Good Organizing Means Having a Good Piling System

I read a great book last spring called "Organizing from the Right Side of Your Brain: A Creative Approach to Getting Organized," by Lee Silber. Silber explains that right-brained folks often find conventional organizing methods unworkable. He's quick to say that doesn't mean we don't need to get organized; it just means we need to approach the problem differently. He goes on to offer lots of ideas. A few didn't speak to me, but others had me almost jumping out of my seat, feeling for once as though someone understood the way my brain works (or doesn't). He talked about the tendency of some people to need to see things, and to therefore pile things instead of filing them. Whoo-EEE, is that ever me! He suggested organizing project materials into labeled clear containers, and to make space on horizonal surfaces to neatly organize the project in progress.

This is just one suggesting from a book full of them. It sounds like such a simple, small thing, but just the notion that there are different organizing styles based on the way one's brain works was liberating. Instead of wasting energy feeling guilty for not organizing things conventionally, I was able to focus more on finding creative solutions that matched my own style.

I'm still taking baby steps--and, admittedly, doing a lot of backsliding--but I'm moving in the right direction. If this blog post describes problems that frustrate you, you might enjoy "Organizing from the Right Side of Your Brain," by Lee Silber. You'll feel as though you've found a new friend.