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Getting organized is a big job, and even if you actually enjoy it, chances are there are times when you put off getting it done. Usually, though, we don’t tell ourselves that we are avoiding organizing because we are too lazy. Instead, we come up with a rational-sounding justification. Here is one of my favorites:

“I don’t need to get organized! Being disorganized is my way of being organized. My lack of a system is a system. It’s who I am!”

Okay, so maybe this isn’t exactly a myth … but it is still a pretty poor excuse for not getting organized. There is nothing wrong with being a little bit disorganized; the occasional pile of clutter isn’t the end of the world. But if you are worried about things being “too neat,” don’t be. Being tidy and being organized are not the same thing.

Being organized is not just about making your household look neat—it is about having a system that makes it easy to find things and save time during your day.

Being disorganized is not a system that simplifies your life, even if it feels like it is.

“But I don’t spend all kinds of time and money getting organized,” you might protest. “That makes me more efficient.”

But think of all the ways in which you may be wasting time and money by not getting organized:
• If you are trying to figure out why organizing is important, just try adding up all the time you have wasted this year hunting around for items you misplaced. One misplaced item can easily chew up half an hour from any given day! Now imagine if you had spent that half hour organizing. You might prevent even greater losses of time in the future (in fact, this is pretty much a guarantee if you regularly take the time to organize—15 minutes several days a week will actually save you time over the long run).

• Have you ever wasted money buying something you swore you had lost forever, only to find it a week later? Suddenly you have two items instead of one. You wasted money, and you are stuck with a duplicate supply you don’t need. This just takes up more space and adds to the mess you have around the house, making it hard to find something else. The next thing you know, you are buying something else you don’t need. Staying thrifty is one of the top reasons to get organized.

• Organization keeps other people in your household from misplacing things. Remember, your system is not just for you, but for your whole family! If disorganization is your “system,” no wonder your kids and spouse put things away in random places!

You need a real home organization system, and don’t worry—over the long run, it won’t cramp your style! It is perfectly okay not to have a house that looks like something out of a magazine—but a home where you cannot find what you need when you need it isn’t a good system for anyone. Save yourself time and money by getting organized in 2016.