|
 What's
Working and What's Not?
Always begin your organizing assessment by asking
yourself what already works well for you and what isn't working at all. Let's
start with what is working first.
What's Working?
Buried inside
every mess are a few effective organizing systems. Look closely. Think hard.
What little systems do you have that work and are stress-free? Which areas of
your life seem to be going better than others? What objects can you always count
on finding? Maybe it's the dresser drawer that holds all your running clothes or
the CD case in your backpack. Maybe you are better at organizing your time than
your space.
There are a great deal of advantages to identifying
and preserving what's working. First, you'll save time and energy. You don't
need to reorganize anything that works for you. As the saying goes: If it ain't
broke, don't fix it. Second, the presence of an orderly area in your otherwise
cluttered universe serves as a confidence booster. The fact is, if you can
organize one thing, you can organize anything. And last but not least, figuring
out what's working helps you understand your individual organizing preferences.
By studying the systems that work-and asking yourself why-you will learn what
appeals to you, so you can then replicate those solutions in other, less
together areas of your life.
What's
Working?
Complete the following sentences (feel free to
write down as many responses as come to mind):
- I can always find my ____________.
-
I always have a place to put my ____________.
-
I like the current setup of my ____________.
- No matter how busy I get, I always find time
for ____________.
- My goals are well defined when it comes
to ____________.
Possible responses to the above fill-in-the-blanks
could be:
- I can always find my clothes, books, keys,
baseball glove, CDs and DVDs, clean socks.
- I always have a place to put my magazines, water
glass at night, cell phone charger, glasses/contacts, tennis racket, school
supplies.
- I like the current setup of my dresser drawers,
study schedule, address book, jewelry box, shoe rack.
- No matter how busy I get, I always find time for
sewing, my friends, playing the piano, church, soccer practice, dinner with my
family.
- My goals are well defined when it comes to
school, my social life, family life, career, religion.
Now, look at your list. Ask yourself what it
is about the above systems that works for you. Is it a matter of convenience,
simplicity, location, size? Perhaps your address book is organized
alphabetically by first name. Maybe you could mirror that system in your CD
collection. Maybe your notebooks are color coded. Perhaps you could create a
matching color-coded filing system. Maybe you work through your homework class
by class. You could apply that sense of order to your chores, tackling them room
by room. The point is that these systems reveal hints about what you like, what
appeals to you, and where your organizing strengths lie.
What's Not Working?
Now that
you've identified what works, it's time to identify everything that needs
fixing. This is one of those rare moments in life when you get the opportunity
to whine as freely as you like.
As you answer the following questions, keep in mind
that this is not about what's not working for your parents, your friends, your
relatives, your teachers, your guidance counselors, and your neighbor's cocker
spaniel. It's about what's not working for you. If the whole world thinks you're
disorganized, but you know exactly where everything is and never miss a meeting
or class, then you're golden. If there are any parts of your space or your life
where you are not performing to your best ability, then that's what you need to
focus on. Don't judge, just write.
What's Not
Working?
Complete the following statements. If you come up
with more than one response to each (and you probably will), be sure to write
them all down.
- I can never find my ____________.
-
I have no place to put my ____________.
- I don't have enough time for ____________.
- I procrastinate whenever I have to
____________.
- I have a hard time finishing
____________.
Possible responses to the above questions could
be:
- I can never find my keys, watch, glasses,
wallet, calculator, gloves.
- I have no place to put my sneakers, sleeping
bag, stapler, photos, retainer, library books, videotapes.
- I don't have enough time for sleeping, my
friends, just relaxing, completing my homework, extracurricular
activities.
- I procrastinate whenever I have to do a research
project, read a book for school, take out the trash, walk the dog, pack for a
trip, go to bed.
- I have a hard time finishing my chores,
homework, piano practice, assembling my photo albums, math
problems.
If you are having a
hard time coming up with a thorough list of what's not working, keep a "problems
log" for a week. Write down everything that annoys you in a designated notepad
each day, and you'll have a complete list by week's end.
Brainstorm in the actual space you plan to
organize. Responses will come to you more easily because reminders of the
problems will be staring you in the face.
|
