Organized, for 30 percent less

Somewhere, likely beneath the mess on my desk, there's a supremely organized spirit in seach of a storage system.

This month, The Container Store is reaching out to souls in need of decluttering with the annual Elfa sale, in which shelving and storage systems are 30 percent off.

I like the idea of a well-designed system that facilitates order. But I'm wondering if the store provides follow-up support to make certain the customers actually make good use of those bins, cubicles and other storage solutions?

As an admitted HGTV addict, I watch those shows in which a SWAT team descends on the Slob Family in Anywhere USA, decluttering, scrubbing and organizing an incredibly messy abode into momentary bliss.

I usually get a sinking feeling that weeks later the homeowners have toppled over and turned their home back into a pig pen. In short, their houses are neat and tidy but they still have a lot of junk in their brains. In fact, as the camera scans the initial squalor, I can't help but exclaim: "These folks don't need an organization system! They need a psychiatrist!"

The upside is I truly believe there's hope for people like me, folks who have nicely decorated serene homes with only ONE problem area -- which, for me, is my office. I figure I'm way ahead of the game as my brain is actually quite organized... now if I could only get the rest of me to cooperate.