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A Better Definition
Let me give you a better definition of "being organized." Being organized means that you can find what you need when you need it and you can get things done when they're due.
Being well-organized also means that you're comfortable in your environment. So, if you can achieve your goals without hindrance and feel comfortable in your environment, you are well-organized.
To Become Better Organized, Work With Your Natural Style
While the principles of being organized are pretty much universal, how people put them to work will differ.
For example, to organize paper, we can all agree that like must be sorted with like, and then stored so that the categories stay sorted and easy to retrieve. That's the whole idea behind a filing cabinet.
But not everyone's comfortable using a vertical file cabinet with closed drawers. Some people prefer keeping things out in the open where they can see them.
The important thing is to discover your natural style, and then find ways to work with it so you can more easily get and stay organized.
Right Brain, Left Brain
One way to become better aware of your natural style is to observe your right and left brain tendencies.
The terms "right brain," "left brain" refer to two hemispheres in our brains that serve different functions.
Nonverbal Processing
The right brain is often called the "creative side." It's the nonverbal side that reacts to sensory information at the gut level. Our right brain produces emotion, images, intuition, sensuality, creativity and humor.
We see likenesses and relationships with the right brain – the big picture. It's the side we use to remember faces and respond to visual instructions.
Verbal Processing
The left brain is our verbal side. It processes sensory information through words and is responsible for sequential, detail-oriented thinking – logic, analysis, structure, sequence, discipline, and language.
The left brain also orients us to time.
Everyone uses both sides constantly, but each hemisphere serves a different purpose. And while some people use both sides almost equally – we call them "whole-brained" – most people depend more on one side than another.
Discerning Your Natural Style
How do you know which is your dominant side? Here are just a few questions you can use to gauge where your preference might be:
1. Do you typically lose track of time or are you generally aware of its passing?
Tracking time is a left-brain activity. People who tend to lose track of time are probably right-brained. You may also notice that you lose track of time only in certain activities. Those activities are probably more right-brained than left.
2. Do you plan out what you're going to do or do you prefer to be spontaneous?
Spontaneity is a hallmark of right-brained dominance. If you're right-brained, you act on urges at the spur of the moment. Only afterward do you think about possible repercussions.
Left-brainers will usually plan out an event and follow a sequence for preparing to set out.
3. How would you describe the room you're in right now?
A left-brainer will usually describe the things that are in the room. They might note pictures on the wall, how the furniture is laid out, and what the colors are. They'll focus on details.
Right-brainers will likely describe how the room makes them feel. They'll describe sensations they experience while in the room and will focus on mood.
We All Use Both Sides, But In Varying Combinations
As you learn more about right-brain and left-brain differences, remember that both skill sets are important. We all need to process emotion and think creatively. We also need to manage household paper and pay the bills on time.
You'll also find that people have different combinations of right and left brain characteristics.
One person with a strong sense of time (a left brain characteristic) may have trouble dealing with clutter (a right brain characteristic). Another person with no sense of time (right brain) may be highly skilled at dealing with money (left brain).
When it comes to organizing, left-brainers seem to have an advantage. That's because many of our traditional organizing tools, like vertical filing cabinets, were designed from a logical, verbal perspective.
Left-brained people will be comfortable keeping papers in closed file drawers and storing pens in a drawer with dividers. Right-brained people, on the other hand, want direct access to what they need and prefer it out in the open.
That's why it's so important to know your natural style. If a right-brained person wants to stay organized, they'll need to use tools that keep things visible and accessible – like a pencil holder for pens; a stationery caddy for note pads and envelopes; and wall pockets for "hot" files.
Choose the Right Organizing Systems
Here are some more tips that may help you choose the right systems for your natural organizing style:
- If traditional organizing tools aren't working for you, maybe you need a more right-brained approach. Consider how you work – do you prefer keeping things out in the open? If so, look for organizing tools that keep things visible but contained: wall pockets, desktop file holders, or stacking trays.
- Before you buy an organizing tool, know exactly where you're going to put it and whether it will fit. Make sure you know what you're going to put into it too, or you'll just be adding to your clutter.
- Right and left-brainers alike benefit from setting up activity zones or "departments." The idea is to keep together the things you use together. Think about activities you do frequently, and try to set things up so you have everything you need in one place to do that activity.
- Do your best to store things where it's most convenient, natural, and easy for you to use. This is especially important if you're right-brained, because if it seems like it'll take extra effortto put something away, you'll find an excuse to leave it out.
- Every day, spend ten to twenty minutes putting things back. Before you say you don't have time or that all this attention to organizing will squelch your creativity, consider how much time you waste looking for things because they aren't where they're supposed to be. Ten minutes a day can save you hours of wasted time – that you'll be able to spend on better things.
Use What Comes Naturally
Just remember that even if traditional organizing skills don't come naturally to you, you can develop the skills you need to get and stay organized. Just take into account your natural style and build your system to fit.
Good luck!
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