The Power of Organizing

The start of the new year allows us to restart our goals, initiatives, and efforts. It also gives us the space to rethink our structures and support mechanisms that empower our actions.?

Regardless of whether you are prone to being organized, we can all respect the value of being organized and prepared. Sit down at a restaurant table only to find that they didn't include a fork in your table setting or that they brought you a different drink than you requested, and you will realize how much you prefer organization over chaos.?

Chaos is rarely beneficial or productive in a work setting. If you think about where we work, we work in an organized environment or an organization.?

For those of us who are not naturally organizationally inclined (and yes, I include myself as being naturally disorganized), there is a constant tension between wanting to be organized and the action of being organized. We see the value of being organized but feel that we lose the creativity and spontaneity that come with being constrained by the rigidness of being organized.?

That said, here are some suggested concepts and ideas to help you be more organized.?

• Define "being organized" - this is one of those terms frequently used and rarely defined, so take a few minutes to define it for yourself. Does it mean that every day must be perfectly in order, with nothing out of place, free from errors??
• Define your why?- Why is it important to be organized? Who benefits? You or others? We know the power of sacrifice and looking out for others. Sometimes, we organize our work for ourselves, but it's usually for the sake of others.?
• Start small?- If you start too big, you will rarely sustain your efforts. Instead, start small. You don't have to empty your entire house or redo your email folder system. Start by cleaning off your desk or putting away two Christmas gifts still on the floor where the tree used to be.?
• Create a structure?- it's much easier to categorize items ahead of time vs. being in the moment. It's best to start with a simple structure. For example, putting out a bowl or key rack right when you walk into your house will remind you to put them there when you walk in and will be there when you walk out the door.?
• Throw stuff out?- this could be an article on its own, but research has shown that creative and less organized people prefer to avoid parting with property. For example, you may love your Apple iPhone cases in such nice white boxes. I am sure you have 1,000 creative ways to use what appears to be such a solid and valuable container, but I am permitting you to put the empty containers on your shelves for two years in this week's trash. I promise you that you will survive without it. In the worst-case scenario, your neighbor has three sitting on a shelf somewhere if you need one in the future.
• Ask for help?- Less creative people are okay with asking for assistance on their creative projects, so why can't we do the same? My wife is an organizational wizard and helped me organize my toolbox by applying simple labels to the door. It gave me the visual clues needed to know where everything was supposed to go without being overly complicated. Ask a friend or a loved one to help.?

?The year has just started, and there is plenty of time to make it the best year ever. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to utilize the time to the best of your abilities, so don't let a little disorganization get in your way. Take a few minutes today, start small, take on one project, and get organized. You got this!?

Feedback, organized and free-flowing, is a gift. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments via messaging, chat, or email. Thank you!