Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain

October 11, 2004
The right side of the brain is the creative but illogical, nonlinear part of the organ, and it doesn't cater to systematic tidiness. Is it possible, then, for right-brainers to be organized? Organizing guru Silber (Time Management for the Creative Person; etc.) has some answers."We (right-brainers) can be just as organized as our left-brain counterparts (even more so), but we prefer to do it in our own unique way--with a little savoir faire," he writes encouragingly. In addition to general principles, like learning to understand"why you put things where you do" as the basis for a personal organizing system, Silber offers concrete advice: put things where it makes sense to put them; create zones for certain activities and organize accordingly. And best of all, he says pile, don't file your papers: some people do thrive on chaos, he acknowledges, and visually stimulated people can find it helpful to have things in plain view. If you've been fighting a lifelong and losing battle to get rid of the clutter, Silber's sprightly and thorough advice could be the answer.

September 13, 2004
The right side of the brain is the creative but illogical, nonlinear part of the organ, and it doesn't cater to systematic tidiness. Is it possible, then, for right-brainers to be organized? Organizing guru Silber (Time Management for the Creative Person; etc.) has some answers."We (right-brainers) can be just as organized as our left-brain counterparts (even more so), but we prefer to do it in our own unique way--with a little savoir faire," he writes encouragingly. In addition to general principles, like learning to understand"why you put things where you do" as the basis for a personal organizing system, Silber offers concrete advice: put things where it makes sense to put them; create zones for certain activities and organize accordingly. And best of all, he says pile, don't file your papers: some people do thrive on chaos, he acknowledges, and visually stimulated people can find it helpful to have things in plain view. If you've been fighting a lifelong and losing battle to get rid of the clutter, Silber's sprightly and thorough advice could be the answer.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.