A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place
“Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Franklin placed Order as his third virtue, but he confessed it was the hardest for him. In his Autobiography, he admits he never fully mastered it. Yet he understood its importance. Without Order, life quickly becomes inefficient and unfocused. Order is not about obsessive neatness. It is about clarity, stewardship, and freedom.
Franklin’s Challenge with Order
Even Franklin, a man who organized libraries, invented bifocals, and designed stoves, found Order elusive. He wrestled with clutter, missed appointments, and disorderly habits. His honesty about this weakness makes the virtue more relatable. If Franklin struggled, no wonder we do too.
Still, he pursued it. He recognized that Order builds margin. When our spaces, time, and tasks are in place, we are less anxious and better able to pursue what matters.
Wisdom from the Stoics
The Stoics taught that Order begins in the mind. Marcus Aurelius urged himself to keep his inner life aligned:
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
For Epictetus and Seneca, a disciplined mind produced a disciplined life. External order mirrored internal strength.
Biblical Echoes
Scripture also affirms the importance of Order:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.”
~ 1 Corinthians 14:40
Throughout the Bible, disorder is linked with confusion and instability, while order is associated with wisdom, peace, and God’s design.
Voices from Christian Writers
- C.S. Lewis highlighted the importance of small, repeated habits in shaping a virtuous life. In his view, routines are not dull—they are formative.
- G.K. Chesterton saw tradition and structure as bulwarks against chaos. He warned that “progress” without order simply becomes drift.
- George MacDonald pointed to the beauty of order as a reflection of God’s nature. To bring order into daily life was to mirror divine harmony.
Where I Experienced Chaos
This week reminded me how easily life can slip into disorder. My office is dotted with piles of unfiled papers—bills, junk mail, catalogs, and important documents. My workbench in the garage is slowly disappearing under clutter. Even digital life presents challenges: sorting spam, filing important emails, managing project files at work. Without order, I waste time searching for what I should have placed properly in the first place.
Habits, Routines, and Interruptions
I’ve noticed that mornings and evenings go best when I follow my routines. They act like bookends that give me a sense of agency. My evening routine especially—playing with the dog, journaling, reading, meditation, then rest—restores me even when the day has been chaotic.
But afternoons are often my weak point. If I do not guard that time, I lose it to distractions or to other people’s demands. Order, I realize, requires not just tidying things, but protecting time as territory.
The Emotional Cost of Disorder
Disorder always comes with a price: frustration, wasted time, guilt, and stress. Papers in piles. Books misplaced. Tools lost in the garage. Each bit of disorder adds anxiety that I do not need.
By contrast, when things are in their place, I feel secure. My mind is at ease. I experience clarity, accomplishment, and agency. Order provides the margin to focus on creativity, relationships, and work without distraction.
Small Victories
This week I had small but meaningful wins. Keeping my calendar in order gave me peace. Honoring my routines brought consistency. Even if I didn’t check every box, completing just three or four parts of my routine made me feel grounded. These small victories matter. They build trust with myself.
Order Creates Space for Purpose
When things are in order, life is lighter. There is more room for joy, creativity, and love. Franklin’s words ring true: everything in its place. I do not want to live in a scavenger hunt. I want a home, a workspace, and a life that reflects clarity and peace.
Practicing Order This Week
| Area | Practice |
| Physical Space | File papers daily, not weekly. Eliminate piles. Keep tools, books, and mail in their proper places. |
| Digital Life | Organize email into folders. Delete spam daily. Use consistent file naming. |
| Calendar & Time | Protect afternoons from drift by scheduling meaningful tasks. Say no to distractions. |
| Morning Routine | Begin with 2 to 3 grounding practices such as journaling, prayer, or exercise. |
| Evening Reset | End the day with tidying, journaling, reading, or preparing for tomorrow. |
| Tasks | Identify 3 daily priorities and complete them first. |
| Spiritual Life | Treat order as a reflection of divine harmony. Begin or close the day in prayer. |
What the virtue of order entails
- Discipline and Self-Control: It requires intentional choices and self-discipline to maintain order in one’s environment, schedule, and even thoughts.
- Organization of Life: This includes structuring your time, organizing your belongings, and creating designated spaces for different activities.
- Internal Order: Extending beyond the physical, it also involves well-ordered desires, well-reasoned thoughts, and clear goals.
- Foundation for Other Virtues: A disorderly person may struggle to cultivate other virtues, as order provides the necessary structure for growth.
Benefits of practicing order
- Increased Efficiency and Productivity: By reducing wasted time and distractions, an orderly life allows you to focus on important tasks and achieve goals more effectively.
- Mental and Physical Well-being: An organized lifestyle reduces stress, improves focus, and can contribute to better mental and physical health.
- Inner Peace and Harmony: Finding a sense of balance and knowing what comes next creates peace of heart and dignity in your composure.
- Room for Other Virtues: Orderliness clears space in your schedule and mind, making it easier to nurture other virtues like charity, love, and a strong relationship with God.
How to cultivate order
- Establish Routines: Daily routines create structure and predictability, which are essential for order.
- Designate Spaces: Give clothes, toys, and other items specific places to belong, making it easier to keep them tidy.
- Use Visual Aids: Charts, planners, and other visual tools can help you manage your time and responsibilities.
- Clean Up After Use: Encourage putting away items immediately after they are used to maintain neatness.
- Continuously Evaluate: Regularly assess how you spend your time and where you place your belongings to maintain and improve order.
In Closing
What will it cost me to practice order in my daily life? Every time we choose to create a new habit or change a behavior, it comes with a cost. We are giving something up to make room for this new thing.
What will I be sacrificing, if I don’t pursue order? We already know the answer.
Order is not about perfection. It is about peace, clarity, and the freedom to live with purpose. Franklin never mastered it, but he pursued it faithfully. I may never master it either, but every step toward order is a step toward a calmer, more intentional life.
Chase The Kangaroo 
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