When Styles Collide

 My personal style is I need to see it. Two telltale signs of this style include color coding and piles that serve as reminders, fighting the “out of sight, out of mind” fear that plagues those of us with this particular style.

Acknowledging my personal style and pressing it into service typically works well for me -- at least when I lean toward its tidier manifestations. Different colored file folders and paper clips, for example, help me identify a particular set of papers at a glance. Leaving myself a note on the doorknob or placing a package beside the back door increases the likelihood that I’ll leave the house with everything I need.

But, when my I need to see it personal style meets my drop and run organizational style, things can quickly get out of hand. Lately, I've found that the collision of these two styles has become both stress-inducing and clutter-producing. When piles meant to serve as reminders accumulate, it seems that no matter where I look, there is a stack of something calling out for my attention. 

To add to the pile-up, I have what one might call an optimistic idea of how long things will take (translation: almost everything takes longer than I think it will). This means that the pile I leave out on Sunday evening and expect to take care of on Monday often sits around until Wednesday -- or (worse yet) the next Wednesday. The longer it takes me to get to the items in the piles, the more stressed out I become, and the more annoying those piles become – not only to me, but to those I live with as well.

Does this mean it's time to give up and succumb to a Type A organizing plan? Should I reconsider those file cabinets I relegated to the basement?

I think not.

The thing is that, when the plan works, it's great. Piles shrink, revealing clear space, which gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment and motivation. This usually happens when my I need to see it personal style triumphs over – or at least reins in -- my drop and run organizational style. 

But, when it doesn't work -- when my drop and run style runs rampant with no particular plan for depleting the piles it creates -- it's almost as bad as having no system at all. Piles grow, linger, and leave me feeling overwhelmed. 

All these observations have led me to an obvious conclusion: I need to tweak my system, while keeping my styles at the helm. One of the best ways to do that is to establish guidelines for where clutter can and cannot accumulate.

• Designated no-clutter zones. Nothing gets set down here. Period. No matter how much my drop and run style protests. 
• Designated low-clutter zones. These spots can harbor piles on a short-term basis, but need to be dealt with frequently so the clear days outnumber the clutter days. This humors my drop and run style, while still keeping it in check.
• Limit piles. I’m not ready to do away with my piles and stacks because they do help me keep track of things, but I need to limit them to things I can realistically accomplish within the next two days. Everything else gets put away and added to a list, which I can keep with the pile or in my planner. Then, when it’s their turn, those reminder items can be strategically placed.

I’m hopeful that these guidelines will help keep things under control, but adjustments are to be expected. 

Your organizational style may require different guidelines. Cram and jammers might want to live by the rule that once you have to squish the contents of the container you're using in order to fit something else into it, it's time to sort it, replace it, or get another container to keep it company. Those who embrace the I know I put it somewhere organizational style may find their guideline easily boiled down to one question: sure, it fits here, but does it belong here?

 

I’d love to conclude by saying that staying organized is as simple as setting a few guidelines. But the truth is, once these organizational styles collide with their personal style counterparts, it’s a whole new ball game -- one with a set of rules that has to honor the needs of both teams. Reminding ourselves that it’s a process (a.k.a. these things take time) can empower us to take those first small steps to get the ball rolling.