I'm Not Neat, I'm Organized!

My desk stays in various states of disaster, ranging from a minor earthquake to The End of the World. It's a clear indicator of how busy I am and how many things I am juggling. Even at the best of times it's, shall we say, a work in progress.

No one has ever accused me of being neat. Sure, I can organize a large conference or complicated event or 24 projects at once. But keep my desk neat? Not a hope.

Unfortunately, most people equate organization with neatness. But being organized doesn't mean being neat; it means setting up a system that lets you find what you need when you need it. Just as we have unique personal social styles, we have God-given working styles. The best organization method for you is the one that fits your style without forcing yourself into a method that causes you more effort and frustration.

When it comes to organizing preferences, there are three distinct styles. Mind you, all of us have some level of tendency toward chaos. But whichever is your style, there are techniques that can help you become organized. Which of the following best describes you?

The Bower Bird
The bower bird is a bird that decorates its nest with blue objects to attract a mate. Its nest is full of blue objects scattered everywhere.

Bower Bird organizers are visual people. They like to put everything out in the open to see. Out of sight is out of mind for them, and they only feel a sense of urgency if they see something. Bower Birds can fall into either neat (with individual piles) or messy (one big, long, wide, continuous pile). They often like to “accessorize.”

Obviously, such an organizing style could easily fall into mass confusion with stuff everywhere. Some ways that Bower Birds can more easily organize are:

•  Use wall accessories. Use tools that get items off your desk surface. Take advantage of your wall space by putting up bulletin boards, wall pockets, or other wall systems that help you keep your items in sight but off the desktop.

•  Use furniture that keeps items in sight. Install open shelving (no doors) or use clear organizers and other tools that keep things conveniently nearby and out in the open.

•  Make regular desk checkups. For Bower Birds, the desk is the easiest place to habitually degenerate into disaster. Make a regular habit to go through items on your desk to ensure that it doesn't get out of control. Toss as much as you can. If you're afraid to toss it, scan it and store on your computer. (Then toss the paper!)

The Turtle
The Turtle likes to keep things out of sight. Like a turtle that pulls in its head and legs to hide, Turtle organizers like to stash away items. They can't stand clutter. They look organized until you open their drawers, file cabinets, or closets. Then, in a drawer where there are supposed to be files, you will find a can of Lysol sitting next to a half-used pack of blank CDs.

Helpful tools for Turtles are:

•  Subdividers— Subdivide the interior spaces so everything doesn't get tossed into a big jumble. If you have a junk drawer, put in drawer organizers so you can easily toss in different items.

•  Simple systems— Create simple ways to file your papers. Don't worry about making a file folder for each subject. Just use a box to throw all your related papers for a project. It will take less time for you to go through the papers in the box than to hunt through your entire office collecting all the papers you tossed into different places.

•  Closed shelving/furniture— Use shelves with doors or a roll-top desk to hide the clutter that bothers you. Rollaway files or drawers are another easy way to put things out of sight.

The Packrat
The Packrat loves to keep everything. Packrats are always overflowing in stuff. They like to keep things and are the ultimate collectors.

Packrats can benefit from a few helpful techniques:

•  Tossing— Go through your items on a regular basis. Realize that things do go out of date and that it's okay to toss items. Or even better, recycle! Ask yourself, “How often do I use this?” If it's been over year, it's time to take a serious look at tossing it, giving it away, or archiving it. Another helpful question to ask is, “Can I get this from someone else?” If so, why should you be the one to keep it? Let someone else have the privilege.

•  Using the “get one, give one” rule— This rule alone will keep the clutter from growing. As soon as you get a new book, give an old one away. The ideal situation is to send out two for every one you get—an effective way to slowly weed out the clutter. But if you can match items one-for-one, you'll at least keep your workspace from getting worse.

•  Setting time limits— Set a time limit for how long you'll keep something unused before another person can benefit from it. Think of it as you are blessing another person by giving it to them.

Whatever your organizing style, you can take steps to help you be better organized so you can spend less time hunting for things and more time ministering and using your time for God's kingdom. God bless you in your organizing efforts!

{Editor's note: With Angela's well-earned reputation for organization, we thought our members would enjoy this note she sent:

Brian,

I am appalled to confess that I totally forgot to send the contracts and invoice to you because I accidentally filed your email away in another folder!!! I am sooo sorry! I will send it out tomorrow!!

Just goes to show that being organized doesn't mean you have it all together. :-(

Somehow this made us at The Inside Track feel better…}

Angela is the director of serving ministries at Fremont Evangelical Free Church in Fremont, California, and is a member of the Church Volunteer Central Advisory Council . She has developed several resources to help organize ministries and conferences, which you can learn more about from her organization, SummitStar Press .

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