowing clutter to quietly multiply.
You store belongings for adult children who should be responsible for their own things.
You aim for perfect systems instead of ones that are simply sustainable.
You put shopping bags down instead of unpacking them immediately, letting clutter take root.
As Marty Stevens-Heebner emphasizes throughout the article, lasting organization comes from realistic systems, honest decisions, and compassion for yourself. The goal is not perfection—it is a home that supports the life you are living right now.
Original article published in The Washington Post. This summary has been adapted for clarity and educational purposes.