If I only had a brain/Organizational Principles

I have serious SERIOUS pregnancy brain. I can't even write. I forgot child #3s name. I dropped child #1 off at a lesson an hour early. I spaced a class I was supposed to attend. I backed my car into a rock ... I am going nuts. I have heard from several sources that pregnancy brain with child #4 is crazy and it is ... I am ... my life is .... I can't even punctuate.

So, the gist here is that I am having a hard time even writing, but In response to a friend's request, I wanted to post some of my guiding principles of sorting. Most of these I shamelessly borrowed and adapted from a professional organizer who taught a class for our Relief Society:

The space for what you want is taken up by the stuff you've settled for.

If it's crammed, the stuff you have won't bring you joy and the point of caring for and maintaining stuff is to have it bring you joy.

Is this item moving you toward or away from your family mission statement?

If you get rid of 100 things, chances are you will need two of them within the week and another 3-5 of them within the year. Chances are all of them will be available online or at Wal-Mart for $5 or less.

When sorting make three piles. This enables fast sorting. One pile is a "keep for sure pile." One is a "think about for a bit" pile. And the third is a "yard sale or give away now" pile. It is also nice to have a garbage bag handy.

If you want God to bless you, you can't be tight fisted with what He has given you. If you are holding on to boxes of blessings on the off chance that you might use them someday (even though you only look at them when sorting the dark, cobwebby corners of your house) why should He send you more? Those boxes of blessings could be passed on to those who need them now. This has a lot to do with trusting that God will take care of you and bless you with what you need, when you need it. Holding on to all three separate sizes of pre-pregnancy clothes (none of which you have been able to wear for the last 5 years) may not be the best idea.

Finally (and this one is all me) I love stuff. I have stuff that brings me joy. Some of it I only see when I sort, but I love my First Grade pencil box. I joy in my great-grandmother's candy dish (which will not see the light of day till my youngest is at least 12 years old.) I like a tidy house, but I like to have the corners softened by a little bit of "artistic dishevelment." I like the human, coziness of a little rumple, a little clutter, a little excess. Any more than a little and I go a little nuts, but I believe in softening the edges.

So, that's me on organization. I have nearly got the upstairs done. Truth moment - Everything I was not sure where to put is in piles in my basement. The basement is next and my knees tremble at the thought, but it too shall be conquered.