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A.A. Milne once said, “Organizing is something you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” Milne, of course, is the author of the books about our favorite tubby little cubby, Winnie the Pooh. That even sounds like something Winnie the Pooh would say, doesn’t it? But why do we need organization? What are the benefits of being organized? How do we get organized? Today we’ll answer those questions, plus some you didn’t even know you had. Stick around.
[Intro music}
For the folks who are new here, welcome, I’m Rainier and executive function consultant. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to go back and listen to the very first episode. It has a lot of useful information, and it will give you an idea of what sort of content to expect.
For returning listeners, welcome back. I’m glad you’re here. Ok, niceties over, let’s jump into today’s episode.
Organization is regarded by many as one of the most essential skills to have. It is a skill that allows you focus on different tasks and directs your time, energy, and mental capacity toward completing them. Initially I defined the skill as the ability to file, filter, and arrange not only your physical space but your mental space as well. However, in the interest of being thorough I thought I’d give you the dictionary definition as well. I’ll pause to note, that the following is the definition for “organize” and not “organization.” It was impossible to find a definition for organization that didn’t contain the word organize, don’t you hate that? Sorry, that’s a discussion for a different day.
My pals over at Cambridge University (the folks that publish the Cambridge Dictionary) say that organize is a verb and it means “to do or arrange something according to a particular system.”
Notice that this definition, or any other definition that you may find, does NOT detail how things should be arranged. The only requirement is that there is a system. This is important to remember. There are no right or wrong ways to organize. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m here to promote the use of executive function skills, not the neurotypical mindset.
While I am sure the importance of organization is evident to most, I’ll still humor y’all and provide a couple of real-world scenarios that highlight the importance of this skill.
Scenario A
Tax season has arrived and you’re ready to file your taxes, or so you think. You sit down gather receipts, and expense sheets, and all your other tax documents. You open the tax software of your choosing and start working your way through the questions. You’ve reached the section where they ask you about your income, and you go to reach for your 1099, W2, I9 what-whatever it is that your reaching for, but “dun dun DUN” you can’t find it. You swore it was with all the other paperwork. You start the guessing and searching game; did you leave it with the mail? Is in a desk drawer? Maybe it’s buried under some papers? Maybe it’s on the
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kitchen counter? You search everywhere but come up empty handed. You give a defeated sigh and begin the work of obtaining new documents. Of course, shortly after that you find the original ones. But, oh well, right?
Or how about Scenario B
While cooking dinner you realize you are out of paprika. Once dinner is over you decided to do a kitchen inventory and make a grocery list. The next day, you head off to the grocery store with your list in hand. You return home with a sense of accomplishment as you have managed to find everything on your list. As you start to put the groceries away, you come across a bottle of paprika nestled on the shelf with some of the other spices you could have sworn you weren’t there yesterday. The feeling of accomplishment starts to fade into confusion and then frustration. You’ve now got duplicates (and in some cases, triplicates) of kitchen staples, and now, now you just feel defeated.
As evidenced by these two scenarios, organizational skills can be applied to many aspects of our lives. Obviously, the scenarios are hypothetical situations, but I’m sure that we’ve all done something similar, at least once. I mean, of course, we’d all like to stay organize; ya know a decluttered desk with documents filed in a system that works and is easy to understand, or kids play room that is tidy with a floor free of toys, and who doesn’t want the coveted fridge WITHOUT moldy left overs in the back?
Alright, alright, you know that being disorganized has consequences, no need to sweep a dirt floor here. Instead, how about I tell you about the benefit of being organized.
For one, it increases your functionality. Organization keeps things neat and tidy, helping you be more productive, spend less time correcting mistakes, get more work done on time, and better manage other things and people around you.
Not only that, but organization increases the amount of trust others have in you. For example, an organized employee will tend to garner more favor and be given greater responsibilities than one who is not. Why? Simply because a person with excellent organizational skills comes off as someone who is in control and who is reliable.
Oh, and how could I forget the most important benefit, you’ll be less stressed and anxious! Imagine NOT having to constantly search for things OR being able to sleep in or go to bed early or wake up late, because you know exactly where your things are kept. I mean, if I knew where everything was at all times, I would be less stressed!
Speaking of being less stressed, now is the perfect time to do a mindful minute. New folks might be asking, “what’s that?” Well, it’s the portion of the show where we take a minute to complete a mindfulness exercise.
[Bell dings]
We'll start this exercise with two 3 count breaths. That means you'll breathe in for 3 counts, hold it for three counts, and then release for three counts. Let's begin.
In (2...3...), hold (2…3…), out (2...3…). Again. In (2...3...), hold (2…3…), out (2...3…). For today’s exercise, you’ll think of an affirmation or mantra that will help you get and stay organized. Think about what you’d like to accomplish and use that as a starting point. I’ll fade out and give you a minute to think of a word or phrase that works for you.
[60 secs of calming music]
We'll end with two more breaths. In (2...3...), hold (2…3…), out (2...3…). Again. In (2...3...), hold (2…3…), out (2...3…).
[2s Music fades out, and bell dings]
Hopefully you’re feeling inspired, energized, or even prepared. If not, that’s okay, none of those feelings are a requirement for getting organized. In fact, all you need to get started is a willingness to do it. I mean I guess you don’t need that, but it definitely makes the task far easier to complete.
Anyway, instead of blabbing on, how about I jump into the tips on ways to get organized.
The first and most important tip I can give is, make a to do -list. This list can live on your phone, at your desk, or even on your fridge. The idea though, is to keep the list where you can see it. For a lot of folks with executive dysfunction, if something is out of sight, it’s definitely out of mind, and that’s what we don’t want to happen. Speaking of list making, let’s talk about a technique I personally use to ensure that my to-do list, gets to-done. [kids laughing] I know that was bad, I’ll see myself out. No but seriously, this method has helped me be more productive. At the start of the week, I sit down and make a list of ALL the things I’d like to get done that week, and I do mean ALL. After this initial list has been made, I start to organize my list like this:
-At the top of the list I’ll put the things I absolutely must do. These are the non-negotiables. If there is more than one task, I rank them by importance or urgency.
-Next on my list is for tasks I should do. These are tasks slightly less important than but it's still crucial that they get done.
-Then it’s tasks that would I’d like to do. Like those ones that would be nice to do, but don’t necessarily have to get done this week, but if there's time I can do them.
-And finally, this one’s really important. I will denote tasks I can delegate to others. These are tasks that don’t need me to do them personally.
Speaking of to do lists, don’t forget to add leaving a review on yours. Your reviews make it possible for What the EF to reach more people who could use help with executive function. Oh and if you’d like to be notified about new episode releases, follow us on your favorite listening app as well. Ok, shameless plug over, let’s get back into it.
My second tip, use a calendar. I know that seems like silly, and like a tiny piece of advice, but you’d be surprised how many people underestimate the importance of a calendar. Once I’ve finished with my list, I take out my calendar and drop each task on a specific day. Ya know, when I know I will have time to get it done. Just like the list, the calendar can be kept anywhere
it’s easily accessible. I would recommend using an app, that way you have a calendar available to you at all times. Calendars can simplify your life by having one place where you can see all your commitments at a glance. Work events, work schedule, social engagements, personal appointments, etc… all of it should be able to be seen just by looking at your calendar.
Ok, so I have given you two tips for organizing your life, how about a couple of tips for organizing your physical space? The first tip for organizing your space and probably the hardest tip I’m going to give you today is: declutter. I don’t mean just take out the trash and get rid of useless things, I mean truly take an inventory of the things that you have and decide whether or not you NEED them. Sure, you can take the Marie Kondo route and get rid of the things that don’t quote unquote spark joy, but ultimately, YOU need to decide what should and shouldn’t be in your space. Clutter is such a vague term, but I’ve already bored you with definitions, so instead, I’ll drop a link in the show notes to an article that I think does a good job of defining different types of clutter. Yes, there are different types of clutter.
The fourth and final tip that I have is, find an organizational style that works best for you. Yes, I said find A style. Believe it or not, there are many different styles of organizing. Some are more common than others. Here are those common ones:
Visual – This is where you keep everything out and in sight, but in a tidy way. This could be color coded, arranged by size, or any other method of arranging that makes sense to you. If it’s visible and tidy, then it falls under this style
Minimalist – Having less things to deal with makes it easy to stay organized. This style is characterized by having the bare minimum (or essentials) and nothing more.
And finally the style that we think of most, when we think of getting organized
White Glove –Everything has a place, and every place has a thing. Books are alphabetized, color coded, arranged by height, and maybe not in that order, but in general you catch my drift. Everything is lined up and not a single thing is out of place.
Like I said at the beginning, there are plenty of styles, so take some time and research and some others and see what you like. You might find that you’ll need or want to implement aspects of many styles to essentially create your own style. And that’s ok. As long as you are able to find the things you are looking for with ease, then your system is the right one for you. Yes, that even means that doom piles are a system of organization.
Alright, its that time again, my favorite part of every episode, There’s an App for That. This is the segment where I make an app suggestion based on the topic of the episode. As always, I am not sponsored by the app nor don’t get any sort of commission if you download the app. I make these app suggestions simply because I think that you could benefit from using them. Anyway, let’s get into it.
I mentioned that having a calendar is a crucial part of staying organized, so today’s app is Google Calendar. It’s the calendar that I use. Not because I’m a google fan, but because it has been the best calendar that I have found on the app market. Here are the basics
-The app is free to download and use on iOS, android (of course) and web browsers
-The accessibility options match those of your device and the app is compatible with native settings
-The app is intuitive and there is no learning curve
I have been using Google Calendar for over 5 years and it has helped both myself, and my family stay organized. I can share my calendar with my family and sync their calendars with mine. This means that we can see each other’s daily agenda/events and plan accordingly. The app syncs with my personal and my professional email accounts and automatically adds meetings, travel and lodging to the appropriate calendars. Chances are if you’re using some other form of organizer, say a project management software, a booking application, or meeting software, it can integrate with your Google Calendar. Some examples include Asana, Zoom, Calendly, Salesforce, and Zapier. There are many more, but I think you get the idea.
One of the features that I love about Google Calendar, is the ability to add tasks to my personal calendar and not have them show up and be seen by others…even if I share my calendar with them. This way, I can transplant my to-do list to my calendar and not overwhelm everyone with extra “events.” Oh, while on the topic of events, Google Calendar makes it super easy to color code your frequent events. Just choose a calendar, enter the event or task, and choose your color. It’s that simple. It keeps your calendar looking tidy and makes it possible for your brain to process the information quicker.
For me, there is a sense of gratification that comes from looking at my calendar and seeing blocks of time that are color coded. For you, it might just be information overload, that’s why it’s important to try different styles of organizing and choose what works for you. Who knows, you might create the next big trend in organization.
If you found the content in today’s episode useful, please be sure to leave a review on your favorite podcast app or click on the link in the show notes. Need one-on-one help with executive function? Visit my website rarebearconsulting, that’s rarebearconsulting.com, to set up a consultation. If you missed that, that link will also be in the show notes. And finally, do know someone that could benefit from this podcast, share it with them! We here at What the EF, absolutely love word of mouth. Till next week guys, gals, and non-binary pals, continue learning to keep those gears turning.