In kindergarten, organization wasn’t complicated. We had cubbies, labeled bins, and cleanup time built into the day. Everything had a place, and we knew where to find it. No one expected perfection—we had simple systems that made life easier.
As an adult, I thought this was unnecessary and that organization was for rigid, overly structured people. Having things “just so” seemed like it sucked the fun out of life. I wanted to be free. So, I lived in what I thought was a carefree way—throwing my coat on a chair, dropping my mail on whatever surface was closest, constantly misplacing things and rebuying them. I thought I was avoiding rules. In reality, I was just making life harder for myself.
As soon as I created places for things, those things became easier to use. When I gave my days a little structure, my time felt more open. I wasn’t constantly searching for stuff or scrambling at the last minute. Even my ability to be on time improved—I was no longer the person starting their “homework” at 2 AM for the next day.
I’m still not perfect, and I never will be. But now, I have systems that work. And when something feels off, I don’t have to start from scratch—I adjust, not overhaul. I don’t need to overhaul my entire routine or buy a complicated solution. I need to tweak what isn’t working. If I keep losing my keys, the problem isn’t me—it’s the system for my keys. Maybe I need a better spot to put them when I walk in the door. I can test small changes, see what works, and adjust.
The key to organization isn’t perfection—it’s keeping it Kindergarten-level simple. Systems that work are the ones we actually use. And the simpler the system, the smoother the day.
ACTION: Take one small step toward a simpler system today. Find something you misplace often, a routine that feels clunky, or an area that’s always messy—then make one small tweak to improve it. Keep it Kindergarten-level simple.
