Why Can’t I Keep My Room Clean?

For as long as I can remember, I am and have always been unorganized, at least, to the uninformed viewer looking in. 

My desk at work is messy. My desk at home is messy. My room is messy. My living room is messy. My bathroom is messy. My kitchen is messy. It’s all messy. 

And there’s this common belief that I’ve heard time and time again that your living space is indicative of how your life is going. I think it’s called feng shui?

It’s this belief that, at its simplest level, is a messy room indicates a messy life, and at the most complex level is that everything, every part of your house can interpret how your life is and will be. 

Now, I’ve always believed there was some truth in this claim. When your life feels unorganized, it bleeds into the cleanliness of your room, and, by simply cleaning your room, it can have cascading effects on your mood and even into your entire life. 

You might be more productive at work. You might eat healthier when you’re out. You might even hold the door open for someone you maybe wouldn’t have before. You just feel and act better. 

The point is, the small act of becoming more organized is almost never just a small act

But this is where I find it strange. 

I can’t keep my room clean. 

But how is my life going? Is my life as unorganized as my room?

Simple answer: I don’t think it is.  

I’ve progressed in my career every year for the last 4 years. I’ve developed a long-term and healthy relationship. I’ve dramatically improved my physical appearance by going to the gym and sustaining a healthy eating style. Basically, if someone told me they had done what I’ve done, I would assume that they must also be very disciplined in the cleanliness of their home as well. 

So then, it makes me think one of two things:

1. Am I an exception to the rule?

Or

2. Am I actually not as disciplined as I think I am?

Well, Over the past few years I’ve realized this: Don’t think you’re an exception to the rule unless you have a very good reason to believe so. 

And, for the most part, this rhetoric has been true. I’ve never really been an exception to any rule. I’ve had to work just as hard and put in just as much time as anyone.

I didn’t progress in my career because I got lucky. I didn’t get good grades because I didn’t study. And I didn’t improve my physical appearance by not going to the gym and consistent attention to my nutrition. 

Nope. I had to do the work just like everyone else. I was never an exception to the rule. I wasn’t gifted in any special sense. Am I’m okay with this. 

So that makes me wonder, if the motivation to keep your room organized is highly correlated to the actual organization of your own life, what about me is so unorganized?

And then, this led me to ask the question to myself:

Am I happy right now? 

At first thought, I want to say yes. Yes, I am happy. 

But there’s that small voice that speaks to you without permission and is unignorable. It’s not your conscience, but something else, and it asks “Are you sure?”

And that alone makes me question my entire life right now, and thus I tell myself:

It’s time to clean my room….again. 

Thanks for reading, 

Cory