Are you neat or just a freak?

There are those in this world who keep their spaces neat and tidy and those who are not. I’m not willing to agree with the research that says messy people are always intelligent. They may just be messy and confused-can’t find anything. Although I relate more to being orderly, I wouldn’t consider myself as perfect as this HuffPost article would tout.

Messy versus organized is worth exploring though. What works best for you? A friend of mine who left this world way too early had the gift of hospitality, and did not consider herself a neat-freak. I often wondered how she was always ready for friends to “just come on by.” She let me in on a little secret. Her home was always (or almost always) what she called, “first floor ready.” Her first floor was generally always tidy and ready for friends to come by. When she shared her secret with me, she laughed and said, “please don’t venture upstairs. The kids can be pretty messy and I only have them pick-up their rooms once a week.”

Maybe people are messy because their brains are being used in other ways for being creative or having bigger thoughts. Could their brains be wired differently? But I have to wonder if their space was more organized, would that free parts of their brain for even clearer thinking? One other plaguing question, when does messiness cross over the line toward hording?

Keeping things in order gives me a sense of control. I can tell where things are, and what’s going on in the room. When I walk into a messy space it’s hard to concentrate. Maybe there is too much stimuli for my brain to work well in that environment. Maybe I’m wired differently.

I know that getting organized is one of the top New Year’s resolutions. Are you doing that because it’s expected of you or because you feel like it will help you function better moving forward. Please don’t take this as a judgement, just trying to better understand those who are different than me.

All the best,


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4 thoughts on “Are you neat or just a freak?

  1. To each their own but I would think twice about hiring someone who kept a messy office and I don’t feel comfortable in a messy environment ( mine or someone else’s). Count me in with Marie Kondo- love and respect your things or don’t have them. But we are all different so I guess it’s a spectrum! Gail


    • Thanks Gail. It clears my head at the end of the day to clear my desk and make my list for the next day. Then I come in to a clean slate to start again. It’s like tieing a bow on the blessing each day is, and unwrapping what new adventure will come.


  2. I’m with you! Some things I clear away. I have a table that is never cleared while writing
    a project. No one is allowed to move anything. If I clear my notes, I’ll never find them again. Now, my desk is a different matter. LOL When I don’t clear my desk away, it seems like yesterday’s chores are waiting come morning. 🙂




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