Do you know your Organising Personality?

Never underestimate how important you are as an individual when it comes to organising your home and your life.

Your personality is totally unique to you.

I stress on this site that systems should be made that suit you as a person and your way of life – and that getting organised should involve creating new habits and systems that suit you and enhance your life without making it too much of a huge effort in the process.

If getting organised is too much like hard work, the chances are you won’t keep at it.

So you need to understand yourself and look within to realise your potential.

You have to understand how you work as a person and then organise your home accordingly.

This will ensure that you will have a fully functioning and calm household where everyone knows whats what – making it easier for you to have time and energy for the more important things in your life – your goals!

Getting organised isn’t just for the naturally organised, anyone can get more organised than they currently are, its just working out how to get there that people find difficult.

Most people would love to get organised – its at the top of many new years resolutions lists in fact!.

If you ask most people you know, they will say that they are more disorganised than organised. Why is this? Its mostly due to the fact that there is a mystery surrounding being an organised person, and it seems to be a goal that only a lucky naturally organised few get to achieve in life.

Its true that some people are more naturally organised than others, but it isn’t true that everyone can’t be organised – to a level that suits them.

Most people would love to get organised, both in their homes and personal lives – as it will ultimately give them more time and money and less stress. However, its easier said than done, and the key to being successful is to know what your organising personality really is.

Have you ever been to someones office or home and seen them using and praising what seems to be a fail safe system, only to take the idea home with you and it to fail within days?

A good example of this would be a post system, where they have drawers for each persons post, and then a drawer for post to go out of the office / house. This is great IF all people use it, and you don’t mind your outgoing post waiting until there is enough to take it to the postbox. If you are the type of person who is very spontaneous and works better knowing that everything has been done immediately then this method will drive you mad (so will watching other peoples post build up without then doing anything about it – grr!) and would therefore fail if you installed it in your space

“Failures” like this are simply the way that we perceive things – and are not at all the reality of the situation.

If you had taken the time to work out how YOU work best, and created a system that works for you, and not copied one that works for someone who isn’t like you, then it will be much more likely to be a success.

I like to break it down simply by working out what type of brain you have, and how you function in your day to day life at the moment. There are lots of derivatives and different ways to do this, but keeping it relatively simple is often a lot easier!

As a very basic guide, people who use their left brain more easily are more logical thinkers, and things tend to be very black and white (right or wrong), whereas people who use their right sides more tend to be more creative and things are various shades of grey.

LEFT SIDE CHARACTERISTICS

Logical

List makers

Planners

Rational

Detail Oriented

RIGHT SIDE CHARACTERISTICS

Creative

Visually Driven

Uses images more than words

Focus on the whole

Go with the flow

So – which are you? Take this simple test and see for yourself – just tick each of the following THAT YOU AGREE WITH:-

When I’m finished with an item, I put it away immediately

Whether I’m looking at a work of art or a room, I tend to prefer symmetrical design

My friends and family can rely on me to know whats going on at any given time

I love having a designated spot for each item in my wardrobe or drawers

I have a specific morning routine that never fails me

I often wear the same jewellery everyday

When I find a great meal at a restaurant, I order it every time I go there

I always bring a shopping list to the supermarket

My books and CDs are in alphabetical order or by genre

I feel guilty if I don’t follow the rules while playing board games

I work best when I have a plan or a schedule to work with

I HATE wasting time

I love having all my possessions on show and around the house

I like to move around my furniture a few times a year rather than stick with the same arrangement

Keeping current projects where I can see them is a must

On my computer I often am working on several things at once

When making purchases I usually go with my gut

If I have to explain directions to someone, I’ll draw a map rather than writing it down (and I would use landmarks rather than street names)

I often get in the car to go out and finds its low on petrol

I have a lot of objects and ornaments around my house

My desk is always filled with piles of papers, sticky notes and business cards

I am fine with people making last minute changes to plans

Now – look at how which column you have the most ticks in – if its the left then you are a LOGICAL thinker, and if you have more on the right then you are a CREATIVE thinker. If you have roughly the same amount on each side then you are a mix and can look at all organising methods to find which is right for each situation – lucky you!

I am definitely a logical thinker, but have a creative side too – however I do identify much more with the logical approach to organising, and because I know this, I tend to work better when I install systems and storage that is in line with the logical mindset.

You like everything out of sight and in order.

You like to plan things in advance and know whats going on

You like to feel in control

You may well be already quite organised, and you find it the most frustrating when you are not.

Because of these traits, you are likely to find that organising will work best for you if you have some of the following things in place:-

Loads of storage in every room with most things out of sightLabels to ensure that everyone knows where things are and what should be whereSystems and Routines for all areas and people in the houseA well organised diary so that everyone knows whats happening at a glanceA specified place for everythingLists, Lists and more Lists!Matching storage that coordinates with the decor

You like everything to be visible

You like to be spontaneous

You always have several things on the go at any one time

You are more easily distracted

You tend to be more emotional and sentimental

Because of these traits, you are likely to find that organising will work best for you if you have some of the following things in place:-

A large noticeboard in a prominent place so you can see invitations, pictures, letters etc…Lots of items displayed and dotted around the houseSpace for all your projects (a craft room, a home office etc…)Routines in place but only for the essentialsSpare time is used how you want to when it comes up – it isn’t plannedAsking others not to distract you would work well – don’t answer the phone, have everything you need for a project at hand rather than having to stop to find something halfway throughTry and finish one thing before you start anotherUse storage thats interesting to look at, or more unusual – even see through!Photos on displayMemorabilia boxes for every member of the familyUse hooks for items that you use often

So – there you have the 2 very basic personality types – and working out which of these you are can help all by itself and I am sure you can now see more easily.

However, if you want to know even more then read on, as we delve a little deeper into who you are and what will work for you….

Take a look at the following descriptions and see which one you fit into best – of course you may find that you fit one or two, and as with creative vs. logical personalities – you can utilise the techniques given in both of these to give you an even more personalised way of organising.

You love ensuring a job is done to its best standard, but don’t necessarily like to be the one in control. You like teamwork, delegating and planning.

What works for you?

Having all surfaces clear at the end of the day helps you feel that you are as organized as possible, and creates a feeling of calm.

You work best with lists and planners – so that you can see at a glance what needs to be done and any upcoming appointments etc…

You will work best when your household/family has their own tasks to complete – delegating chores to each member of the household will be vital to you.

You are good at juggling several different things at once – but try to prioritise and then you will get each job ticked off a little faster – giving you a sense of achievement throughout the day.

You are very able to run a house, but don’t like your day being run by others. You work well by yourself, and tend to get lots done. You are very much a “do it yourself” person.

What works for you?

You need to get the household on board with your organising plans – otherwise this will lead to frustration if they don’t keep the systems in place once you have instigated them.

Work WITH the others in your household and not AGAINST them – try and organise their spaces based on what they want and need, and not what you think will work best necessarily. Labelling works well for you, as this makes it easy for anyone to see what goes where.

Achievement-oriented and focused on details, you can see potential for improvement in any situation but tend to be overly critical of self and others. You like control and orderliness, but may expend useless energy in trying to achieve that goal 100%.

What works for you?

Try and just get a project started, and don’t be too harsh on yourself. You will see that even 80% of a job is better than not starting at all, and it will make all the difference!

Don’t try and be perfect in everything – set goals

Having designated places in your home for tasks will help you feel more in control

Highly ambitious, assertive and very industrious. You tend to have come from or are in a corporate background where results really mattered and gave you recognition.

What will work for you?

You want to feel productive, so working from schedules and TO DO lists will give you a sense of achievment (even ticking things off as you go will drive you forward)

Give yourself rewards as you complete tasks – even little things like a 5 minute break with a magazine and coffee will spur you on!

Don’t waste your time – make as much of every hour as possible in your day so you don’t feel that its wasted.

You are always on the go, and are very impulsive. You tend to base your day on what comes up, without necessarily planning it first. You get bored with lengthy tasks and find that they weigh you down. You want to feel free to do what needs to be done at any given time.

What works for you?

Ensure that when you are planning your day, you plan in only the most crucial items that NEED to be done then – and ensure you have plenty of free time – you know that this will be filled with whatever you decide to do that day – but at least you will be aware that your priorities are being dealt with as well.

Don’t micro manage your time – a weekly plan may work best for you as you can then see what will fit into the day you are in at that time. Just keep yourself focused on the overall picture of getting what you need done – no matter when that is.

Don’t let yourself be REACTIVE when shopping – stick to a meal plan and shopping list – otherwise this personality will be most likely to be drawn to the offers in each shop and spend much more than they set out to.

Helpful, friendly and trustworthy (though easily distracted), you are tuned in to other people.

What will work for you?

Try not to look at social media too often during the day as you are bound to spend too much time on them. Limit to about 2 times each day for 30 minutes (at most!)

Organise with others – have a group that help each other, or get a professional in. Listen to the radio to help you feel more social while you are doing big tasks.

The detail of things really doesn’t interest you. You want to have a little of everything going on at the same time, and feel more alive when this is the case (even though you aren’t really concentrating on anything 100%)

What works for you?

Labelling will work great as once its done you don’t really have to think or worry about whats goes where – as you have your labels to tell you!

Work in 15 minute time periods as then you are more likely to concentrate for a little time knowing that you can finish soon.

I hope that you now have a clearer idea of your organising personality, and have seen why certain things you may have tried already have failed.

I personally am a logical personality at my core, and all the derivitives sound like me (control freak, moi!?) so I am much more likely to have hidden storage, lots of it, and everything in its place – or at least thats my aim! I know that it will make me happier (and the areas that I have already done are testament to that), so thats what keeps me going.

TIP – If you do decide you need help from a professional organiser then please ensure you choose one that takes into account your personality and lifestyle, and doesn’t impose systems that you find uncomfortable to use – otherwise you will very soon slip back into your old habits.

As well as your main personalities, you may like to also think about your inner workings – are you a night owl or an early bird? Knowing this will really help you to do work out how your day would best be laid out.

If you work from home then you may find this a lot easier, and you may decide that you would work better doing your 8 hour day from midday to 8pm, and having the morning off, or waking up at 6am and working through to 2pm. Or even in 2 * 4 hour blocks with a long break in the middle of the day.

Have a play around with this as well, and you may just be surprised at the results in your productivity and motivation!

If you have any questions or comments please reply below and we’ll get back to you always. As ever, we love to hear from you!.

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