There are infinite differences that can be found between any two people, my sister and I included, but the most evident difference—especially to a bystander—is regarding organization.

My sister is incredibly disorganized. That is a fact. I am on the exact opposite end of the spectrum—perfectly organized. This is a difference not only between my sister and me but also between people worldwide.

Many a pair of roommates have found themselves at odds for this very reason—one is organized and needs their space to be organized, and the other either finds this impossible or couldn’t care less.

However, most people fall somewhere in the middle of me and my sister. Many people only need some of their lives to be organized—either certain aspects or parts of every aspect.

A person’s level of organization, just like most characteristics, is a spectrum. And, as I have been forced to learn, no level on that spectrum is inherently negative. My sister, with the clothes strewn across her floor, still knows where her things are (mostly), and she is still able to get work done on time.

On the other hand, no level on the spectrum is inherently positive either. My immaculate room and intricate schedules often cause more stress than they prevent.

So, like most things in life, organization requires moderation. Sure, to get things done in life, some events need to be planned and written down next to tidy little boxes that can be neatly checked off with every completed task.

But what is life without spontaneity, without a little bit of mess? We need the bad days to appreciate the good ones, but sometimes, those days might seem bad at the moment return as beloved memories, the best of times spent breaking things that needed to be fixed.

Organization is necessary for life, but disorganization is necessary for living. If your friend shows up at your door to kidnap and take you to the beach, don’t resist because you have homework to do or the bathroom to clean. They can wait.

Find the balance between messy and neat, between organized and disorganized, between structured and spontaneous. Find that middle ground, that place where, when life happens, you can roll with the punches and have fun while you’re fighting for your life.

Check off those to-do lists because they create a sense of comfort, of finality. Scribble down your goals, soon to be added to a long list. Block out your time, color code, and organize your sock drawer in little honeycombs because it makes you happy.

But run away to the lake, to the forest, and spend time with your friends. Listen to music and sit, doing nothing, when you could be washing your laundry. Read on your porch, stare out your window, and watch the sunset with your favorite people because that is life.

John Lennon said, “Life happens when you’re busy making other plans,” but I think that life happens in the cracks between plans. Life happens when you let go of your organization and fly. 

Life happens when you let yourself live.