3 Keys Thursday: 3 (or more) Keys to Systems that Work

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

After a semester in Ireland, my daughter has returned home. We're very happy to have her back.

Her and all of her stuff.

She's been on an organizing spree, which is both good and bad. She has several piles of things to give away but, quite often, the piles of things she doesn't know what to do with end up in my possession.  

It's times like this that put our systems to the test. Can they absorb the influx? Are they up for the challenge?

When your system is working:

The side effects of your default styles are minimized -- or better yet, gone. Pile-ups, mystery locations, crushed, torn or broken items and that disconcerting feeling of being completely overwhelmed by stuff are mere memories when a system is working. For someone like me with an I need to see it personal style, a working system also means I'm not afraid to put things away. When  storage systems are designed to take our styles into consideration, it's as easy to put things away as it is to put them down.

You use it on a regular basis. Good systems are easy to use and maintain. If you're bypassing the system, a key component of one of your styles is probably going unaddressed. Set aside the "shoulds" and plan realistically. Maybe that file cabinet that keeps everything hidden is a great tool for your spouse, but if you pile things on top of it instead of opening the drawers, maybe a file holder with an open top is a better fit for you.

You can find what you're looking for.  To me, the true test of being organized is that I can find what I'm looking for in five minutes or less. Smoothly running systems earn their keep in saved time and reduced stress. If you have to go on a scavenger hunt for something every time you need it, it may be time to re-think the location you've chosen.

Given where we are in our organizing process at the moment, I'd add one more thing: a working system has room to grow -- not so much room that it can become a dumping ground, but enough wiggle room that it can absorb the addition of new items that inevitably become a part of the picture. -- as they do when my daughter comes home for the summer.

Perhaps the best payoff of all is this. When my daughter hands me something and says, "Where should I put this?" I immediately know the answer to that question. We're not quite there yet.

But we're getting close.