Organize This! Understand Your Organizing Style and How it Works With Your Family

By Stephanie Calahan (Calahan Solutions, Inc)

Did you know there was such a thing as an organizing style?  There is!  Just like there are learning styles and communication styles.  In order to make your space efficient, you should make sure that your systems match your style.  This sounds really simplistic, but for many it is not.  In fact, most of the time this step is skipped completely! 

We learned back in pre-school that trying to fit a square peg into a round hole just does not work.  No matter how we turn it or twist it -- it doesn’t fit.  Yet, we try to do it all of the time by putting systems in place that don’t match our personal or our organizations’ styles.

Begin by being realistic about your lifestyle and personal style.  Focusing on the way you live is important to finding the right organizing strategies for your life.  Be realistic about your personal style – it is not about what you should do, it is about what you WILL do.

Next, recognize that it is highly likely that whatever style you identify for yourself will not match at least one person in your household or office!

There are some that think that one system should work for everyone.  It would be nice if the world was that simple, but as we all know, people have different thinking and learning styles.  They even have different rates that they can learn and absorb information.  There are different organization styles too.  Understanding your style and developing systems that fit with who you are sets you up for success.

Are You an "Innie" or an "Outtie"? Understand Your Organizing Style

An "Innie" is someone that functions better when their space is clear of distractions.  An "Outtie" is someone that will forget items even exist if they are enclosed.

Recognize that I’m not talking about piles on a desk or papers shoved in a cabinet.  If you have piles all over your desk, it does not mean you are an "outtie."  That means you don't have good systems.

Consider that organizing systems work differently for different people.  In the picture above you see a standard file cabinet on the left and one that is open and on wheels on the right.  Both are containers for holding files, but one would work better for an "innie" and the other would work better for an "outtie."

The same holds true for other organizing tools that you may consider purchasing.  Evaluate what your style is (and the style of those you co-exsist with) and then go buy the containers – not the other way around!

To your success!

Stephanie is the founder and CEO of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She is a nationally known speaker, media personality, author, publisher, productivity & organization consultant, and business coach. She believes that organizing is about making time and room for what is important to you and that life was meant to be lived. Stephanie lives in Illinois with her husband, 9-year-old son and Havanese puppy. You can find her on Twitter and at Productive and Organized, Daily Productivity Tips, and at Stephanie Calahan.