I’m not what you’d think of as a naturally organised person; I can’t do filing cabinets, or artistic clothes folding, and when I’m done with something, I like to just shove it away.

It meant that for the first 30 years of my life, I always thought of myself as messy. Certainly my husband, who loves a filing cabinet with plenty of sub-categories, did. Living together was eye-opening for both of us!

But when I became a mum – and our house started to look like Toys’R’Us had exploded – I knew I had to make a change.

Once I’d decluttered my own life (I think of myself as a recovered super-slob) I started helping friends, and then clients. I’d tell them ‘If this doesn’t stay organised for 30 days, call me and I’ll come back and re-organise it for free’.

Well, they called. What worked for me clearly hadn’t worked for them.

That’s when I discovered that there are, in fact, four distinct organising styles. And the secret to actually keeping things organised is to discover which one works for you.

Thus my Clutterbug Organising Philosophy was born, helping people discover which ‘bug’ they are: a Butterfly, Bee, Cricket or Ladybird (or, as I’d say in my home in Ontario, Canada, a Ladybug!)

It all comes down to two factors: if you’re a visual or ‘hidden’ person, and if you’re detailed or non-detailed.

Cassandra Aarssen, a professional organiser, says there are four types of organisational styles 

Since then, I’ve helped half a million people to declutter their homes, and have published four best-selling books. So read on to find which style you are – and how to avoid coming to blows if those you live with have a [itals]very[itals] different style to you…

BUTTERFLY: VISUAL AND NON-DETAILED

Butterflies are very visual people – they love to see their belongings, fearing ‘out of sight, out of mind’ – but they’re non-detailed, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of what we consider ‘traditional’ organising.

You’re probably a Butterfly if you have clothes piled on top of your surfaces, but your wardrobe and drawers are practically empty, and people see you as stereotypically ‘messy’. What you need are visual, fast and easy systems that keep things as broad brush as possible.

‘Butterflies’ used to be classed as messy – but they just prefer to see their belongings 

For example, clear containers with big labels, open shelving or cube shelving with big baskets that you can toss things in quickly. Drawers don’t work for butterflies because they can’t see their stuff, and they find hooks easier than hangers.

My eldest daughter, 18, is a butterfly and she never used to put her clothes away, because subconsciously she wanted to be able see them all. So, we took the doors off her wardrobe – and now she always puts them away!

BEE: VISUAL AND DETAILED

Like Butterflies, Bees prefer to see their everyday items. But unlike Butterflies, Bees are perfectionists who like very detailed systems.

So rather than one big clear box labelled ‘art supplies’ or ‘first aid’, a Bee would have a box with lots of different sections so everything from pens and pencils, to painkillers and plasters, can be separated by category. They love a peg-board, or colour coding.

Bees also tend to have a [itals]lot[itals] of stuff – they like to keep things ‘just in case’ – so they have to be careful not to let it take over their space. You need to prioritise what really needs to be easily accessible, and what you can cope with putting away or letting go of. Any kind of shelving is great for a Bee, to stop their tendency to pile things on surfaces.

If you’re a ‘bee’, you prefer to have all your possessions in your eyeline 

CRICKET: HIDDEN AND DETAILED

A Cricket is what we’d consider traditionally organised. They want all their belongings out of sight, and they’re very detailed, with lots of systems in place that they follow exactly. Marie Kondo is definitely a Cricket!

However, a word of warning to Crickets; sometimes perfection can be paralysing, and your systems are so detailed you don’t have time to follow them. So rather than put something away ‘improperly’ you pile it up until you can do it ‘perfectly’.

Queen of organisation Marie Kondo would be classified as a ‘cricket’ 

Remember, good-enough organizing today is better than perfect organizing tomorrow. You can always go back and redo it later, but at least it is put away for now.

LADYBIRD: HIDDEN AND NON-DETAILED

Like Crickets, Ladybirds get stressed-out by surface clutter. But unlike Crickets, they’re non-detailed, so want fast and easy solutions.

You know you’re a Ladybird if your surfaces are clear but you’d be embarrassed if guests opened your cupboards. It’s a bit like a real Ladybird; pretty on the outside, but when they open their wings it’s a horror show under there.

‘Ladybirds’ get stressed-out by surface clutter and want simple solutions 

I’m a Ladybird myself, and I find that what works is installing things like draw dividers, lidless baskets or bins within your storage. It takes no more time to put away your things away than your usual shoving style, but you still know exactly where everything is (rather than it becoming one big jumble). And crucially, it stays organised.

WHO WINS THE BATTLE OF THE BUGS?

Within any relationship, you’ll likely find different styles; in our family of five, we have two Ladybirds, two Crickets and a Butterfly.

While those who have the same visual style can muddle along pretty well, conflicts arise when you have a visual and hidden person in the same space. So how do you decide on the best system for everyone?

Sorry Crickets, but the golden Clutterbug rule is to default to the visual and non-detailed bugs (which means Butterflies always win!) This is because a detailed person can be less detailed, but a non-detailed person can’t force their brain to accept lots of different categories. And while a hidden organiser can cope with seeing some items out if they’re kept tidy, a visual organiser will forget their belongings exist if they’re hidden away.

A great compromise is shelving with opaque boxes all in the same colour with large labels; the hidden bugs don’t have to cope with all those clashing items on clear display, but the labels mean the visual bugs still know what’s what.

And remember, this rule is only for spaces that are equally shared, like the living room. So in your own bedroom, stick to your style. And in the kitchen, if you’re the person who does most of the cooking, then organise it however is best for you.

Find out more on www.clutterbug.me and @clutterbug_me