When I first tell people I have OCD, they always assume I keep a tidy house. Then they come over…

“How do you live like this?” they ask, tripping over a pile of books as they enter. “You make thousands of dollars a week. Why don’t you own a bookshelf?”

“I used to have one, but I gave it away. I could never find anything,” I say. “If you really want to see something, check out the bedroom.”

Bravely, they enter. They flip the switch. Light illuminates piles of clothes.

“What do you use the closet for?”

“I go in there to write poetry,” I tell them. As they reach for the top dresser drawer, I add, “That’s where I keep my important paperwork.”

Shocked and confused, they head for the kitchen expecting to find piles of dirty dishes, mold growing out of the sink, mushrooms springing up from the floorboards.

“It’s spotless,” they say, shaking their heads.

“I’m not nasty,” I clarify. “I just can’t stand organization.”

Blog Land is full of folks who like to talk about organization. For business, for freelancing, for blogging. Down to how I should feng shui my inbox, everyone thinks they’ve got the next greatest tip to save me time.

“Get up earlier,” they say, as though by staying up until 4am (when they’re just getting up) I’m committing some sort of crime.

“Get a filing cabinet,” they suggest, because surely alphabetizing the hundreds of documents will make me want to look at them.

“Use this time management software,” they insist, possibly only because they want the commission.

I always laugh, because here’s the thing: I’m not unhappy. The way I do things makes them cringe, but I’m just fine. When I’m unproductive, it’s not because of my filing system or the way I do my laundry. It’s because I’m having the same kind of goof-off day everyone else has from time to time, and you know what? I’m ok with that. I accept myself, sock-piles and all.

My point — and I do have one — is that what works for 99% of people doesn’t work for me, and it might not work for you either. I’m not saying never take anyone’s suggestions. I’m not saying don’t try to improve yourself in areas you feel could use some bettering. I’m simply saying being a misfit isn’t such a bad thing.

If you’re happy, don’t waste your time worrying about what other people say. Well-intentioned though they may be, only you can know what works for you and what doesn’t.