3 Keys Thursday: The Key Concept Behind the Styles

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Maybe you're a newcomer to this blog, and you're just beginning to figure out your primary styles. Or, maybe you've been reading for a while and are in the process of putting your styles to work for you. Or, perhaps you've made it all the way to Easy Upkeep and you're wondering why some days, the upkeep isn't so easy.

So today, let's cut to the chase and take a look at the governing principle behind each organizational style, and what that means in terms of creating -- and maintaining -- a plan.

• I need to see it organizers are afraid to put things away. To us, out of sight truly is out of mind, and things get lost or remain undone. The solution: Work visibility into every organizational plan. Color-code, label, use clear containers -- anything that keeps things away but in sight.

• I know I put it somewhere organizers love to put things away. They crave clutter-free surfaces and safe places -- so much so that they'll put things out of sight at any cost just so they look organized. The solution: Logical homes. Put it away, but put it away right. Put it where it makes sense, not just where there's space, and manage that fear that you won't remember which safe place you chose by using memory joggers like labels and color-coding.

• Cram and jam organizers vacillate between leaving things out and putting things away. "Away" is simple for the cram and jammer -- everything goes in one place until nothing else can possibly fit. The solution: The right container for the right job. Work on moving from one catch-all container to dedicated containers based on topic or item. The system can stay the same -- all of the things pertaining to one project or topic can go into one container -- but give yourself room to grow so things don't get wrinkled, crumpled and torn. Clear containers might also help.

Regardless of style, the bottom line is the same: make life easy by choosing containers and systems that work with your default style. By using what comes naturally as an asset rather than a liability, you can create a plan that reduces clutter and stress. Best of all, it's easier to keep up with because you and your styles are on the same team.

For more on containers and the organizational styles, click on Charts at the top of this page.