I'm actually not an organized person by nature-- I used to say that I organize myself by brute force :) I see organization as a tool rather than a personality trait.  It's a tool that I've learned to use by effort rather than from having it come naturally.  It's also something that I do because I like the effects of being organized, not because I love doing it for its own sake.

Organizational skills are something I've taught myself over many years by working hard and reading many books on the subject. So, I'm as organized as I want and need to be, and no more.  I found a balance between time invested and efficiency gained that works for me, and I generally stick with it.  In the process, I became fascinated with organizational styles, systems and tools, and how people use them... and discovered that I enjoyed researching this topic and becoming expert on it.  So even though I consider myself a time management and organization geek, I promise you that my filing cabinet looks like that of a mere mortal.

Last updated on February 3, 2010 by Thekla Richter