Organization: Inherited Gene, Learned Skill or New App?

As (many?) parents of teenagers will attest – getting through high school means that your house gets TRASHED by random college junk mail, textbooks, broken pencils, and yes, even in this digital age, lots and lots of papers, strewn everywhere. (Don’t even get me started on the laundry…) We have begged, cajoled, bribed, and thrown money at the problem – imploring our high schooler to use ANY means possible to organize his life. It is simply not happening.

Image representing Evernote as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

So why am I writing about organization on a marketing blog? Because organization, in my opinion, is an essential ingredient to any line of successful or effective work endeavor. Organization, at times, seems to be a luxury I can’t afford. Yet the structured thinking and actions based on a planned process so often prove to be an investment worth making. Being organized means you are cognizant of and prepared for deadlines, you don’t miss them. It means you can put your hands on any item or data tidbit in a short amount of time, with minimal increase to your blood pressure, and support your efforts well informed.

I’m not at all sure if there is an “organization gene “ or if adapting organized behaviors is an acquired skill. Don’t we all know people who were “born” organized and continue to demonstrate a passionate dedication to the craft of organization? On the other hand, aren’t there others (like me) who have learned the hard way that a little planning can make life easier in the long haul? Is there any hope for my teenager?

Well, it’s an interesting question in my view for two reasons:

1) There are so many interesting digital tools and apps out there to help us keep track of what’s ahead, and

2) There seems to be an interesting dialog lately about work habits, specifically if you thrive in a work environment that puts you in presence of others or if you are more efficient as a “lone wolf.” And where do your organizational tendencies impact your preference?

I’m not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or research nerd, so I can’t adequately address issue No. 2. However, the article that got me thinking about this, is worth the read. There are two additional articles/blogs I read recently listing available tools:

One by About.com (http://homebusiness.about.com/od/Home_Business_Toolbox/tp/Online-To-Do-List-And-Organizational-Tools.htm) describes multiple free “To Do” list tools (such as Remember the Milk) and data management programs (like Evernote.)
Another blogger wrote a great summary of tools (http://www.sugarrae.com/business-ramblings/my-top-9-online-organizational-tools-for-business-in-2012/) she uses that help navigate through life in a wide variety of ways – from what may seem obvious, like Skype, to a travel app called TripIt (which I am about to download.)

We were just discussing the fact that organization is a deeply personal and subjective quality. As one co-worker so brilliantly put it, “you can have organized chaos.” One person’s mess is another person’s impeccable system. How very true. I am the first one to agree that everyone needs to be organized in his or her own way.

So if you were born organized, or are merely practicing organization, (or thrive in a team environment or as a “lone wolf”) there are tools out there ready just for you! Now, if you can convince my son to just use ANY of them, I’d owe you, BIG, because he has chaos alright, and no organization.