Comment by bubblebeard

2 years ago

I might just steal this idea from you. Having a partner who ”organize through chaos” (which I maintain is not an actual system) there are constantly treasure troves of knick-knacks everywhere, usually hiding important items. No matter how often I try to organize it’s always messy, I think this might be the answer. Thank you!

7 comments

bubblebeard

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phaelanx  2 years ago

Long time lurker, first time posting because I love this concept and this is is how I (ADHD type) get stuff done without getting distracted.

I've always thought it was the same as the bubble sort algorithm we were taught in uni.

Take something one step towards where it belongs, and pick up anything going in the same direction you are.

Repeat that a few times and everything gets where it belongs. Not the most optimal algorithm (it's a bubble sort after all) but it helps.

  • ramses0  2 years ago

    Two phases:

    Pick things up (until both hands, arms, elbows, armpits, etc are fully saturated).

    Put things away. DO NOT PICK UP ANYTHING AT ALL UNTIL BOTH HANDS ARE EMPTIED.

    1) take out the trash

    2) put clean stuff away (from your "sorting station")

    3) pick things up

    4) put things away

    5) circulate (start from a bathroom or kitchen and spiral "outwards"), and begin the "pick things up" phase again.

    Take out the trash removes "constipation" (the ability to "evacuate" or "clear" unwanted or unneeded items)

    Put clean things away reaps the rewards of your prior investment in cleaning, and clears out your "sorting station" ... the necessary, temporary workplace for sorting or prepping clean items.

    Picking things up (until saturation) makes it a game of ordering, organizing the held items where you're effectively pre-planning your drop-off route in order to remove the items from your hands.

    Putting things away UNTIL EMPTY stops the ADD distraction of "doing something else useful" because you "MUST" complete the "pick things up phase" by "putting them all away".

    Spiraling outwards from a bathroom generally means that a bathroom has an unambiguous "cleaned" state (trash, toilet, sink, mirror, floor, drawers, etc).

    Bathrooms/kitchens generally connect to bedrooms or living spaces, and repeating the steps above (trash, clean, pick, put) in the bedroom or living area is effectively "guaranteed to terminate".

    Saturate your arms, put everything away, repeat.

    Best of luck!

pipes  2 years ago

Ah yes, same here, my wife stacks stuff in any available free space, anywhere in the house.

  • Aeolun  2 years ago

    It’s fine for stuff that has a fixed spot in the kitchen or bathroom, but documents, mail, jewelry or any kind of tech just disappears everywhere.

    • bubblebeard  2 years ago

      Quite so. It’s always an adventure when sorting through these stacks. Never know what one might find.