From constant notifications to your own racing thoughts, everything is competing for your attention. The challenge is to make your home organization systems distraction-proof.
Can you Maintain it Without Thinking?
I’m easily distracted. If external factors don’t pull me away, my own thought certainly will. It’s impossible to focus on two things at once; one thought will already override the other. That’s why multitasking is so controversial. Can we really do it? I think we can (#notadoctor), but with a caveat: one task has to be physical, and the other mental. That’s why it’s best to keep home organization purely physical, so it requires as little thought as possible to maintain.
Compare it to Running
Do you run in total silence, or do you listen to music or a podcast? If you don’t actually run (like me) just use your imagination here. If you’re listening to something while you run, does it distract you from the act of running? No, because the motion of the running is automatic. You don’t need to concentrate on every stride. But what if running required deep focus on each step? How far would you get with the podcast playing?
The Same Principle Applies
If maintaining your space requires constant decision making or deep focus, it’ll lose out to distractions every time. Set up your systems so your home practically maintains itself, like it’s on autopilot. Distractions aren’t going away, but your systems can make sure they don’t derail you.