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Chapter 3

Organizational Styles: Our Default Settings

And there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:6

If the personal styles are the “who” behind our organizational systems, the organizational styles are the “how” — our organizational defaults, as it were. In this chapter, we’ll explore the organizational styles — I know I put it somewhere, cram and jam, and drop and run — just as we did with the personal styles in chapter 2. Once again, feel free to skip ahead to the section of this chapter that matches your style and then come back to the information about the other styles to see if you can pick up any additional hints.

Let’s start with the organizational style we identified for Gemma in chapter 1: I know I put it somewhere.

I Know I Put It Somewhere

What it looks like: Those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style typically look organized. Desktops and table-tops are usually clear, piles are safely put away, and everything looks neat and tidy. The problem? Those with this style aren’t consistent or systematic. They like things to look nice, so they stash things wherever there’s room. Then, when it comes time to retrieve what they need, they can’t remember where they put it.

The heart of the problem: lack of a consistent, cohesive system.

Positive attributes: Folks with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style are good at putting things away. They find a place for everything, even if the places they find are inconsistent or illogical. They have the basics of storage down; they just need a little guidance to bring their retrieval skills up to the same level.

Putting it to work: Those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style need a system. By establishing consistent homes for their things in logical locations, folks with this organizational style can shape their natural tendency to put things away into a system that also enables them to find what they need when they need it. What kinds of tools work for those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style? The kinds that create built-in reminders. Clear containers, divided containers, and open storage keep things visible, while labeled locations and unique, unusual or eye-catching organizers provide a hint as to what’s inside. I know I put it somewhere organizers might also benefit from a small location notebook where they keep track of locations for infrequently used items such as holiday decorations or gifts. Sound silly? When is the last time you said to yourself, “Oh, I’ll remember I put this here,” and then didn’t?

Cram and Jam

What it looks like: Those with a cram and jam organizational style don’t waste any space. Instead, they do just what the style says — they cram things into nooks, and they jam things into crannies. Sometimes everything gets crammed and jammed into the same space (think backpacks and drawers); other times, the cram and jammer finds crevices no one else would consider storage and stuffs things there. Consequently, the things they’ve stored might not be in great shape upon retrieval; in fact, they are often rumpled, crumpled, and/or broken.

The heart of the problem: overstuffing.

Positive attributes: Those with the cram and jam organizational style are efficient in their use of space. In addition, when those with this organizational style consistently use the same spaces, they have little trouble finding what they need when they need it. It may take some digging, but cram and jammers can usually excavate what they need.

Putting it to work: Folks with the cram and jam organizational style often do better with open storage than enclosed spaces: shelves instead of drawers, for example. Many cram and jammers have already mastered the art of consistently putting things in the same spot, so the trick is to give them space in which to work. Soft, expandable containers (fabric bins, for example) can work better to keep things in good condition than rigid materials like wood and plastic, as can containers with room to grow. The tighter the space, the more likely the items going into it will come out wrinkled or damaged.

Drop and Run

What it looks like: Those with a drop and run organizational style leave a trail in their wake. They walk in the door, take off their shoes (and leave them by the door), drop whatever they’re carrying, and go on to the next thing they want to do. If they happen to need something they brought into the house, they’ll take it with them. Otherwise, the bag, backpack, coat, or other paraphernalia is likely to stay wherever they dropped it.

The heart of the problem: putting it down instead of putting it away.

Positive attributes: organizational sonar. Those with the drop and run organizational style are amazing step retracers. They can extract an item from a pile based on its location, which tells them when they last used the thing they’re looking for.

Putting it to work: Make it as easy to put things away as it is to put them down. One-step storage systems, containers, hooks, pegboards located where the drop and run organizer is likely to drop things before running, unlidded containers — all these provide ready storage solutions to help shape the drop and run tendency into an organizational habit that works. Choosing key locations for these containers helps the drop and run organizer transition from dropping things wherever to dropping them where they belong.

•••

Did you notice one piece of advice reappearing across the styles? No matter your organizational style, establishing consistent homes for things — especially those you use often — is the biggest time-saver you can add to your organizational toolbox. While the containers we choose will be unique to our styles, putting the same item in the same place every time saves time. Because we know exactly where to find it, we don’t waste time looking for it.

Now that we’ve fleshed out the personal and organizational styles, take a minute to consider where you’ve landed. If you had to choose one primary personal style (I love stuff, I love to be busy, or I need to see it) and one primary organizational style (I know I put it somewhere, cram and jam, or drop and run), which would you choose? Use the worksheet and containers chart on the following pages to flesh out your ideas and begin to think about how your personal and organizational styles can work together.

Smart organizers know when to ask for help

Dear Lord, help me to remember that my organizational styles are a part of the me you created. Give me the wisdom to expend my energy on finding the good in who I am, rather than wasting it on judgments that keep me from appreciating what I have to offer. Amen.

Style Sheets

Personal Styles

My primary personal style is:

But I also identify with the personal style:

Because:

The best part of my primary personal style is:

The part of my primary personal style that’s most challenging is:

Organizational Styles

My primary organizational style is:

But I also identify with the organizational style:

Because:

The best part of my primary organizational style is:

The part of my primary organizational style that’s most challenging is:

Containers and Systems

When I look at the chart on the next page, the containers I find most appealing are:

There is/isn’t crossover between the suggested containers for my primary personal style and the suggested containers for my primary organizational style.

Remember this chart from chapter 2? Now we’ve added the organizational styles. A “yes” means that type of container is a good match for the style; a “no” means just the opposite. Blank cells are “may-bes” — containers that fall somewhere in between and are more a matter of personal preference. This time, as you scan the chart, go down the columns, and look for containers that are a yes or a maybe for both your personal style and your organizational style.

Lisa’s Lists

Three More Things to Remember

1. Every style has attributes. This is true for organizational styles just as it is for personal styles. Although the organizational styles described in this chapter fly in the face of traditional methods, each still has an element of organizational logic behind it. Working with our styles makes organizing less of a hassle, and choosing tools that make sense based on what we do naturally makes it more likely that we’ll use them on a consistent and long-term basis.

2. We organize best when we integrate our personal and organizational styles. Sound difficult? It’s not. Because both our personal and organizational styles are what we do naturally, we’ve already integrated them within ourselves. The next step is choosing the tools that work for both of our styles and purposefully using them in ways that work for us.

3. There is no one right answer. Two people could have the same personal and organizational styles but choose completely different ways of putting them to work. Style and taste preferences, available space, and a multitude of other factors will determine what shape each person’s organizational system takes.