Ever wonder why some people seem to have tidy organized spaces while others do not? Everyone has a natural approach to organizing. Do you know how your personality type affects how you organize? Much of the time our approach to organizing works for us (or we wouldn’t continue using the same approach). But sometimes things go awry and clutter builds up. To best fix the problem, we first need to understand our organizing personality type. Only then will we be able to maintain our spaces for the long term. Understanding what techniques and behaviors work best for you can impact the overall quality of your relationship with your space and even your quality of life.
There are six different personality types for organizing space. I’ve included effective ways for each type to organize more effectively. You may display behaviors of several different types or strongly align with just one type. But knowing your type or style will help you to better organize your spaces and stay organized. And who doesn’t want that??
1. EVERYTHING OUT
The Everything Out style person leaves things out in the open as visual reminders. They can easily put their hands on items and feel more in control using this method. When too many things are left out though, it may become hard to find what they are looking for. That’s when this style preference begins to work against them. And, creating piles of papers and other items may offend others in the home if not kept carefully under control.
Everything Outs function well when they look around and see items that they are using and are pleasing. Because leaving items out can quickly become overwhelming, a person with this style of organization should schedule time to maintain their spaces. Everything Outs should use clear containers for organizing. Clear and translucent containers allow them to see what’s stored inside. Visual inventory is very important to Everything Outs. If opaque storage is used, try to add a picture and inventory list to the outside of the container.
2. NOTHING OUT
The Nothing Out personality styles equate a clear surface with a clear and organized mind. They will put things away to help them feel more in control. They are drawn to organizational products that hide things from view. But, they might stash things away without systematically organizing them, just to get them out of sight. Nothing Outs enjoy creating filing and storage systems for both active and long term projects. They find computerized planning and scheduling tools appealing.
Nothing Outs’ relentless need for tidying up may lead to disorganization behind the scenes. For that reason, it’s important for them to find organization solutions for cupboards, closets and drawers. As long as a Nothing Out can easily keep those hidden areas organized, they will stay on top of clutter.
3. SAVER
We all know someone with a Saver personality style. Savers think nearly everything will come in handy someday. Keeping items for this reason makes them feel secure. Stockpiling is also a tendency of Savers. They see no reason to let go of an item that they “paid good money for” and is “perfectly good”. Some Saver tendencies may have come from a time in families when saving meant survival. These Savers may have behavioral and psychological triggers connected with their things.
Savers are those who struggle the most with too much stuff. They should review their stashes to eliminate items that no longer work, or that they no longer need. Their items should be easily accessible, so they can enjoy what they save. These items need to fit into the space they have, reserving space for new items. They should work to reduce the inflow of new items. Savers tend to hold on to reading materials that are not current and paperwork becomes overwhelming so finding paperwork solutions are vital.
4. MINIMALIST
Minimalist organizing style types thrive on having only essentials. They dislike clutter, often eliminating perfectly good items in the haste to avoid clutter. Excess causes Minimalists to feel out of control. They typically do not accept even free items unless there is an absolute need for them. While they appreciate the value of memories, they don’t connect those memories to “things” and don’t tend to keep items for sentimental reasons.
Minimalists should take time to evaluate the importance of items since they may hastily throw things out to avoid clutter. They should confer with other family members before eliminating items of sentimental value. Minimalists should refrain from throwing out items belonging to other people, even though they think they are doing so with a purpose of kindness and helpfulness.
5. STRAIGHTENER
Straightener organizing style types love the look of tidy piles and straight lines. They feel in control when their items are aligned and neat. They don’t need to know what’s in a pile as long as it is tidy. Straighteners may even tidy up spaces that don’t belong to them such as magazines in a public waiting area. Because they like the looks of tidy piles, they may fail to organize the items they are straightening. Therefore, their spaces look more organized than they actually are.
Straighteners need to monitor what they keep and avoid straightening items just because they see them. They need to create organizing systems that help them store things in a systematic way so they can find what they need easily. They are usually open to unorthodox organizing systems as long as they look neat and tidy.
6. NO RULES
No Rules organizing style types look disorganized to others. No Rules may know what they have and how to find it when necessary but they struggle due to their lack of systematic organization. No Rules may actually have gaps in their knowledge and/or organizational skills. They may be non conformists or less mature and rebel at the idea of structure. No Rules don’t do well with change and transition.
No Rules do best with changes that come gradually and systems that are convenient and easy to manage and maintain. They may require unconventional solutions to help them get organized. The best organizing systems for No Rules are ones that are designed to match their unique space and behaviors.
As you can see, there are many personality styles when it comes to organizing spaces. Knowing your dominant style will help you successfully manage your decisions regarding organizing. Not everyone can do it alone. Retaining the services of a professional organizer can get you to your goal of quelling the chaos while giving you the tools to maintain your newly organized spaces. Alone, or with the help of an organizer, creating spaces that work for your style will help you find a sense of peace and tranquility.