If I told you I studied engineering and space technology at the university and defended my PhD thesis on radio astronomy at the age of 30 only three months after having my second baby, you would probably think I'm super-organized and have it all together, wouldn't you?

LOL I would too!

But guess what - I'm the worst messie and scatterbrain you can think of!

My friends and collegues know I'm always running late, I find it hard to remember to feed my kids*), and once I even forgot that my first-born son existed and almost called the police when I heard some one moving around in our house - and he was 14 years old, so it wasn't like he was anything new in my life!

I wouldn't even dare to tell publicly the longest time I've gone without vacuuming our house or changing the sheets. And it wasn't due to a depression or anxiety, or some other debilitating health issue, it was just because I forgot - and when I would remember, it was the worst timing possible and I'd forget it again the next second!

Since I was a kid I've had trouble keeping my room/house/habitat clean and tidy - or to put it right: I had trouble getting it to a tidy state and when I did (after a huge struggle), it went back to chaos the next minute. I used to promise myself that this time - this time for real - I'd keep it that way and wouldn't let it get as bad as it always did, but... - maybe you've read enough that you get the rest!

Aboutme

This is what our home used to look like...

... now it has stayed like this for a year - thanks to the gamified way of learning new habits!

I tried all the decluttering methods and organizing routines, studied habit change and behavioural hacks and nothing worked. I had already given up hope and quitted trying when a side note in a conversation sparked an idea in my scattered brain. The idea started to live a life of its own and - despite me trying to put on the brakes - it devoured me completely.

A few months later and I had succeeded in crafting a gamified and psychology rooted way to form new habits and keep a clutter-free space.

”Track to Tidy” has been my passion project and after sharing it and putting it to the test, I’ve seen the same results be replicated in other chronic messies.

Everyone deserves to live in a clutter-free space that they can be proud of and I'm honored that my board game has the power to give people just that.

- Ilona

*) My kids are well-fed and healthy, and have plenty of loving adults around them, no need to get worried!

Read more about me and my journey:
Who the duck is this?
1. When schedules and checklists don't work for you...