Expert Series - Organizing as a Way of Life

Hello Qlubbers!

We're pleased to discuss how to get organized with Ramona Creel. Ramona is a NAPO Golden Circle Member and a founder of OnlineOrganizing.com. Started in 2000, OnlineOrganizing has grown into a nationally recognized organizing resource that provides tools for both professional organizers as well as people who need help getting organized.

[Qlubb] Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into the organizing business?

[Ramona] I was a social worker in my previous life – I ran a welfare-to-work program at the Atlanta Housing Authority, and I was the resource gal – if they needed education, job training, health insurance, child care, whatever, I could find it for them – I’ve always enjoyed helping people find solutions to their problems, and I’ve always been naturally organized – so when I got ready to leave social work, organizing was the perfect match.

[Qlubb] You work with a lot of professional organizers. When is it important to hire a professional organizer?

[Ramona] When you just can’t do it on your own – it’s just like hiring a personal trainer – if you can exercise regularly and achieve the results you want on your own, great – if you can’t, you ask for help.

[Qlubb] Many of our best users are people who like to be organized but are pressured by time and other commitments. What is your best advice for these folks?

[Ramona] Organizing isn’t something you fit in after all of your other commitments – it’s not a one-time activity, it’s a way of life – it’s like healthy eating or frugal spending or daily exercise – it is vital to your quality of life and should become a habit that accompanies all of your other daily routines.

[Qlubb] Have you worked with anyone who was too organized? Can you have too much of a good thing?

[Ramona] Nope – you can be too compulsive, but that’s not the same as being too organized – continually rearranging things or obsessing over unimportant details isn’t organized, it’s a waste of time – being organized also means knowing when to STOP organizing.

[Qlubb] How do you know when a group of people (such as a team, a playgroup, etc.) are organized?

[Ramona] When they function effectively enough to allow them to do the thing they actually gathered for instead of always dealing with administrative details – good organizing skills allow a group to spend their time on their work or play or whatever their purpose is – if that’s happening and little details aren’t falling between the cracks, they’re organized.

[Qlubb] Do you have a favorite piece of advice for a group leader or group members that helped them be better organized?

[Ramona] Communicate! The biggest cause of disorganization in a team is failure to tell people what's working for you and what isn't - folks are so scared of sounding like a complainer or insulting another person or (in the case of an employer) making the boss angry, that they aren't honest about what they need to get their job done effectively -- but if you allow other people to eat up your time and disrupt your routines, and if you don't speak up when a system isn't functioning properly, it hurts everyone - learn how to open your mouth when something isn't working, and everyone will benefit.

[Qlubb] How does someone who is organized get someone else that they depend on to be more organized?

[Ramona] They can’t – you can offer suggestions and assistance, you can serve as a positive example, but you can’t MAKE someone else get organized – they have to a) see the benefits to getting organized, b) see that their current situation isn’t working, and c) be willing to change – if any of those factors is missing, don’t waste your time.

[Qlubb] Where can a person who wants to be more organized find out more information?

[Ramona] Well, our site, Online Organizing is filled with resources – free tips and articles, as well as do-it-yourself organizing products and referrals to an organizer near you (if you need more help) – I also suggest a trip to the bookstore or library – tons of great books out there discussing the many aspects of being organized.