STYLE Savvy: (Some) Rules Are Made to Be Broken

Lisa Hess advocates for breaking the rules — some of the time. 

One of the things I like best about organizing is that it's personalizable. Conventional wisdom is not always as universal as we’ve been led to believe, and when we take the time to consider our personal and organizational styles, we can create systems that are both realistic and sustainable.  

Says Who? 

The first step is to question the rules underlying what we've come to accept as the "right" way to organize. One example of this is that papers go in file folders, which go in file cabinets. Do they have to? Once we give ourselves the freedom to reject guidelines that don’t fit, we’re ready to move toward solutions that are the right fit for us, not the general population. 

To be clear, I'm not suggesting we throw out all the guidelines willy-nilly. The concept that papers go in file folders, which go in file cabinets works very well for a lot of people; if you're one of those people, that's a rule worth keeping. But if you find yourself surrounded by piles of homeless papers that you meant to put into file folders, then cram into the overstuffed file cabinet you haven't de-cluttered since sometime in the last century, maybe rethinking the rule is a beneficial first step. 

Use Your Styles to Uncover Your Why 

Why are those papers there anyway? 

Maybe you love to be busy — with other things besides shrinking those piles and filing them into submission.  

Maybe you need to see those papers so you’ll remember to do something else.  

Maybe you love (all the) stuff that's already in the filing cabinet but can’t imagine how to squeeze one more file into it. 

Or maybe the system is broken. If an organizing task fills you with dread, chances are good that it’s time to break a rule and create a system that works for you. 

Reframe the Dread 

That feeling of dread often arises from the feeling that a task is overwhelming. Settling on a bite-sized first step can be all we need to reduce the dread by making progress and thus, shrinking the task.  

Regardless of your style, make a 15- to 30-minute appointment with yourself. In writing. When the time arrives, set a timer and start anywhere. When time is up, if you’ve had enough, you can stop. Really.  

If, on the other hand, you’re on a roll and want to keep going, you can do that, too, whether it’s for two more minutes, ten more minutes or longer. The key is to stop before you feel the dread and frustration tapping on your shoulder.  

During this time, remember what works for you and be alert to anything that feels too confusing, time-consuming or awkward — sure signs that you’re following a rule that doesn’t fit. You don’t have to fix it right away; often, the best solutions come to us only after we’ve completed the routine part of the task. 

While many rules are meant to be followed, some are meant to be broken. If one of your organizational systems is broken, it might be time to break the rule to save your system. 

And your sanity. 

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Copyright 2025 Lisa Hess
Images: Canva