How to Thrive in Clutter: Giving in and Living Amid a Mess

I am awed by those perfectly neat houses I see in magazines. I appreciate their aesthetics, and I have even been tempted a few times to go out and buy the organizing tools recommended for creating such a space-efficient closet or refrigerator. But then I think, "None of those compartments would hold our super-sized jar of pickles!"

Of course I could always buy smaller jars of pickles, but my point is that maintaining a perfectly neat house is nearly impossible; the houses in magazines never look like someone actually lives there. Where are the dog-eared books by the beds, the dishes in the sink, and the damp hand towels in the bathroom?

I know that I can never keep a house looking perfect and still feel comfortable enough to live in it (or have time to do anything else). I am a born clutterbug. Trying to make myself neat is like trying to turn a ladybug's spots into stripes.

Despite media and peer pressure to be neater than I am, I know myself and recognize that I work better amid clutter. I have learned how to survive - even thrive - in my clutter. If you, too, are an incurable clutterbug, test out these ten ways to thrive among clutter before you spend any more time or money trying to declutter your life.

Develop and maintain a system of organization that works for you. You don't have to be neat to be organized. Nor do you have to set aside a week to sort your home's contents into keep, move, and give-away boxes. I tend to organize in piles. I have piles of books and magazines to read, a pile of things to be fixed, a pile of things I need to take care of when I'm online, a pile of things I need to talk to my husband about, and piles of things I need to give to specific people when I see them. Having some form of organization (even one that no one else understands) makes it much easier for me to find what I need.

Be aware of what you have. You can't use something you don't know you have. Even if your home or workspace is crowded, keep control of your clutter by knowing what you have and a general idea of where it is. If you have trouble keeping track in your mind, start a list of new acquisitions and where you put them.