Know Thyself. Lisa Lawmaster Hess

and strategies from these styles, as long as they work with my primary style. No matter how pretty, cool, or unique the container, if it doesn’t give me the visual nudge I need, it will be an obstacle rather than a tool.

      Confused? Here’s the simple version. Use your primary styles — one personal style and one organizational style — as the foundation of your organizational system. Then use your tendencies from the other styles to build on that foundation, adding variety and creativity while staying true to what works.

      Oh — and don’t forget to have fun.

       Smart organizers know when to ask for help

      Dear Lord, help me to remember that my personal styles are a part of the me you created. Help me to use them in constructive ways so that I may be more at peace with myself and with all that surrounds me. Amen.

      Chomping at the bit to get started, even though we’re only in chapter 2? Go for it! Check out this chart on containers by personal style. A “yes” means that type of container is a good match for the style; a “no” means just the opposite. Blank cells are “maybes” — containers that fall somewhere in between and are more a matter of personal preference.

       Lisa’s Lists

       Three Things to Remember

      1. Every style has positive attributes. Because our styles have most likely gotten in our way in the past, it’s easy to see them only as stumbling blocks. But once we acknowledge and embrace our styles, we can use them to our advantage. When we adopt this new perspective, we unlock the potential behind our styles as tools for getting organized in a way that makes sense to us and is therefore sustainable.

      2. A sense of humor is an important tool in the organizing arsenal. Because you’re reading this book, I’m assuming you have a sense of humor, but it’s been subjugated by the judgments you (and perhaps others) have made about the very styles I’m asking you to embrace. Why not try dusting off that sense of humor and taking a more lighthearted approach? At the very least, it’ll save you from expending energy on making yourself feel bad, and at best it can lead you to a self-acceptance that enables you to come up with creative ways of using your styles in ways that work for you. Either way, you’ll have smiled.

      3. It’s a process. Identifying your personal and organizational styles is the first step in this one-step-forward-two-steps-back process. Some days you’ll feel like an organizational guru and other days, you’ll feel like the Queen (or King) of Chaos. Baby steps.

       Chapter 3

       Organizational Styles: Our Default Settings

      And there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.

      1 CORINTHIANS 12:6

      If the personal styles are the “who” behind our organizational systems, the organizational styles are the “how” — our organizational defaults, as it were. In this chapter, we’ll explore the organizational styles — I know I put it somewhere, cram and jam, and drop and run — just as we did with the personal styles in chapter 2. Once again, feel free to skip ahead to the section of this chapter that matches your style and then come back to the information about the other styles to see if you can pick up any additional hints.

      Let’s start with the organizational style we identified for Gemma in chapter 1: I know I put it somewhere.

       I Know I Put It Somewhere

      What it looks like: Those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style typically look organized. Desktops and table-tops are usually clear, piles are safely put away, and everything looks neat and tidy. The problem? Those with this style aren’t consistent or systematic. They like things to look nice, so they stash things wherever there’s room. Then, when it comes time to retrieve what they need, they can’t remember where they put it.

      The heart of the problem: lack of a consistent, cohesive system.

      Positive attributes: Folks with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style are good at putting things away. They find a place for everything, even if the places they find are inconsistent or illogical. They have the basics of storage down; they just need a little guidance to bring their retrieval skills up to the same level.

      Putting it to work: Those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style need a system. By establishing consistent homes for their things in logical locations, folks with this organizational style can shape their natural tendency to put things away into a system that also enables them to find what they need when they need it. What kinds of tools work for those with an I know I put it somewhere organizational style? The kinds that create built-in reminders. Clear containers, divided containers, and open storage keep things visible, while labeled locations and unique, unusual or eye-catching organizers provide a hint as to what’s inside. I know I put it somewhere organizers might also benefit from a small location notebook where they keep track of locations for infrequently used items such as holiday decorations or gifts. Sound silly? When is the last time you said to yourself, “Oh, I’ll remember I put this here,” and then didn’t?

       Cram and Jam

      What it looks like: Those with a cram and jam organizational style don’t waste any space. Instead, they do just what the style says — they cram things into nooks, and they jam things into crannies. Sometimes everything gets crammed and jammed into the same space (think backpacks and drawers); other times, the cram and jammer finds crevices no one else would consider storage and stuffs things there. Consequently, the things they’ve stored might not be in great shape upon retrieval; in fact, they are often rumpled, crumpled, and/or broken.

      The heart of the problem: overstuffing.

      Positive attributes: Those with the cram and jam organizational style are efficient in their use of space. In addition, when those with this organizational style consistently use the same spaces, they have little trouble finding what they need when they need it. It may take some digging, but cram and jammers can usually excavate what they need.

      Putting it to work: Folks with the cram and jam organizational style often do better with open storage than enclosed spaces: shelves instead of drawers, for example. Many cram and jammers have already mastered the art of consistently putting things in the same spot, so the trick is to give them space in which to work. Soft, expandable containers (fabric bins, for example) can work better to keep things in good condition than rigid materials like wood and plastic, as can containers with room to grow. The tighter the space, the more likely the items going into it will come out wrinkled or damaged.

       Drop and Run

      What it looks like: Those with a drop and run organizational style leave a trail in their wake. They walk in the door, take off their shoes (and leave them by the door), drop whatever they’re carrying, and go on to the next thing they want to do. If they happen to need something they brought into the house, they’ll take it with them. Otherwise, the bag, backpack, coat, or other paraphernalia is likely to stay wherever they dropped it.

      The heart of the problem: putting it down instead of putting it away.

      Positive attributes: