By Gretchen Rubin
One of my Secrets of Adulthood is: Outer order contributes to inner calm. For many people (including me), in fact, this seems disproportionately true. It's not such a big deal to have a messy coat closet or a crowded desk -- yet I get a surprising rush of happiness and relief when I clear clutter.
I've realized, too, that it's useful not only to get rid of clutter, but also to worry about appearances: to straighten stacks, to turn things right-side up, to make piles look more pleasing. I want to increase orderliness, and also make areas simply look more orderly.
For instance, I sized up my messy piles of t-shirts; I’ve never had the knack for folding items properly. (I’ve also never learned to tie my shoes the right way but still use the babyish “bunny ears” method, to... More...
