by Frank Sardella, Organizational Consultant

They’ve called me a “neat freak”.

Did they think I’m obsessed?

Maybe I have compulsions of neatness repressed?

But, if it’s true that a desire in life for an orderly, neat, clean environment is an obsession, what would a normal life feature?

Disorder and sloppiness? Clutter and kludge? No emphasis on organization? Spaces, messy, confused?

Which one leads to a happier, more productive life?

Is neatness “freak” or “chic”? These are the questions that arise in this confession of a self-proclaimed “neat freak” — me.

While being a “hot mess” may oddly be in fashion, there has been quite a bit of stigma surrounding the subjects of “neatness”, “organization” and a desire for a clean, orderly environment in which to operate and live life.

Such qualities and behaviors in people have been labeled, now colloquially and commonly, “compulsion” or “obsession”, and are considered to be outside of normal.

No one ever seems to consider, however, “What would a normal environment look like?” in the absence of any sense of orderliness, neatness and their accompanying ease and comfort to get on with life, working, playing and, in general, living!

Regardless of opinion, I have given this a long-overdue look. And I found that neatness, organization, cleanliness and a sense of order — even aesthetics — all are part of the best parts of life and are even ingredients in the behaviors that lead to the most successful outcomes by creative individuals.

Even you.

Neat is not a “freak or chic” proposition. It is a part of life and anyone natively has the ability to live an orderly one and enjoy a better life whether on their own or with the assistance of people like me who recognize this.

And THAT is the big confession of this would-be neat freak!

If orderliness is normal, are those who lack neatness abnormal?

This is no more true than the “neat freak” proposition.

So, why doesn’t this “logic” explain the issue one way or another? Why doesn’t Shakespeare’s two-valued “to be or not to be” rationale seem to work when it comes to “to clean or not to clean” or whether or not to practice good order in life?

The answer lies in orderliness itself. Neatness, a clean environment and an organized life are not only good qualities to have, they are native qualities in anyone.

This includes you.

You don’t “have them or not” nor are they a talent possessed by a fortunate few.

They are a quality everyone has and are currently in possession of more or less of them. In other words, they are a sliding scale.

The good news?

Everyone has them. It’s just that people exhibit more or less of them based on infinite combinations of factors dictating how much!

Perhaps you grew up in disorderly surroundings. Maybe life has been a little rough. Stress levels could be high. Or you could simply have “better things to worry about” with what you have on your plate at the moment.

But, even if you feel you aren’t organized (and maybe feel like those who are neat are compulsive and freakish), realize you are endowed with that quality of neatness and can appreciate the fruits of an organized environment.

Whether created by you or another, you can cash in on neatness for a more productive existence, whether at work or at play.

Does your native ability of orderliness mean you have to spend your valuable time on it against your will?

Short answer? No.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t exhibit it a little. And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to someone who is more possessed of it at the moment than you.

Sometimes when clutter starts to accumulate, when orderliness is lacking, when you aren’t keeping things quite as neat and clean as you want, it can seem okay. And it is…

But, over time, the accumulation of those little oversights can accrue into a significantly more overwhelming confusion.

And there is your “hot mess”.

Possessed of even a decent amount of your native ability to organize, you have to clean up the aftermath of having neglected it. And overwhelm can make it seem unconfrontable.

Explanations such as “This is normal” or “It’s not important” or “I’m not going to ‘obsess’ over it” can help ease your mind, keeping you that much less productive. Happiness declines to just that degree.

Conclusions may be drawn such as “it’s obsessive to be neat” or orderliness is a compulsion.

So is neatness an obsession or compulsion?

Don’t believe everything you hear on the internet.

It’s easy to take a minority of extreme cases of obsession or compulsion and make it seem like ANY instinct, no matter how small, fits into an abnormal category.

And when labels get assigned to it, anyone with any degree of the “condition” can be included.

Such behavior has given neatness a bad name — several bad names in fact!

The way to know the difference is to simply look at the purpose, the instinct behind the actions.

It all depends upon whether or not it’s in your control, and what the circumstances are surrounding your desire to bring order.

Neatness is not really “in your control” but it’s in YOU! It’s a native part of you. You can’t help but possess it as a quality.

How much of it you use is not only up to you but is subject to reasons why you have suspended or limited your natural ability regarding it.

And perhaps things accumulated into a bit of a mess may be a result of years of “letting it slide” little by little.

That’s why people like me exist.

The story of ‘neat freaks’ like me can help you live your best life too!

I was raised by a parental dichotomy of a mom who was very neat, clean and organized and a dad who seemed to be a bit of a “pack rat” of sorts. Neither seemed abnormal to me. Both seemed like personal choices.

But a mom raising four children while the dad was out working two jobs to support them certainly had a need to be organized. How would she have made it otherwise?

And a dad who was always at work producing this week’s paychecks had but little time at home to keep his stuff clutter-free and organized.

But even my dad, a tradesman, had his tools at work very organized, his space clutter-free, all for the best production. And he was always the best worker in the plant, something I always respected him for!

Between the two existences, I saw that neatness, cleanliness, and even insisting on a “made bed”, were all qualities that assisted productivity and creativity too.

When I was young, I even helped people achieve it — for free! It felt good to give that to someone else who seemed to lack the ability.

And today I organize professionally as a result.

The solution to cleaning and organizing in a world that allows little time for it.

Though I am not that active professionally organizing at the moment, there is one person that I respect and hold in the highest regard who IS actively doing it to this level of standard — my standard.

My friend Andrea who founded Andy’s Quality Cleaning in New York City is doing this for residences and businesses on a level I have always regarded as the ultimate, yet have not yet seen.

She exemplifies these high standards in her own life, in her business and in how her employees operate, exhibiting the highest of these qualities. Her methods and procedures are designed around this native ability we all have but have little time for these days.

My approach to a person who is buried under even a little clutter, who has been lax on cleaning and organizing to a point of overwhelm, is to address the current situation and get it corrected.

Then I would get them on an easy routine (even if it’s with the help of a professional) to maintain that order. And the professionals I most recommend are Andy’s Quality Cleaning.

The result is ALWAYS a happier, more productive existence.

Don’t take my word for it. Think of just one time when you organized something at work or home and the feeling of satisfaction you got when you were done. Then consider how much easier and comfortable life was, if briefly, after that.

People who are neat and organized, like Andrea, myself, my mom, my grandmother and many others I have come to know over the years aren’t in the least bit obsessed.

They are PO-ssessed; possessed of a native ability with which we’re all endowed!

They recognize this part of nature and not only exemplify it but bring it out in others.

Even you.