Organization…Essential or Optional?

By Anne Walter

Organization….this word is so important to my world; my well-being is entirely dependent on the complete and utter definition of this concept. Sounds intense when you read that sentence over again, but to be honest, it’s the truth. Even as a small child, I happily engaged in activities to clean my room or keep order in an often chaotic household of 9 people. To have your own room was something dreams were made of, but my reality is that my two sisters were dreaming the same thing. Fortunately, the room included desk space for homework, books etc…and we survived.

When your childhood is shaped by the constant sharing of things, food, and clothes, you become accustomed to adjusting and modifying to make things work. Something that others might quickly discard becomes a thoughtful moment of, “hmmm…can I utilize this in another way?” Space was always a premium and learning to work with what you had, in some sense, can prepare you in many ways as an adult both personally and professionally.

Being extremely organized allows for me to have mental clarity when a high volume of tasks or projects need to be addressed, which can be overwhelming. To be able to assess and prioritize on the levels of need and importance, breaks through the chaos. It invites a calmer atmosphere thereby reducing stress, allowing me to work more efficiently.

Personally, I understand that organization comes easily to me and for that, I am extremely grateful. It is a useful and essential tool in all aspects of my home and work life. Professionally, it has allowed me to excel into areas that I might not have been able to successfully navigate.

Even though it comes naturally to me, anyone can be organized. It just takes a desire to learn an alternate way of organizational structure. We are always learning new things every day, right?