Stop Fighting Your Brain: Find Your Organizing Style for a Tidy Home

Feeling overwhelmed by the endless cycle of tidying up, only for clutter to reappear the next day? You’re not alone. For busy Chicagoans juggling work, life, and everything in between, keeping a clean and organized home can feel like a losing battle. The good news? The secret isn’t working harder—it’s working smarter by understanding how your brain naturally organizes.

If you’ve tried every planner, bin, and basket only to be surrounded by piles, the problem isn’t you—it’s the system. Traditional organizing advice often fails because it doesn’t account for how different brains work. By discovering your natural “ClutterBug” style, you can set up your home to catch your things the way you naturally put them down. Let’s break down the four styles with actionable steps you can take today to create a home that stays tidy, giving you back precious time and peace of mind.

1. The Ladybug: The “Hidden but Hurried” Organizer

Does your home look clean and minimalist at a glance, but opening a closet or drawer reveals chaos? You might be a Ladybug. Ladybugs are “hidden” organizers who feel stressed by visual clutter but are also “laid-back,” meaning they avoid detailed systems like filing cabinets.

What Works for Ladybugs:

• Closed Storage is Key: Opt for cabinets with doors and use solid bins on open shelves (skip the lids!).
• Big Baskets for Big Categories: Use large containers with broad labels (e.g., “Bathroom Essentials,” “Snacks”) inside every hidden space. This lets you toss items away quickly.
• Simple Labeling: Labels act as a subconscious guide, helping you put things in the right place without overthinking.

If this sounds like you, the goal is to make tidying fast and mindless. For a truly effortless space, consider getting deep cleaning help to reset those hidden areas before you organize.

Your Action Step:

Pick one high-traffic hidden zone (like under the bathroom sink or a junk drawer). Declutter first to have less stuff, then add 2-3 large baskets with simple category labels (e.g., “Daily Use,” “Sometimes Use”). This creates a “toss-and-go” system that lasts.

2. The Butterfly: The “Visual & Free-Spirited” Organizer

Are you creative, visual, and often leave trails of items where you last used them? Butterflies need to see their belongings but prefer zero detailed steps. Traditional hidden storage (like dressers and binders) has likely failed you your whole life.

What Works for Butterflies:

• Create “Zones”: Designate broad areas for activities (e.g., a “Launch Pad” by the door for keys/bags, a “Toy Zone” in the living room).
• Open & Visible Storage: Use clear bins, open cubbies, and lots of hooks right where you naturally drop things. Consider removing closet doors!
• Big, Simple Categories: Avoid complex sorting. Have one bin for “2026 Bills” and just toss statements in. At year’s end, store it away and start a new bin.

For Butterflies, the barrier to tidying is often just having too much to manage. If the thought of prepping your space is daunting, a professional home cleaning can provide the fresh start you need to implement these systems effectively.

Your Action Step:

Start with your main entryway or “landing zone.” Install hooks for bags and coats and place a labeled basket for items that need to leave the house. Making this area effortless sets your whole day up for success.

3. The Cricket: The “Hidden Perfectionist” Organizer

Think Marie Kondo. Crickets are detailed and love meticulous systems behind closed doors. They are naturally organized but can struggle with procrastination when they can’t do something “perfectly.”

What Works for Crickets:

• Detailed, Closed Systems: You thrive with filing cabinets, compartmentalized drawers, and labeled containers—all neatly tucked away.
• Adapt When Overwhelmed: If perfectionism leads to piles, temporarily adopt a Ladybug-style macro system (e.g., a single “2026 Papers” box) to make progress without pressure.

Even the most organized people can get behind. If your detailed systems have lapsed and you need a reset, fast cleaning services from a trusted Chicago cleaning company can help you reclaim your space quickly.

Your Action Step:

Address one procrastination pile today. Set a timer for 15 minutes. For paperwork, create a simple “Action File” for incoming mail. For half-finished projects, be ruthless—donate or discard items that are burdening you. Progress over perfection.

4. The Bee: The “Visual Perfectionist” Organizer

Bees are detailed and visual. They love to see their belongings but want everything perfectly sorted, which can lead to overwhelming piles because setting up the “ideal” system takes too much time.

What Works for Bees:

• Embrace Visual Systems: Use open shelving, clear containers, lazy susans, tiered trays, and wall hooks to keep items both visible and contained.
• Label Everything: Labels combat perfectionist indecision by assigning a clear “home” for each item.
• Declutter to See More: Your biggest hurdle is having too much. With less stuff, your detailed visual systems will shine.

For Bees, a cluttered space causes real anxiety. If your “to-do” piles have taken over, it might be time to schedule a cleaning with experts who can help you clear the decks. Finding reliable cleaning services in Chicago means you can focus on creating the organized systems you love.

Your Action Step:

Choose one flat surface (your desk, kitchen counter). First, declutter it completely. Then, create “vertical homes” for the items that belong there—use wall baskets, shelves, or hooks. Remember: horizontal spaces hide, vertical spaces display.

Your Tidy Home Awaits

A messy house doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re using a system designed for a different brain. The goal is to adapt your home to work for you on your worst, busiest day. Start small, embrace your natural style, and watch your space transform. And remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. Sometimes, the best first step toward an organized life is to get your space cleaned by professionals, giving you the perfect canvas to build your new, clutter-free systems.

If you’re sick and tired of cleaning your house just for it to get messy again, this video is for you. Maybe you’ve tried to get organized, but it hasn’t stuck. Maybe you’ve bought the planners and the bins and the baskets, and yet everywhere you look, it’s still piles of clutter. You’re not the problem. The system is the problem. I’m going to show you how you can finally get organized for good by understanding your natural organizing style. Because when you know your style, you can set up a home that catches your things how you naturally put it down. I’m not talking about your fantasy idealized version of how to organize, and I’m certainly not talking about how you think it’s supposed to look, but how your brain works. So, let’s break down the four bugs, and I’m going to give you actionable steps that you can do today to start making a difference that lasts without you having to constantly clean. If you’re new to my channel, I discovered that there are four different ways to organize. Like, think of it as Hogwarts and you’re learning your house, except it’s your clutterbug house. And what it really comes down to is how you naturally sort and how you naturally store. Some people are really detailed. They’re a type a bit of perfectionist. They love lots of categories. Where other people are laidback. They’re not thinking about categories. They’re thinking about something else and they just want to put things away fast. And on the other side, we have really visual people where it’s out of sight. It’s out of mind. And they feel energized by seeing their beautiful things. And you have hidden organizers who don’t want to really see all of their things. In fact, they feel overstimulated and prefer a much more neutral, minimal space. These combinations, I gave them bug names. Let’s jump in and start with the ladybug. A ladybug is a classic hidden organizer. They get really stressed out by looking at their stuff. In fact, it goes to the extreme where they tend to hide all of their things. So, they are a hidden organizer, but they’re also not detailed at all. So, they’re not going to stop and take the time to open a lid or to put something away in a detailed way. Filing cabinets, nope. If there’s lots of different categories, they’ll just set it on top or shove it in a random drawer. This is totally okay, though. Embrace your ladybug self. You know you’re a ladybug if your house always looks pretty clean and tidy and clutter-free. But if you open a closet or a drawer, it’s a hot mess in there. Like even if company isn’t coming, you keep your home looking on the outside, very minimal, but the hidden it’s it’s a mess. So, here’s what works for ladybugs. You really need to focus on closed storage. Think cabinets with doors, or if you do have open shelving, use solid bins and baskets, but skip the lids. You’re not going to do a lid. You need fast, easy, like toss things away like a basketball. And inside all of your hidden spaces should have lots of bins and baskets. So don’t just set things on a shelf because it’s really easy to mix things up. You have to have those big baskets with big categories to toss things away. It’s the only way you’re going to stay organized. So go to the dollar store, get the biggest containers you can, and literally put them everywhere. But don’t forget to label. labeling. So, subconsciously, you’re not going to put the wrong thing in the wrong basket. It’s going to keep you tidy. The ladybug is the easiest of all the organizing styles to organize for. But you do have to invest in bins and baskets to make this happen. Here’s what does not work. Anything detailed like wrapping your cords and labeling them. You might do it once, you’ll never do it again. Filing cabinets with lots of different folders. No nay. Clear containers out in the open also don’t work because you’re going to get stressed by looking at it and you’re going to want to like microorganize it. If you’re thinking the home edit sounds fabulous for your pantry, no. You’re going to be stressed that the cookies are halfeaten. You know what I’m saying? Even though there’s a door, opt for solid containers that’s just like a basket labeled cookies instead. Trust me, it’s less work, but also it’ll ease your mind. Are you ready for your action step, ladybugs? Today, I want you to think about hidden hightra areas like your bathroom drawers where you’re just shoving all your daily products or kitchen cabinets under your sink. I know those are hot messes. Even your closet. These are areas where you probably shove and hide, but you use them every day. So, I want you to pick one of these places and just make it easier. And how do you do that? First, you need less stuff so that you can toss quickly. Second, you want to have big baskets and bins so you can toss away your shoes or toss away your bathroom products, but have them sorted and organized. A really simple system, especially in a bathroom or a kitchen, could be daily use, like an everyday get ready bin, a sometimes when I got to look hot bin and I rarely use this bin. Three bins and just sort like that. These are the big macro categories I’m talking about, but they really work for a ladybug brain. Our second organizing style is the butterfly. I feel for you, butterflies. Babe, listen. You are visual. You are creative. You are outgoing. You’re also laidback. You’re fun. But you’re messy. Why? Because your brain being super visual and very nondetailed means you tend to just leave everything all over the place. Like your brain has moved on. You’re done with something. You just drop it. So, you have trails and piles and chaos everywhere. Your brain is the opposite of everything anyone has ever said when it comes to organization. All the systems designed don’t work for you, which is crazy pants. You’ve probably been told you’re messy your whole life. Think about it. You’re a kid. Backpacks suck for butterflies. Binders. Binders are like anti- butterfly organization, but that’s what they tell you to use in school. lockers, your desk, all of these things are hidden and you need to be a detailed person to maintain, which means you probably failed all the time. Usually a butterfly will say to me, “I like seeing my stuff. I like it like this. It’s it’s organized chaos. I know where everything is.” Which is true. But you’re probably also like living in this state of because the truth is it isn’t organized. But you can be organized as a butterfly when you work with your brain. It can still be out and it can still be like this loosey goosey cool organizing. But everything has a home and it’s really obvious. Butterflies need to work zones more than any other organizing style. So if you are like, “Where’s my keys? I use keys to go out the door. My keys are by the door. That’s the zone.” Or, “Oh, my kids toys are everywhere.” But you have a toy zone in your home. You’re not really worried about like individually where things go, but a big macro picture of like a general area of the home is how butterflies get started. And then we take it a step further and we think, how can we create a home for each item that’s really fast and easy? So, big bins and baskets, but clear or make sure they have big labels. And if you have butterfly children, which every kid is normally a butterfly until they hit their teen years, use picture labels. if they’re little and can’t read. This is like this magical thing that makes even hidden storage actually visual. Maybe take it even a step further, like take your closet doors off. This is what we did in Izzy’s bedroom. Her clothing was always a disaster. The day we took the doors off and labeled her closet was the day she no longer just shoved her clothes or left things in a basket. It miraculously changed her overnight. And I’ve seen this over and over with other butterfly clients, too. Ditch the dresser, man. It sucks. Dressers don’t work for you. And go with a big cubby system where you can have big bins that are labeled. You can pull them out when you’re putting away laundry and just toss things away. Don’t fold. You don’t need to fold. Toss it away like a basketball and then kick the bins back in. This is amazing for butterflies. Lots of hooks. Wherever you naturally like drop your coat, have a hook. Put it right there. Your purse hook. It’ll change your life. I know it sounds simple, but it’ll change your life. And big broad categories. Don’t you dare try to use a filing cabinet, butterfly. You are going to have a box that’s labeled bills that are paid 2026 and you’re just going to toss them in there. At the end of the year, put the lid on, start a new box for 2027. 7 years from now, you’re like, “That box, I don’t need it cuz even if it’s tax stuff, I don’t need to keep it anymore.” I know this seems really simple, but that’s the point. Butterflies need highly simplified one or twostep systems and it still looks beautiful. I have a makeover coming up really soon in January where I show how I did a butterfly space. It’s beautiful but it’s functional and it’s simple. You don’t have to look like a hot mess to have a system that works for your brain. Here’s what does not work for a butterfly. Any closed storage. So something that you use every day that’s behind closed doors. That’s a barrier. That’s like one. Opening the door is a one step. Plus, it’s out of sight, out of mind. So, anytime you can take off the doors, it will help. What else doesn’t work are like lots of categories. Maybe like on your best day when you’re feeling awesomeness, you can use a detailed system. But organization should be set up for your worst day for when you’re tired and you’re running around and you have you’re just like exhausted. You have no time. That’s what your home should like be adapted for. Don’t have a lot of categories. Don’t use lids. Don’t sort alphabetically for the love of Peter. Don’t do that. Have a system that’s one step you can toss it and move on. Okay, butterflies. Here is your homework. Like the action step I want you to take today. Work on your landing zone. When you walk in the door, what do you usually have in your hand? Or when you’re leaving, what do you need? And make a home for it right at the door. You can even put hooks like on your door that you walk out of for your reusable shopping bags or your purse. Adapt your home so that it’s effortless. And starting in your landing zone is so perfect for butterflies because this will set every day up for success. If your landing zone’s already under control, then we’re going to move on to like your bathroom or your kitchen. How can you make the things that are out more visual and easier to put away? Maybe take off the doors or get some shelving. Even putting things up, making it vertical means visual. Piling makes it hidden. kind of the same lines as the bee only like less work steps. Uh next we have the cricket but I’m going to guess if you’re watching this you’re probably not a cricket. We have a few crickets who do watch but everybody wants to be a cricket because it’s a hidden organizer who is very detailed and meticulous a type think Marie Condo and it is what we think of when we think of traditional organization. Most crickets are very very organized. And if you are an organized person and you thought my channel was going to be like gorgeous organizing porn where you’re looking at beautiful things, you are probably very disappointed. If you’re still here, you’re probably a cricket who’s struggling with that perfectionist mindset and so you’re procrastinating until you can do it right. Here’s what works for a cricket. Honestly, they’re the most adaptable of any organizing style. Well, they can adapt to butterflies and bees and ladybugs. But if they’re just like their perfect idealized version is a very detailed system behind closed doors. They are the people who want little compartments for all of their underwear. They love filing cabinets and everything’s in alphabetical order. I mean, bees want this, too, but crickets want this to the extreme and everything behind closed doors. A cricket doesn’t mind taking the time to open a lid. And they can have stacked containers. And crickets don’t really need labels either because they will remember what’s inside. They have a great memory even when things are hidden away, unlike a bee. But if they’re sharing a space with other organizing styles, this is where we need to compromise. And unfortunately, I have a golden rule and the crickets always lose. Some things that absolutely do not work very well for crickets are open shelving with just a lot of things lined up. Crickets will constantly like adjust to make sure everything looks perfect, which can cause a lot of anxiety. Big broad categories also don’t work. So just having papers 2026 that will definitely stress a cricket out which is ironic because this is actually what I would recommend a cricket who’s dealing with procrastination start with. I always recommend if you’re feeling like I want to do things perfect but I don’t have time that you adapt to like a ladybug a little ladybug. You can go back and make it cricket later, but your right now procrastination piles, especially paperwork. Crickets struggle with paper more than any other bug. It’s like burdening you. So, what is the way that you can have it done that will cause you the least amount of stress? At least, you know, it’s a way get a banker box, label it 2026, the bottom’s January, then February, then March. You know, you’re kind of filing Cricut. It’s all in your mindset. This can actually ease your pain. So, let’s give you some actionable steps that you can do today to make your home more manageable. Start with your procrastination pile. A Cricut needs an action file. You need a place to put the mail that’s a file box or something as soon as you come in that’s an away that isn’t a pile because as soon as you start a pile, your brain says that’s a to-do and you’re going to continue adding to it. But if you give it a proper home, your Cricut brain will follow the rules. If you have your paper under control and you’re like, I need another action step. Another thing that crickets really struggle with are procrastination piles. Things you’re going to return, things you’re going to fix. Your ideal perfectionist self is going to repaint this chair and it now is just sitting in the garage for 3 years with a can of paint beside it. I would really recommend that you just unbburden yourself by eliminating some of these projects. Maybe just donate the things you were supposed to return. It’s okay. Maybe you just donate that halffinish project. Perfectionism is the death of progress and crickets struggle with this like to the extreme. Just take action. Take small baby steps right now. And your homework is to set a timer for 15 minutes and tackle one pile today. And last, but definitely not least, the busy bee. Bees are so visual, so they love to see their things. In fact, they get really energized. If you’re a visual organizer, it doesn’t mean you like to look at clutter. It means you like to see the things you use all the time or important things that you don’t want to forget about. The other part about a bee is they are very detailed. Very, very, very detailed. They’re a bit of perfectionists. They’re super A type and if they’re going to do something, they want to do it right. When you combine these two together, the visual and the detailed, it makes organizing tough because everything takes time. And plus, visual systems are not what are typical and traditional. So, it’s hard to find systems that work for you. So, you end up doing is just piling till later or I’m going to get to it. And you’ve got to-dos and doom piles everywhere. It’s also really, really hard for bees to let go more than any other style. I mean, everybody has challenges with decluttering, but bees in particular are like really logical with their detailed brain. so they know all the reasons they should keep something and they’re perfectionist so they’re like, “Oh, what if I make a mistake?” But also, if you’re a visual organizer, you have more of an emotional attachment to your things because when you see something, it’s like a visual reminder of memories and and all the good stuff. So, combining that makes decluttering extra hard. So, here’s what works for a bee. Embrace your visual self. Think about where you’re naturally leaving things out, like the bathroom, and how can you create a home for it that’s still visual but isn’t clutter. So, shelves, these like sticky shelves that you can put right on your mirror work awesome for bees, lazy susans, tiered trays, any type of organization that still gives you a limit and corrals something, but keeps it visual is exactly what you need. And definitely go for open shelving everywhere and hooks. You don’t love closets. I mean, you’ll use it, sure, but you would prefer to be able to see the things really easily. So, make sure that even when you do open a closet door, everything is seen and nothing is hidden. Because if it’s out of sight, you’ll probably forget you own it. Add cheap hooks. Add clear bins everywhere. And most bees really hate labels. I don’t know why, because you need labels more than any other organizing style. It is a cue to your brain of where things go. It will help you remember, but it’s also going to help you combat that perfectionism of what’s the best place for this to go because the label is already telling you it has a home. Seriously, give it a try. It’s pretty magical for bees. Just label everything. Here’s what doesn’t work for a bee. Taking those crappy shortcuts on things they find important. So, just tossing like a cable into a random junk drawer would really stress them out because when things are jumbled, things get lost. And a bee more than anything wants to know where their stuff is and be able to see it at a glance. So yeah, you’re going to take the time to have little compartments and lots of division and that’s okay because as soon as you set it up once, you’re going to stick with it. The other things that don’t work for bees are any type of hidden storage for important things. So if you are have a bill that needs to be paid and you’re stacking it in a pile and then there’s bills on top, the one on the bottom is invisible. So opt for storage that’s on the wall like a paper wall system or a bulletin board something that is that visual cue. That doesn’t mean that filing cabinets won’t work for a bee because you know your important documents are in a filing cabinet and the filing cabinet is a visual cue in itself. But clutter is the biggest roadblock and the biggest defeater of a success for a bee because when everything is piled and you have excess, you can’t see what you have. that causes you like insane amounts of stress and anxiety, which is ironic because bees struggle to let go. So, this is my advice to you, be honestly, if I have to give you one piece of homework, one actionable step, it’s practicing letting go. If you have less stuff, you’ll see more. If you have less of the things you don’t use and love, it’ll be more obvious to put things away and you’ll have more time to set up these detailed systems that you’re really, really craving. So, your big action step, the thing that I want you to do is your flat surfaces. These pile on flat surfaces. You’re setting your keys, all the things you don’t want to forget, all the things in your hands that you’re going to get to later, and you end up like burying your work surfaces, whether it’s your desk or anywhere else. So, that’s your homework is to unberry it. Start with decluttering and then create a visual system. So you can still put it down in that place, but it’s not on the flat surface because horizontal is hidden and vertical is visual. So baskets on the wall, trays, clear containers, open shelving, get it off the flat surface and up and you will have success. I have one more like little tiny bit of advice for a bee because you are such a perfectionist and you get so much anxiety from just doing things badly, but also you overestimate how long and like make everything such a big deal. You’re poor brain. Your poor brain. You’re just always ah So my advice is to actually practice doing things a little bit badly. So, yes, tossing things in a random heap, uh, crazy. But maybe you just have a basket for cords and cables and you don’t always take the time to wrap so that you can put it away now. You can always go back and make it perfect later when you have the time. But leaving piles all over your home is causing you stress. Not because you hate looking at the piles, though you might hate looking at the piles, but it’s adding to your stress because everywhere you look, it’s to-do and it’s work. And you busy be have enough on your plate. You need less to do, less stuff, and less pressure on yourself, my friend. So clear a workspace. Pick one and tackle that today. Declutter and create vertical homes. Even if it’s just like 3M hooks. You got this. Listen, a messy house does not mean you’re failing at life. You’re just failing to use a system that’s not designed for you. It’s all about understanding what works and adapting your home for you. Organization is not one-sizefits-all. Your home should catch you on your worst day. And just by making little tweaks to your systems and your organizing, like routines and how your home is set up will change everything. You don’t have to change anything about yourself. You just have to adapt your home so that it works. So, do me a favor. For 2026, I want you to change one thing and that is your mindset about yourself. You are not messy. You are not lazy. You just organize differently. I want you to like feel that and be proud of how your brain naturally works because that’s probably the biggest hurdle. If you’ve been told you were messy your whole life, of course you don’t want to get started. Of course you feel unmotivated and just you’re fighting a battle you can never win. But we’ve just changed the rules. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. There is no wrong way to organize. There’s only the way that works for you. I have a free quiz that you can take to find out your organizing style. So, head to clutterbug.com. You’ll see the quiz. It’ll give you lots of advice and there is a free ebook that you can download. when you take the quiz that will show you real life examples. There’s Pinterest boards and tons of pictures so that it’s really obvious of what will work for you and how you can implement it into your own home. Again, go to clutterbug.com and take the quiz today. I cannot wait to be part of your journey and watch your success. And we have so much incredible content coming out in 2026 to help you design a system made for your brain. We have a Cricut makeover, which is like ah, it’s so inspiring. doing a a butterfly makeover and so much more. So, hit that subscribe button. You don’t want to miss a thing. Make 2026 the year that you finally get organized for good and have a home that’s tidy all the time. Hey, clutter bugs. Thank you so much for those of you who have stayed to the end. Yesterday was my birthday. I am 46, but I have to share something with you. I never know how old I am. Why? Because I lie constantly about my age. Constantly. I usually always like say I’m a year older because like I’m turning that year. But I I do this because I do this because when someone asks how old you are and you tell them and then they say nothing, that’s depressing. So I either say I’m like a year or two or five older or I’ll say like I’m almost 50. I mean, technically I’m 46. I’m almost 50. Because then people will be like, “You look good for your age. Who doesn’t love compliments?” There are women out there who always say they’re younger than they are. Why? Let’s say we’re older. I’m assume I’m going to say I’m 80. If I If I met you and I was like, I’m 80. You’d be like, “Girl, you look good.” Thank you. Thank you very much. I know I look great, but the the downside is I never know how old I am. So, I’m 46. just in case you’re wondering. The point is, let me know in the comments below if you do this or if you also forget how old you are. I also think there’s like a time where you get to a certain age that like it all blurs and you’re just like, I don’t know, is it 1990? Cuz that felt like yesterday, but apparently that was like 40 years ago. No, that doesn’t seem math is hard. I I’m very tired. I’ll see you guys next time.