We were all born with an inner clean freak. But some of us stuffed her in a drawer somewhere between the miscellaneous cables and that pile of “important” papers from 2019. For those in the latter camp, getting organised can feel like learning a foreign language while juggling flaming torches.
But here’s the thing: being naturally messy doesn’t sentence you to a lifetime of chaos. As self-proclaimed mess magnets who’ve gradually learned to maintain some semblance of order, we’ve discovered that organisation isn’t about perfection – it’s about finding systems that work with your natural tendencies, not against them. Whether you whittle your possessions down to what can fit in a chic tiny house, or organise them across your home, office, and a few storage units in and around Melbourne, you can create order from even the most chaotic life.
Here are five practical tips for fellow mess-makers who want to bring more clarity to their lives:
1. Create Drop Zones (Because You’ll Drop Things Anyway)
Fighting your natural inclination to drop things randomly is like trying to teach a cat to fetch – technically possible, but why make life harder? Instead, strategically place containers, baskets, or trays in the spots where you naturally tend to dump things. Keys constantly landing on the kitchen counter? Put a small bowl there. Clothes gathering on that one chair that never actually gets used as a chair anymore? Position a hamper right next to it.
2. The Two-Minute Rule with a Twist
The classic two-minute rule states that if something will take less than two minutes, do it immediately. For the naturally messy, we propose a modification: if it takes less than two minutes, and you’re already standing there, do it now. Loading that one dish into the dishwasher while you’re in the kitchen anyway? Doable. Making a special trip from your comfortable sofa to put away a single sock? That’s asking too much of yourself.
3. Embrace the Art of Strategic Laziness
As we hinted at in the intro, being organised doesn’t mean fighting your natural tendencies – it means working with them. If you know you’ll never maintain a complex colour-coded filing system, don’t waste money on one. Instead, try a simple wooden “inbox” for papers and a monthly date (with your fav music in the background) to sort through them. The best system isn’t the most sophisticated one – it’s the one you’ll actually use.
4. The One-Touch Rule (With Built-In Forgiveness)
The one-touch rule suggests handling items only once before putting them away. Unfortunately, for the naturally messy, this can feel about as achievable as scaling Mount Everest in flip-flops. So instead, aim for the “two-touch maximum” – once to put it in the designated drop zone, and once to put it away properly during your designated tidying time. It’s like using the snooze button on your alarm, but for organising.
5. Build Systems Around Your Worst Habits
Take a good look at your messiest patterns. Do you leave cabinet doors open? Install soft-close hinges. Always lose important documents? Create a simple scanning routine using your phone – then make it a mindless habit. Constantly forget where you put things? Maybe everything important needs a brightly coloured container that’s harder to miss.
The secret to lasting organisation for the naturally messy isn’t about dramatic transformations or rigid systems. It’s about acknowledging your natural tendencies and building simple, sustainable habits that don’t require you to become a different person.
Think of it like training a puppy – harsh discipline rarely works, but gentle consistency and working with natural instincts usually does. Your inner organiser might never match the Instagram-worthy minimalists, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to create enough order to find your keys when you need them, keep your important documents accessible, and avoid that particular brand of stress that comes from living in constant chaos.
