New Perspectives In Organizing

By Cyndi Seidler

How many times do we think about getting better organized but never actually take that step to do it? This could be because it is viewed as a bothersome chore, and who wants to invest time with another tedious chore, right?

What isn’t considered is the fact that organized systems are the foundation, the first building block to doing any activity. When a system is not in place to manage that activity or function, it will eventually go out of control.

This chaotic, overwhelming feeling that surrounds our space and inner self is what happens when there is lack of control in our environment.

An excellent definition of organization was made in the book, "Organizing From the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern. She said, "Organizing is the process by which we create environments that enable us to live, work, and relax exactly as we want to." She further stated that "When we are organized, our homes, offices, and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going."

I say, "Amen" to that!

In viewing the concept of getting organized then, we should take a look at our environments. What’s going on in it that makes it difficult to function? It’s just an area, a space, so examine it from an outside perspective (as if another were viewing it).

You’ll also notice that an area of that environment is hard to confront, to face up to. You might see piles of opened mail sitting there without a system. How you view that mail can make a difference in the way it is handled and, if it’s viewed with distaste, it often gets neglected.

Changing or renaming that task can make a difference in the way we carry out that activity. For example, let’s define mail. It is written communication, right? What produces the most results in expanding our business or life? I’d say, some form of communication. So, what if we were to rename that area of mail as our "Communications Center," or some such. View it as the life-blood of your business or lines of communication with friends, distant family members, service people, and/or potential opportunities. Who knows, the process of going through those written communications can turn into a delight instead of a chore!

Getting organized is a cleansing process. It frees up stuck attention in your environment and gets the energy flowing through it. Clutter is obstacles in that energy field and prohibits a person from seeing what is actually there. Once an area is confronted, it can be changed to improve conditions in it.

In retrospect, if we were to examine what we do and don’t do, it may be discovered that we tend to do those things that are more pleasurable and put things off that are not so pleasurable. What if, then, we were to look at the things we don’t like and determine what it is about it that makes it distasteful? What if we were to take that and decide that it has some purpose, and name the activity to that purpose? Most likely, it would change our perspective in the way we deal with it.

So, take a look around. Really view it in all its ugliness or glory. What do you see now?

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