Disorganization is a known cause of conflict in the workplace and on the home front. Who hasn't been frustrated with a co-worker or even themselves because of a “temporarily misplaced” file or at home because of “lost keys”?

 

I would like to challenge you to think of the reasons you are aware of that cause disorganization. Have you been able to think of any? Often people assume it is because someone is to busy or just "energy conserving." But the truth is there are many causes, the following are known categories and each category still has its own examples.

Neurologically-based conditions

Environmental Factors

Lack of Skills

Choices

Communication Problems

Systemic Factors

Addictive Tendencies

Mental Health Issues

Transitions

Aging Issues

Beliefs and Attitudes

Physical Challenges

Learning Styles or Modalities

Perfectionism

Life Crises

Attachments to Possessions

Learning Differences

Ineffective Beliefs about Possessions

Information-Processing Deficits

Emotional and/or Behavioural Patterns

Just knowing there are so many causes for disorganization you can quickly see that being organized may not be as simple a fact as you think it should be. For example two disorganized people working side by side may be so different in work styles, learning styles and other considerations that they may need to incorporate two very different solutions.

At home and in the office being organized is critical to function, efficiency and maintaining balance. When you consider studies show the average office worker spends at least 400 hours per year searching for paper documents. This places tremendous stress on the bottom line for many businesses. In the home it can be affecting our most personal relationships by causing stress and discord.

After many years of study I have come to the conclusion that while tips and ideas for organization may help, they also may not help. The best results come when a customized solution is designed for the chronically disorganized individual.

Professional Organizing is about taking the organizing tools on the market and finding the right solutions for the users and the space. Finding the right tools for each individual is done by completing an assessment. If the organizer practices holistic techniques, as I do, this can become very involved as they discuss work habits, learning styles and obtain other information to provide the best customized solution.