It is rare that I come across an organizing or interior design book that is really worth its sticker price. So many have one or two appealing photos that lure me to the cash register or online check out cart but fail to inspire once I really crack the spine. Shira Gill’s book LifeStyled: Your Guide to a More Intentional Life, is an exception and I especially love it because it validates a lot of the organizational methods I use when working with clients.
Gill counsels people who, like most of us in Western cultures, are “overstimulated, overextended, and overscheduled.” One of the tools she uses is understanding and getting control of volume.
We can’t make decisions about stuff or activities unless we know the volume of what we are dealing with. Also, we need to have a plan for what our ideal volume in that area might be. For example, it is difficult for most people to decide which books to let go unless they see all of the books they own. Only then can you answer questions such as, “Do I have two or more copies?”, “Is it a college textbook I will never reference again?”, “Is that novel something I or anyone in the family would read or re-read?”
It is the same for coffee cups, to-go water bottles (you would be amazed at how these pile up in the unlikeliest places), pens, cardigans, kitchen utensils, beauty supplies, etc., etc.
This also applies to your calendar and to-do list. List every single hardscape commitment on one (hopefully just one!) page and your “would like to do” items on another page and possibly your fantasy/bucket list/blue sky items on another. What is realistic? What would you love to be able to take off your list? What would you love to move from fantasy to hardscape, for example, a trip, going back to school for a Master’s Degree or taking a ceramics class.
The volume that is ideal is one that fits your space with room to breathe, be it book shelves, garage, kitchen cabinets, bathroom drawers and so on. With activities, like work and other commitments, the volume depends on our (realistic) energy levels, the amount of sleep we need and the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Setting limits helps us make intelligent decisions.
Pretty much everyone wants to be more organized, but not everyone is willing to do the work and most people will just continue to lament that their lives, garages, closets and offices are unmanageable. Something has got to give. In my experience, people are unrealistic about how much they can get done. You will not get your house in order if you never have time to spend at home or if when you are home, never make organizational projects a priority. However, when I do get a balky client to focus on a project for even an hour or two, it always amazes them how much they can accomplish and motivates them to do more.
Also, most people don’t recognize the incredible upside of taking time out to organize on the front end. It means saving a ton of time later. You will be able to find what you need when you need it. You will sleep better and thus be more productive. Depression and anxiety are usually lifted a great deal once people organize their calendars and their clutter. Less appointments are missed and being able to stay on top of things and keep commitments leads to a sense of well-being.
Although the title of the book makes it sound a little more like psychological self-help than organizing, it is really practical. Intentional, thoughtful decision making based on understanding the volume of what you are trying to get organized helps to create lasting change.
The other side of the volume coin is handling what you have decided to keep. With regards to stuff, knowing the volume helps you choose the right-sized containers if you don’t already have them. It is such a missed opportunity to not have purged and organized before making storage purchases or doing a remodel.
Not only is the book chock-a-block with useful information, it is a handsome object, with a chic greige linen cover, embossed title and excellent quality paper and photography. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to pick up a copy or inquire at your library branch to see if it is available. You can also check out shiragill.com.