Four Organizing Styles
What style of organizer are you?
The Procrastinator
You like to leave things out as a reminder!
Since you’re always so busy, you leave things out as a reminder to finish them or put them away when you have time. You may or may not already have an organizational system in place, but you’re often so caught up in other things you don’t have any free time to utilize it. Or maybe you just can’t decide on one that works best for you! This organizing style does not mean you’re lazy by any means.
It’s okay to be busy or feel anxious about committing to a system!
But the only way you’ll find out if a system works for you is to try one. It’s easier to adjust and optimize along the way, but you have to start in order to do that.
To begin understanding your organizational style, you need to really be honest with yourself when asking these questions:
When I start tidying up but stop halfway, what emotion is telling me to stop? Is it frustration? Am I confused about the direction I’m going in? Is it anxiety or fear?
Am I unsure of how to organize certain items, or which would be best?
These are valid emotions we all go through while organizing and sometimes it’s hard to decide! But we must decide. Because how many times have you told yourself you’ll deal with it “later” or “someday”? Has later or someday come yet, or are you still waiting for the motivation to strike?
Motivation is a funny thing because we think it comes and goes when in reality, we are the ones with the power to summon it. If you struggle with the desire to get things done, try promising yourself a reward upon completion – and follow through! Know that changes come gradually and it’s okay to take your time getting things done, but they do have to get done in a timely manner.
Research says then when we take the first step toward completing a task, we are more likely to follow through to completion. Try to tackle a large project with a very small first step where those emotions won’t overwhelm you, and you’ll see that the motivation will follow. Getting the smaller, quicker tasks out of the way first will also give you a big sense of accomplishment – rightfully deserved! – and help you adopt the mindset of “doing it now.”
If your plate feels too full, plan your day (either mentally or write it down) the night before. You can set reminders for everything to keep yourself on track, too. This will set your mind in motion overnight and get you ready for success in the morning!
To create a productive atmosphere, minimize all distractions and implement a routine for putting things away. Maybe this looks like 15 minutes each day, or an hour on designated days of the week. Take a break every 50 minutes to calm your anxiety and admire the progress you’ve made thus far.
If you have a hard time visualizing an organized home, another option is to research professional support in designing reliable organizing methods. Try to remember that procrastination is just delaying decisions, and will always create more work for you down the road. It’s easier to do it right away than let it build up into a whole chore on its own!
So what do you think? Does this way of organizing seem attainable for you?
Your Next Action Step:
Leave a comment below of what area you are committed to getting organized in the next week or so. When you do, I will share my best organizing tips.
Email me back as a commitment to yourself, and follow up in a week to let me know which strategies worked and didn’t work for you! Or maybe you’ll discover a new tip for me?
Excitedly waiting to hear all about your progress!
Happy Organizing!