This is the third organizing misconception I would like to "debunk" which I am reminded of quite often. It has to do with being inflexible.
People are creatures of habit. They tend to continue to do things even if it isn't necessarily working for them just because it's the way they've always done it. This doesn't mean it's the best way to do it.
I had a client once that described to me how she had set up several trays in her office so that staff members could add paperwork throughout the day that required her attention.
The problem was that the staff members did not feel confident that a high priority project was getting the attention it needed. They were not sure that it would get handled prior to a lower priority project since everything was added to the tray - no matter what the level of importance.
Even my client's boss was not at all happy with this system. He agreed with the staff members that there were going to be some projects that were more important than others. So, he made a change to the system.
He decided that all high priority projects were going to be placed in red folders in each of the staff members' trays. This way, if they had something of high priority, the staff members would be able to place the papers pertaining to that project in the red folder. Good idea, right?
My client, however, said that initially she didn't want to change her system which she had been using for quite some time. She was upset. She couldn't understand why her system, which, in her mind, had been working just fine, had to be changed. Now, the change was required and she did not have a choice. She had to be flexible and she had to accept it. She admitted to me that now that the new system is being utilized, she actually likes it! She finds she is much more productive.
When it comes to getting organized, you need to be flexible. Continuous improvement should always be the goal. No matter what you are doing, there tends to be a better, faster, more efficient and more productive way to do it.
I find sometimes that certain ideas I introduce to my clients are not taken well at first. I always ask them to live with it for a while and see how it feels. They tend to find that they like the new way of doing things - they just needed time to get used to it.
Working with a professional organizer will provide you with various opportunities for change that you never thought of before. It can open your eyes to new ways of accomplishing the same goal. Give flexibility a try...you might be surprised!
Next time, we will discuss the myth that in order to get organized, you need to throw everything away!
In the meantime, if you have any organizing questions or problems you would like me to address, send me an email at info@4abetterspace.com and I will be glad to help.
