What your mess says about you...

Read these articles today on AOL's Shelter Pop and found them to be very enlightening!  First up is an article by author and environmental psychologist Sally Augustin, PhD, who shares What the Location of Your Mess Says About You.  She covers several areas such as; the Entryway, the Living Room, the Dining Room, the Bedroom or Bathroom and my messiest...the Kitchen.

"Not Bad"...you are thinking.  Well just wait until you see the other side of the room...lol

So what does Ms. Sally have to say about my mess:

Mess location: The kitchen
Chances are you are: Adventurous
"Messes in this space that are due to things like unusual items...think rarely-used spices...or a cookbook for varying cuisines indicates openness to new experiences."
What to do about it: Capitalizing on your interest in all things new and exciting is as simple as making sure spices and cookbooks are easily accessible. For the latter, use a step-style spice rack, which ensures that everything you need is in sight and in reach. And why not bring in a small bookshelf to store your culinary guides?

Well I think that she hit the nail on the head when she pegged me as being "Adventurous".

As far was what to do about it?  Well...I have that all covered and it normally doesn't look this bad unless I'm in the middle of creating a meal;}  My biggest pet peeve is the counter above the sink area...it's the biggest catch-all for everything during the week...ugh!  Living in a small space requires daily {weekly for that darn counter-top ;} maintenance and my motto has always been:  Assign a spot and put it away.  It's up there with: Handle it once.

Now, if you want to dig a little deeper into your mess, then you can check out what Amy Preiser tells us about what your particular kind of disorder says about you.

If you have messy: Closets
Chances are you are: Nostalgic -- perhaps a bit too much.
Sam Gossling, author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You notes the connection between old items and our ties to their past. If you've got an out-of-control closet, it doesn't mean you're a pig -- chances are, you're trying to hold on to past events and people through those small mementos.
How to change it: Letting go can be hard. Don't put pressure on yourself to empty out the closet during a quick cleaning session. Instead, take some time to go through the items and identify what justifies keeping in a special place and what you can part with.

 

WOW...can I identify with the "nostalgia"diagnosis ;)  Coming to terms with my lifestyle changes was one of the biggest benefits of The {21} Purge and then assessing what really worked for me new when I completed my {almost} custom closet.

If you have a messy: Desk
Chances are you are: Creative.
"Messiness is related to creativity because it tends to juxtapose things that don't normally go together." says Columbia University Business School professor Eric Abrahamson, over on Penelope Trunk's site.
How to change it: In the same article, Illinois-based career coach Kelly Crescenti suggests setting up a filing system and then spending the last 15 minutes of every day organizing your piles and clutter into that system.

Regardless if I'm working at home in my studio, or on the road and in a hotel...I've always got stuff out all over the place!  So much so that I've been known to grab tray tables, counter-tops, hassocks, coffee tables and even chairs for more surface space to work on.  But I'm okay with this because it means that I'm being productive and actually creating things...here and in the kitchen...oh yeah ;}

So are you curious enough yet?   Then hop on over to Shelter Pop and find out what your mess has to say about you...and about your family and friends...so much fun!

Fondly, Roberta

Comments

[Denyse@Crazy Beautiful Life]

I usually only have a messy desk so I will take being creative...Kitchen is always clean (I don't cook)... Living room is never a mess (I only let guests sit in there)...Bedroom is always clean (it's a pet peeve) and the bathroom has to be spotless (I'm such a germa phobic)....LOL

[Bonnie]

Hey Roberta! Interesting! They didn't have one for messy studio in that list on Shelter pop! hee hee! But I did look on the other link http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/07/01/what-your-mess-says/ and I have a messy sock drawer and a messy desk in my studio (90% of the time!!) ha ha. Go figure!