Do men really organize differently than women or is it ‘personality style’ that makes the difference?
Let’s take a high level look at some common characteristics for each personality style:

An Action Way personality enjoys a direct approach. They are fast paced and appreciate when things are kept simple. They are open-minded and enjoy the opportunity to be creative. They take rules and regulations as suggestions.

The Logical Way personality likes you to be prepared when you arrive. Be clear and concise. They need all the relevant information and enjoy working on time lines. They like to think in terms of ‘the big picture’. They like to analyse the situation.

The Organized Way personality is well prepared, focused, and consistent. They hold great value in being dependable and thorough. They appreciate a show of respect for their time and appreciate autonomy and control over a project.

The Relationship Way personality is friendly and enjoys the opportunity for innovation and autonomy. They need to know how will they be an asset and they enjoy verbal recognition. They have a deep concern for the common good, are positive, enthusiastic and appreciate diversity in others.

There was something that you just read that you identified with and it was not motivated by whether you are male or female but instead by your primary personality style. In addition, you may have identified with more than one of the descriptions because we all posses a bit of each of the styles, in varying degrees.

So, if you want to be more organized – male or female – then a helpful too is to determine your motivation based on your personality not on your gender.

 

Identifying motivation in key areas of your life

Home – Where does one begin?

There are so many areas of a home that could be more organized. Even as a professional organizer, I need to decide which area will get tweaked and what my motivation is for choosing that specific area.

Below we’ve listed a few common areas to get you thinking about your home and what the motivation might be to choose that area.

The Kitchen

    • You want to eat a healthier diet
    • You find cooking is easier when you know what you have
    • You can save money by cooking more meals at home
  • The Closets
    • You want to know where to find your clothes and accessories
    • You want to put on clothes that have no wrinkles
    • You want to look good on casual Fridays
  • Your Home as Your Sanctuary
    • You want to feel calm and happy coming home at the end of the day

Can you say “I love my garage” or “I’m comfortable because I know where everything is in my garage/storage area”?

Maybe your motivation is to save money which means you will need to clear out your storage unit.

I want to organize __________ area of my home and my motivation is:   

1. ____________________________________________________________ 

2. ____________________________________________________________ 

More about home organizing. 

Office – Your Money Maker

When you think about your office, wherever that may be, does the organizational structure of this space truly support your work style. If not, ask yourself what is your motivation for making it better.

  • Space layout 
    • Is your work station ergonomically correct
    • Do you have enough lighting (after I turned 40, I put another desk lamp on my desk :)
  • Administrative work
    • Some love it and some don’t. But being organized can reduce the overall time spent on admin duties and give you more time for other things
  • Safe place to catch all
    • Do you have a place in your office, a system that you trust, to put incoming papers, notes and documents until you process them
  • Your email, your calendar and your tasks
    • You’d like to be in control of these activities
  • You’d like to feel that you can achieve your 2013 goals

This motivates me to organize my office:    

 1. ____________________________________________________________ 

2. ____________________________________________________________ 

Read about organizing your office.

Time – 480 minutes in an 8-hour work day

What motivates you to take control of ‘time’ in your life?

  • To spend time being creative
  • To take up painting
  • To sleep more hours or more calmly
  • To feel calmer during the day
  • To work more effectively
  • To go skiing
  • To run your business more smoothly
  • To fulfill your responsibilities

I am motivated to take control of ‘time’ in my life because:      

1. ____________________________________________________________ 

2. ____________________________________________________________

Read more about organizing time. 

Spirit – What makes your heart skip a beat (in a good way)?

Our spirit is who we are and what makes us happy. When there are ‘things’ weighing us down, it’s hard to laugh from the belly and it’s also hard to be truthfully present in what we do each day.

Ask yourself how would achieving the level of organization you want affect your spirit. Would you be happier, walk more lightly, laugh more easily, be less stressed?

The following two statements describe how I will feel by achieving my personal organizational objectives.

1. ____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________

Follow us on Facebook for tidbits of inspiration and motivation

 

Related Posts