Can you be too organized?
I am not the most organized person. From the outside looking in, it may appear that I am, but to be 100% honest, I am not. I prefer organized chaos, it adds a little bit of spice to what could be routine, boring days. As a working mom, with a lot of additional responsibilities, and some challenges, I quickly learned I had to be organized in order to survive.
Early into my leadership career, I had two administrative assistants who had perfected the art of looking organized. While my desk was a continuous pile of papers, files, and notes, their desks were always perfectly clean. Matched files, with typed labels, were neatly placed in file holders. Matching pens and notepads were placed strategically next to their phones. Their desks looked like a Pinterest photo. As the leader, I was embarrassed any time someone saw my office. In grant writing season, there was not a clear surface. During audit season, piles of files lined my floor.
Please don’t get me wrong, my system worked for me, and I was able to produce a lot of really good work, lead, grow, and invest in a team, and I always knew where everything was. The view was just not always the prettiest. It was like my office was in the continuous stage of a messy kitchen right before you washed the dishes.
Finally, one day I cracked. In a long conversation with my mom, I told her how envious I was of these women, how I wanted to have a pretty, neat desk too. She listened patiently, and then she reminded me that I always knew where everything was. I could pull out notes from a meeting three years ago in five minutes. Then she asked if they could do the same. And that is when the realization hit me.
More often than not we live in a place of envy. We want, wish and hope for what others have. We long for the same skills and strengths presented, we automatically assume our methods and skills are inferior. The lesson, a shiny package with a perfect bow is often compensating for a lack of true skill. Or, in the case of Pinterest photos, the desk was just cleaned and decorated for the photo, it does not reflect reality.
That Monday I put my theory to the test. As I asked for file after file, specific tasks to be completed, I watched the pretty bows begin to become unraveled. The moral of the story, neither administrative assistant was up to the job, and they both knew it. They compensated for their lack of skills by making everything pretty. When pushed, when asked to produce a file, the neatly typed labels were quickly found to be inaccurate.
There is nothing I love more than pretty things. I love beautiful baubles and knickknacks and have a collection I keep in my office. I added pretty file folders, notebooks, and pens. But the reality is, I still live with organized chaos. Only now, I understand my work habits and know this is the only way I can survive.
Too much Organization
If you have time to completely tidy an area, decorate it, and maintain the tidiness, you have too much time on your hands or are avoiding tasks. Similarly, if your area is a pigpen, you are avoiding your work. A balance of tidiness and chaos creates the ideal work environment. When everything on your desk is neat and tidy, labels have been typed, and there is not a stray pen to be seen, you may question where you are placing your focus.
What to Organize
Files and projects should be organized, and somewhat neat. If you are working on a project, a certain amount of unruliness is acceptable. For example, sticky notes indicating notes or items of importance. Everything included in the project should be in the files, preferably organized by section, yet there should still be the feel of work progressing.
A clean workspace is preferable, no one wants to work in absolute chaos, but a certain amount of messiness is needed when completing a project. If everything is neat and tidy all the time, one would question if any work is getting completed.
Important Notes
A person’s system for organization should be personal. What works for me will definitely not work for you. For example, I have one notebook that I keep all my notes in for every project. I love it. It creates simplicity for me, I never have to wonder if I have the correct notebook. But for some, this method could be complete chaos. I also don’t use file folders, I prefer plastic envelopes. Because these are completely sealed, I don’t have to worry about losing any papers. I also write everything in my planner, when I send emails when I make calls, it’s my central note system. That way, I can always reference in one place, when calls and emails were sent.
Finding your ideal organizational method will ensure success. Remember to be kind to yourself, allow for some messiness, and actual work getting done. Place your focus on the work, not the presentation of your files. Those who have an overly orderly system may be too focused on appearance.
Sincerely,
Sara O
