RIGHT BRAIN VS. LEFT BRAIN
Who's right and who's wrong??? The answer is NO ONE!! The right brain dominant people have been picked on forever and called a variety of names such as "slob", "lazy", "messy" and the list goes on. I myself may have been guilty of this very thing. I am sorry to have to admit this but I am no angel!!!
Your organizing style is affected by how your brain works. I am always fascinated by the brain, it such a complex structure. I read a book called, Organizing for the Creative Person where I gained all of this knowledge then I put it to use in the professional organizing world with my real life clients. I also looked into my own family as well. Let me share with you some thoughts on both the right brain dominant person as well as the left brain dominant person. See where you fall.....
Right brain dominant-
responsive to emotional appeals and this why they say "yes" all the time and get into time management trouble!
Deal with several problems all at the same time, now this could be any of us at any time especially if you are a mom!
Playful in solving problems, they just don't like to sit down and solve them.
Process info subjectively.
They are usually easy-going, casual and laid back.
Left brain dominant-
sequential in thinking which allows them to be methodical in their thinking.
They are logical and rational with little emotion which lends itself to not being attached to stuff or junk. However, they are likely to collect things of high value like coins or art, something they have really given thought to.
They like to analyze the pros and cons to everything before they act.
So do you fit in somewhere? Maybe you are actually a little of both? Maybe you once were left brain dominant and now you've become right brain dominant? In that case you probably are more sympathetic to both of them.
Here is where the issues lie:
Right brain
have a very hard time with limits(may be no limit on how much clutter they can accumulate!)
have similar issues with $, they shop and buy and then they figure out if they can afford it!
Absolutely no sense of time!
Left brain
Focus on the left brain too much and turn a good thing into a negative.
Example, they take their sense of handling situations in an organized way into a very controlling environment.
They throw out too much!
So now I want to let the right brain people off the hook! Right brain people may appear to left brain people as disorganized but really they are! This is a revelation for some of you, isn't it? Yep, just because they have their stuff out everywhere doesn't mean they aren't organized, they are uncomfortable with putting their stuff away because they can't see it and might need it. They are really good at creating "nests" to keep their like things together. Now one of the negative things that can be attributed to the right brain people is when they are the 'savers'. This is the single greatest cause of disorganization. These are some of the most hones, frugal people you will ever meet and they keep everything because to them it is "perfectly good" so why throw it away!!!
The organizational accessory world isn't much friendlier to the right brain people as it is created for the left brain people. Very little that is out there is something that a right brain person can use effectively to stay organized. They do well with clear plastic organizing tubs. Any type of desk organizer will work but a file cabinet is worthless. Once you close that drawer they begin to get uncomfortable!
Right brain people can improve their skills and become more toward the left brain thinking. Sometimes, they have to depending on their career choice or where they live. The one thing that won't help a right brain person is for you to nag them or say things to such as "why can't you be more organized?" We need to build them up and offer kinder suggestions that work for them not us the left brain people.
I hope this brought more awareness to the different types of organizing styles and maybe bring a little peace to your home.
Darlene
