STYLE Savvy: Time for a Tune-Up

Via Pixabay (2013), CC0 Public Domain. Text added by author.

As an I need to see it/drop and run person with tendencies toward both procrastination and perfectionism, I've learned that I have to create systems that are visual, flexible and one-step. In addition, I need to limit the number of places where I allow things to pile up. Keeping these guidelines in mind doesn't keep me perfectly organized, but it helps me fine tune my systems by nudging me to use what works and walk away from what doesn't.

Lately, I've been thinking about how our personalities and our styles intersect. In my case, this means looking beyond my styles to the perfectionism and procrastination that are part and parcel of the style-holder. Understanding what feeds my default styles strengthens my systems, allowing me to use that insight to more finely tune the systems I use.

[tweet "3 questions to help you tune up your #organizing systems, by @L2Hess"]

In the mood for a tune up of your own? Here are a few questions to help you get started.

What are my styles? Have you narrowed these down to one dominant personal style and one dominant organizational style, or are you still dabbling in several? Do your styles change from work to home and back again? Do you default to one style for one task and another for others? Organizing by STYLE isn't about cementing answers. It's about doing what works, even if what works isn't always the same thing.

Which part(s) of my styles are most salient? My I need to see it personal style not only dominates my drop and run organizational style, but it also feeds it. All of my systems are set up to make it as easy to put things away as it is to put them down. But, if I can find a way to put something away and still keep it in sight? Ahh. That's a component of the system that works every time and on every level. It keeps surfaces clear, things organized and me on top of things, bringing my organization as close to perfect as I ever get.

What personality traits facilitate my styles? Which get in the way? Unfortunately, my drop and run organizational style goes hand-in-hand with my tendency to procrastinate. Finding systems that make it easy for me to drop something where it belongs helps me to get past the urge to wait until later to put things away. And, although I'll never reach my unreachable goal of being perfectly organized, the desire to strive for it nudges me consistently toward new ideas and systems that reduce clutter, piles and frustration.