Stock photos with perfectly positioned succulents, a delicate array of paperclips strewn just so, and a pristine computer desktop don’t tell the whole story. Neither does an office or workspace that has stacks of papers, projects, and to-do lists strewn about. (BTW that is my own linen closet above: Before messy and organized, After neat and organized)
Think about someone you know whose office is a disaster but when they need to find something, they know exactly where it is and can find it in a matter of minutes! Conversely, someone who has a clean desk and a neat and tidy office, which looks beautiful on the outside could be the very same person missing deadlines, searching for what they need last minute, and wasting time because they can’t ever find where they stashed anything!
We want to believe that the before and after pictures of disorganized spaces that magically become organized are the answer. We think that just cleaning up our workspaces will fix our organization issues. But that’s simply not the case for all of us.
Nothing Is Wrong With You!
It takes all types, and nothing is wrong with yours! Some of us are visual and need to be able to see the things we’re working on in front of us and at the ready. Out-of-sight-out-of-mind is often the plight of a creative brain.
Others of us have a filing system and running to-do-list in our minds, or prefer things to be stored digitally and find clutter and stuff to be distracting and uninspiring.
I personally like to have everything out where I can see it, and I file only what I will use later as a reference item.
In my work, I see four common organizational styles: Stashers, Pilers, Avoiders, and Purgers. All of these can be successfully organized and productive, it’s all about embracing your organizing style and working with it rather than against it.
What is Organized?
Whether “messy”, “neat”, or something in between, a well-organized space gives you the ability to find what you need when you need it so you can pay your bills on time, keep your house stocked with food, and get your kids on the bus at pickup time.
Organization should help make your life easier, not add more stress.
It should alleviate it by having systems in place to help you streamline and achieve what you need to throughout the day.
Arranging the books on your bookshelf in a rainbow and organizing your paper clip collection might look really nice, but it doesn't bring that much additional ease to your workday.
Want to learn more about how YOU work best? Take my quiz and find out which organizational style you fit into and get tips and tricks that will work for your unique needs! https://www.joannkrall.com/quiz
