In the organizing profession, we are always talking about systems for managing paper, reducing clutter, and making use of time efficiently. In following up, an organizer will make sure the systems put in place are compementing the client’s personality and lifestyle.
What exactly do we mean by a system? One dictionary definition for system is “orderliness, the use or result of careful planning and organization.” Orderliness is definitely a desired result, but a better description of the system an organizer means is “a way of proceeding, a method or set of procedures for achieving something.”
Jerry Seinfeld had a system. His neighbor, Kramer, found he was spending too much time in the shower and asked for Jerry’s advice. Jerry said he could take a shower in 10 minutes flat. He had found a procedure that worked for him.
Think about it for a minute… do you reinvent the order that you wash body parts each time you shower, or do you proceed on autopilot?Are you pretty sure that when you are done, you have achieved the desired result? Is dirt and bad smell gone? CHECK! Is skin clean and good smell back? CHECK!
You just followed a system, a certain way of proceeding to get the job done.
The beauty of a workable system is:
1. The system can be documented and repeated.
2. One planning session yields desired results over and over, saving time over all.
3. A system followed consistently becomes easier as skill increases and habit kicks in.
Kramer did not have a system that was working for him, he questioned the amount of time he was taking and could have used the advice of a professional (Jerry) to become more efficient. If you saw the episode, you know that didn’t happen. I think Kramer could have used a professional organizer.
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