When I learned about the ways a person’s personality type affects the way they manage their time and space, I set out to explore this further by conducting a survey where I asked others to identify their own type, strengths, and challenges. The results of my research are documented in my ebook, Organizing Your Life, Your Way.

I’ve recently come to know Katie and Kelly McMenamin, two sisters who share my fascination with organizing and personality type. As qualified MBTI professionals with different personality types, they really “get” this stuff. Recognizing that one-size-fits-all organizing solutions simply don’t exist, they developed their own system by taking the 16 types defined under the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and grouping them into the following four “PixieTypes”:

• Classic “Traditional, Organized” (SJ)
• Fun “Adventurous, Practical” (SP)
• Smart “Inventive, Clever” (NT)
• Organic “Idealistic, Creative” (NF)

Each group is further broken down into “Structure” and “Freedom” depending on the other type preferences.

Katie and Kelly have stopped by to explain these differences by describing their individual organizing styles and how they work well together.

Katie: Organic Freedom — INFP

I’ve spent much of my life envying people who seem to have it together — organized, on time, cautious, well-dressed (and without cat hair, lint, dandruff, etc. upon their clothes). The kind of people who have no problem working first and playing later.

As much as I have tried, (watching television WHILE I write this for instance) stray hairs are upon my clothes and I have never been able to be the strictly organized, on time, “work before play” person I have so much envied.

Turns out, those super “together” people I’ve been jealous of were born with innate abilities for discipline and order. It comes EASY to them because if they don’t do these things, they get anxious and annoyed. Life becomes hard. These people (my sister for instance) are uncomfortable being messy. They aren’t happy unless they are crossing things off lists, making sure their outfits are put together, their world ordered, filed away, clean. It’s simply who they are.

Not me. When it comes to being organized and together, I’m usually described as lazy, disorganized, forgetful, spacy, etc. And it’s mostly true. But I’m also mostly organized, usually on time, careful, stylish, and have an innate ability to finish projects at the last minute with great results. What I’ve found, and others discovered long before I was born — Jung, Myers, Briggs, Benzinger, Kiersey, Bates, Native American Mythology — is that, um, people are just born different.

We all have different personalities and preferences, and when we learn what they are and to follow and accept them, we can then put aside our preconceptions of that organized, prompt, well dressed example of perfection, and become a realistic version of being organized and “together” that works for us.

Yes, I like to watch TV when I do my “homework” and I do it late at night and not in the morning when my sister is hard at work and I’m often still sleeping. Yes, I don’t know where EVERYTHING is in my house, and I could stand to go through my closet again. But I know where my important papers are, I have a list of essential numbers taped to the inside of my kitchen cupboards, and I’m living the busiest time in my life (two kids, a new business, a writing career). It’s a very busy, very full, and very enjoyable life. And when I’m being myself, it’s easy.

So, when it comes to finding organization solutions for your home and your life, implement systems that work for YOU. If writing things on your hand helps you remember things, then do it, convention be damned. My sister saw Richard Branson (the gazillionaire) on CNBC the other day and he had a reminder written on his hand. Know and accept who you are (the real you, not the one you envy). If you do, you’ll find solutions come easier to you. It’s not magic, but when it’s done right, your life will sparkle with Pixie magic. Trust us. Life should be easy.

Kelly: Classic Freedom – ISFJ

Every once in a while, for inexplicable reasons likely related to tidal movements, I’m tempted to try to be someone I’m not. Yesterday, I felt like watching TV all day but knew I couldn’t as I had writing to do. I thought, “Hey, I know! I’ll be like my sister, Kate. I’ll finish my writing while simultaneously watching TV.” So, I tried to write this bit while watching movies all afternoon. I didn’t get farther than a few sentences and had to keep rewinding the movies. End result: I neither enjoyed the movies nor experienced the joy of crossing off “Write Blog” from my To Do list.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot be someone else. I work and then play, not because I’m virtuous or have superior willpower to Kate, but because it’s easier for me this way. If I don’t do it in this order, I don’t get work done and then I’m anxious and unhappy. That’s it. That’s the only reason.

I like to keep my house tidy because I can’t relax if there is obvious work in front of me, i.e., junk everywhere screaming to be put away. I’ll honestly never know how people can truly relax amidst clutter. I can tolerate things temporarily but eventually it grates on me and I must find a home for something.

So now you are probably wondering how anyone like me could possibly have problems with organizing. First, I am often super busy and therefore don’t always have the time to properly organize my belongings and the constant inflow (that’s when I start to stuff junk behind closet & cupboard doors or under the bed to avoid seeing it). Second, I get such euphoria from getting things done that I sometimes cut corners (if it isn’t work related) to get to the finish line.

My house almost always looks good on the outside but if you dig deeper into cupboards, closets or drawers, they are often in disarray. Part of this is because I’m busy but it also feeds into my impatience with getting things done. I often don’t take the extra time to plan out how to properly organize all of the various nooks.

When I first set up my linen closet, I did the bare minimum … a shelf for towels, a shelf with three wicker bins for mostly vitamins/pills, plus hair supplies, lotions and miscellaneous bath type stuff because I had nowhere else to put them. I knew where everything went even if it wasn’t immediately obvious to an outsider. It was a closet that could neither be commended nor ridiculed, but one that was often annoying to me.

There was the time I was searching for Tylenol, couldn’t find it so thought I didn’t have any and bought some more only to find the old (full) bottle hidden underneath something the next week. One bottle of Tylenol is obviously no big deal in the grand scheme of things but add this up over time and it gets … annoying. Then my husband moved in and he didn’t really get my organization and well you can see the results in the photo below.

As you can see when it comes to setting up organizational systems, my personality type sacrifices quality for completion. With the linen closet, I didn’t want to take the extra time to sit down, measure the shelves, figure out what height the towel shelves should be, if baskets might make it easier to get the towels in and out, what things I could buy to make more distinct homes and empty space for everything I would eventually need to jam into the closet. As a result, it wasn’t the most useful closet. But, once I sat down with my sister and redid my closet, I finally got it right.

Kate’s personality type enjoys process more than mine and isn’t in as much of a rush as I am to “get ‘er done”. She took the time to think about what I wanted to keep and retrieve from the closet, what made the most sense and then she tried a myriad of solutions to narrow in on the right configuration. Now, everything is easy to put away, retrieve, and makes sense to all who use it. I have baskets for folding items, heavy items down low, lighter items up high and then a plethora of labeled drawers for all of my pills and extra toiletries and it is indeed a closet to be envied.

You can learn more about PixieTypes at www.pixiesdidit.com, and for more on personality type and organizing, check out my e-book, Organizing Your Life, Your Way.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Pixies and Personality Type.

Years before I heard of professional organizers, I noticed that time management and organizing were easier for me than they were for some of the other people I knew, and wondered if I could teach these skills to others. After completing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^®,(MBTI^®), I learned that I was born with personality type preferences (ISTJ) that naturally tend towards systems and order.

When I explored the subject further, I learned about the organizing profession, and discovered that many were drawn to the field because they had the same or similar personality types to mine. It made sense to me that people who are naturally organized would enjoy this type of work. It soon became apparent, however, that the kinds of systems that work for us wouldn’t necessarily be effective for people for whom organization was less comfortable. They may be able to manage it for a while, but will most likely slip back into their old ways after not too long. It’s like learning to write with your non-dominant hand – you can do it if you have to because of an injury, but you’ll go back to doing what comes naturally as soon as you’re able to.

That is not to say that only people who are born with those personality type preferences can be organized – not at all! I’ve met many organizing consultants who are successful because they have a thorough understanding of what it’s like to struggle with organizational challenges, and have developed specialized strategies for overcoming those challenges which they are able to share with their clients.

As a qualified MBTI^® practitioner and the author of Organizing Your Life, Your Way, I was invited to speak to a group of professional organizers about this topic last week. When one of them asked me the best way to convert clients to their way of organizing, I explained that rather than trying to make the clients fit into their systems, they need to adapt their systems to fit their clients. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” organizing solution!

If your client has difficulty using a detailed to-do list and schedule, look for alternatives. One person has created an adaption of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system by using a Cambridge Wirebound Notebook with Avery removable colored write-on tabs to divide the pad into several sections representing the various projects he’s using it for, e.g., job hunting, household projects, medical notes, household repairs, shopping notes, gift ideas. If he needs more room in a section, he creates another section with a write-on tab.

In each section, he keeps Daily and Project logs with the following column headings:

Date/time             Entry: log, notes, thoughts             Next to do

By identifying an immediate “next to do” action, it is easier for him to jump back on the project or task when time allows, and keeping a running log with thoughts, notes and feelings enables him to pick up where he left off. It is important for him to remember his feelings and thoughts on a particular project to keep up the momentum, since that’s how he makes his decisions and gets motivated.

He uses colored pens and markers to keep it interesting, and to break it up. The spiral allows him to rip out and redo pages when necessary, to keep the log looking neat. Rewriting his notes helps him think things through, since he considers himself an auditory / kinetic learner who has trouble visualizing and thinking without words.

This is just one example of how a traditional left-brained organizing strategy can be adapted to meet the needs of a right-brained creative individual. For more insight on this subject, order a copy of my e-book, Organizing Your Life, Your Way, or read any of the titles listed under Learning Style / Personality Type in our Bookstore for Professional Organizers.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Respecting Your Clients’ Uniqueness.

I love it that I still have connections within Professional Organizers of Canada! Following my successful presentation last month for the Southwestern Ontario Chapter, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be speaking at two Chapter meetings in May. Here are the details of these and other upcoming professional organizer events in Ontario.

On Monday, May 10, I’ll be speaking about Facebook for Professional Organizers for the Halton-Peel Chapter, at Tansley Woods, 1996 Itabashi Way, Burlington. Doors open at 6:45, and the meeting runs to about 9:00. All members and guests are requested to RSVP to halton-peel@organizersincanada.com.

On Wednesday, May 26, I’ll be speaking about Organizing for Personality Types for the North-GTA Chapter, at Williams Coffee Pub, 192 McEwan Drive East, Bolton. Doors open at 6:30, and the meeting runs to about 9:00. All members and guests are requested to RSVP to north-gta@organizersincanada.com.

Both of the above meetings are free for POC members and $15 for guests. I’m looking forward to talking to some of my former colleagues, as well as meeting many of my online contacts face-to-face for the first time.

Of course, it’s not all about me, and there are some other educational activities taking place in the area that you won’t want to miss!

The POC Toronto Chapter is holding a Professional Development Day on Tuesday, May 11, featuring three dynamic speakers, who will address Business Planning, Communication, and Media Relations. It sounds like a fantastic event and I would love to go myself, but my calendar for May is pretty full, since I’ve signed up for the Social Media Success Summit.

Jane Woolsey of ProfessionalOrganizers.com told me that she is planning to attend, so it would be a great chance to ask her any questions you might have about getting started as a professional organizer. (Be sure to sign up for her Solutions newsletter, if you’re not already a subscriber, because in her May issue she’s going to be announcing a Special Summer Price on the next Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers in Toronto!)

Wherever you are, there are countless educational events taking place not just in May, but every month. Never say you are too busy or can’t afford it! Instead, consider the value of lifelong learning, both for your business, and for yourself.

If you want to earn more – learn more. If you want to get more out of the world you must put more into the world. For, after all, men will get no more out of life than they put into it.

William J.H. Boetcker

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Learning Opportunities for Professional Organizers in Southern Ontario.

Do your organizing systems work well for some clients, but not others? Organizing strategies are more likely to be effective when they take your client’s personality type into account. You can therefore do your clients a great service by familiarizing yourself with the various personality types, the challenges they face in terms of organizing, and the solutions most likely to be helpful.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most reputable personality assessments available. Based on the psychological theory of Carl Jung, it has been in use since 1942, and has been updated many times to keep up with changes in language and society. As a qualified MBTI consultant, I’m pleased to offer you a number of options for learning about this fascinating and important subject.

If you live in Ontario, or will be visiting the area on Wednesday, March 24, you can catch my popular “Organizing Your Life, Your Way” presentation at the Southwestern Ontario Chapter meeting of Professional Organizers in Canada. Attendees will have the option of ordering my Organizing Your Life, Your Way e-book for a reduced price of $20.00 (including tax) instead of the regular price of $24.95 plus tax. For location and other details about this event, visit the POC website. If you’re unable to attend, you can order a copy of my e-book right here.

If you’re an auditory learner, you might appreciate a digital copy of a seminar I presented last year on The Power of Personality Type. Although the audience was virtual assistants rather than professional organizers, the principles of personality type are the same, and you’re bound to find it informative. For $19.95, you will receive:

• A 45-minute audio recording of the teleclass
• A 28-page PDF of the accompanying PowerPoint presentation
• 7 pages of bonus notes, including Organizing Profiles for the 16 personality types and a reading resource list

This is the first time this presentation has been offered as a standalone product.

You can save $10.00 by ordering a bundle which includes the Organizing Your Life, Your Way e-book AND The Power of Personality Type!

Learning about personality type and the way it influences our relationship with time and space was one of the reasons I decided to become a professional organizer in the first place, and I’m sure you will find it fascinating too.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Learn About Organizing for Personality Types.

One of my readers asked me the following: “I just wanted to find out from you if you were organized from the beginning? Do you believe that some people are just born organized?” In response to the first question, I’ll start with an excerpt from a speech my sister Kathy made at a party in my honour.

After working as a secretary and a career counselor, she became what our dad would say she was destined to become. A professional organizer. Why would he say this was her destiny?

Well, how many children do you know who carefully arrange their green beans in tidy rows – on their high-chair trays – before eating them, and who, years after they’ve grown to maturity, still line up french fries on their plates, in order from shortest to longest? Perhaps I exaggerate. But our dad did ask Janet recently, “Have you ever enjoyed a hot meal?”

I wasn’t aware of this tendency until I was in my 20′s, but this was still long before I considered organizing as a career. I do remember visiting a friend in her university dorm room, and she had all her shelves labelled as to what belonged on each shelf, and I thought that was pretty neat (no pun intended). In the 1980′s, I bought Bonnie McCullough’s book, Totally Organized and found it very helpful for getting my house in order, and when I went to re-read it some time later, I was pleasantly surprised to realize I had already incorporated most of the ideas into my life. I continued to read and enjoy organizing books for several years after that.

While working as a career counselor, I learned about personality type and discovered that I am a “Judging” type. In True Colors or Personality Dimensions, I’m considered a “Gold.” What this basically means is that I was born organized, and I prefer things to be orderly and scheduled. (For a more detailed explanation, I suggest you read my e-book, Organizing Your Life, Your Way!)

My short answer would therefore be “yes” some people are born organized, and I am one of those people.

However, this does not mean that if you’re not born organized that you can’t acquire the skills. In fact, I remember a very enjoyable discussion at a POC Conference about “born organizers” and “born again organizers.” A “born again organizer” is someone who has learned to become organized and now helps others to do the same.

I had the pleasure of working with a woman who lived with chronic disorganization as a result of multiple sclerosis, and she used her experience to assist others in similar situations. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to continue with her business as her MS symptoms worsened, but she was a shining example of how someone who wasn’t born organized can become a professional organizer. Since that time, I’ve come to know many other organizing consultants who are successful because, having walked in their clients’ shoes, they have a thorough understanding of what it’s like to struggle with organizational challenges, and have developed specialized strategies for overcoming those challenges.

What about you? Are you a born organizer, or a born again organizer?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Were You Born Organized?.

Do you get frustrated when a client struggles with an organizing system that works perfectly well for other clients? As a professional organizer, one of the most important things you can learn is that there’s no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to organizing! Every person views the world through different eyes, and you need to understand your clients’ uniqueness before you can create solutions that will help them to get and stay organized.

After completing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^® Qualifying Program and learning about the connection between an individual’s personality type and the way he or she deals with time and space, I decided to combine my new knowledge with my longstanding passion for organizing. In addition to reading everything I could find on the subject, I conducted several surveys to learn about the typical strengths and challenges faced by the personality types, as well as the most effective organizing and time management strategies for each.

I used the information which I gathered in seminars and workshops, and while working with clients one-on-one. Now, for the first time, I’ve compiled my findings in a brand new e-book called Organizing Your Life, Your Way!

Several pages of introductory material are included for readers who are new to personality type theory, but even if you’re already familiar with the 16 personality types, you’re sure to find Organizing Your Life, Your Way a valuable resource for determining the best way to help your clients.

Your clients will thank you for developing organizing solutions that work in harmony with, instead of against, their natural preferences!

Need more information? Check out the Table of Contents to see what’s included.

I will make a few copies of Organizing Your Life, Your Way available to bloggers or journalists who are interested in writing a review. If you would like to be considered, please send me your information, including your blog URL or the name of your publication.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Help Your Clients to Help Themselves.