When you google ‘organized’ you get this definition: “Having taken something that is messy, chaotic, and/or unordered and rearranged it logically“.
Is that your definition of ‘being organized’ as well? What does logically mean? Logically for whom? My definition of being organized is:
Taking something that is messy, chaotic, and/or unordered and helping my clients rearrange it in a way that fits in their way of working, their daily processes and habits and supports them in preventing chaos in their office, files and finances.
Now this makes more sense doesn't it?
I listened to a great podcast the other day. It was episode #5 of Evernote’s podcast Taking Note. The part I liked most was when Tiago talked about his definition of productivity, I quote:
"And my definition is creating as much value in the world as efficiently and as effectively as possible. And that’s where creativity comes in.
It takes immense creativity to use processes in that way. To not be a slave to the process, to not just obey the process, but to think, “This part isn’t working,” or to have the courage to say, “Look, this process we’ve always followed does not serve our purposes. It’s no longer in line with our values. Let’s change it.”
I love that, because I look at being organized the same way.
Being organized is not (only) about being efficient, being productive, or being like a machine or slave blindly following somebodies systems and recommendations.
No, No, NO!
Being organized in my eyes is being creative and find the habits and systems
- that support you
- that prevent Chaos
- that WORK FOR YOU, and only you.
Let me give you an example
A client of mine, an artist, aromatherapist and very creative person, struggled with keeping her workspace in a way that supported her and her creativity.
Together we came up with the right system on how to set up her studio, using zones like I describe here.
The zones are a flexible structure that you can apply to any workspace, fully customizable to make them work for you, simply use your creativity and imagination. Play with it and change things around until it supports you, your existing habits and your way of working or creating.
Don’t be a slave to any system, or expert for that matter. Instead take the time to really figure out what works for you, try different approaches until you find the right fit.
It’s like an investment that will pay huge “dividends” down the road. Dividends such as
- peace of mind
- finding things when you need them
- feeling creative
- feeling accomplished and confident
- being and feeling in your zone
To start being more organized and staying organized, let me give you a very simple and quick tip, that you could try out right away. It does not need any learning and you can’t really do it wrong either. I posted this tip in one of my #TipsThursday posts that I share on my Facebook Page:
Do I do this every day?
Nope, I don’t, but I do it often enough to be and feel organized.
Try it yourself for a few days and then come back here and leave a comment to let me know if this worked for you. And if it didn’t work, why not? I’d love to know.