Last night I was scurrying around, putting the finishing touches on a mini scrapbook for Kailea, my daughter who is off at camp. In the past week I’ve been happily starting and finishing little creative projects for my camp-bound girl…handmade cards, luggage tags, and daily notes. It all culminated in a flash of inspiration to make a mini scrapbook of silly pictures of fun things I love about her.
As I was putting the finishing touches on my latest project it hit me: I had cracked my creative code! I figured out under what conditions I do my best and most efficient creative work. It is when I am creatively inspired and have a real deadline. That last part is the real clincher. A deadline energizes me and most of all, it forces me to ignore my personal creativity thief, a.k.a. perfectionism.
Whether you enjoy crafty projects or not, this idea of cracking your code is applicable to many areas of our lives, including organizing. Have you cracked your organizing code? Do you know what works for you when it comes to getting and staying organizing? If not, here are some ways to crack your organizing code:
Consider what works for you elsewhere.
If you’re struggling to figure out what will work for you in one area of your home or life, consider what works for you in other areas. For example, the answer to your home filing system dilemmas could be solved by tapping into what works for you at work. Likewise, if turntables work well to organize your spices in your kitchen, they might work equally well storing bottles and jars in your bathroom cupboard or linen closet. If something works in one area…chances are good it will work elsewhere, too.
Embrace what doesn’t work.
Just as there is value in knowing what does work for you, knowing what doesn’t work is equally important, too. Once you figure out that an organizing system or storage solution doesn’t work well for you, embrace it and try something different.
Seek an outside perspective.
The hardest problems to solve are our own, which is why an outside perspective is so valuable. Whether you seek help from a trusted friend, an organizing coach or a professional organizer, an outsider can help you see what you can’t see. You’ll get to the root cause of your disorder and crack your organizing code with efficiency and ease.
Whichever method or methods you choose, spend some time today cracking your organizing code. When you know what works for you, you’ll save oodles of time and enjoy the organizing process even more.
Perfect timing for this blog post. I was recently laid off from my job And have found myself at home trying to get lots done. However some days I feel like I’m just running a big circle and don’t accomplish anything. I’ve realized that I really have to stick to one or two things for the day Because I can’t do one thing for an hour then say switch to something else the next hour etc. I’m going to figure out a plan that will work better for me.
Oh Peggy, I’m sorry to hear about your job. Good for you for taking the opportunity to get lots done. I find organizing gives me a sense of control, which can really feel great after something like a layoff. Hang in there and good luck cracking your organizing code!
Aby