Understanding how you process information to help you get organized, part 2

Now that you’ve taken the quiz to determine if you are a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic/tactile acquirer of information, it’s time for the next step in the process: taking action.

Knowing yourself and your information processing preferences can help you create an organization system that works best for you. Obviously, we can’t cover every possible solution, but these suggestions will hopefully get you headed in the right direction.

Visual processor:

  • Scheduling programs like Google Calendar might work well for you so that you can input and then see all of your appointments on your agenda.
  • In your closet, you’ll want to have a lot of space and only the current season’s clothing on hangers. A hook on the back of a door can be good for displaying your next day’s outfit. You might also benefit from having your folded clothes on a shelf instead of hidden in a dresser drawer.
  • Try your best to have an office with a door. You’re likely to go batty in cubicle land — especially in cubicle land with only waist-high walls.
  • Carry a small digital camera or a cell phone with a camera in it with you at all times so that you can take images of things you need to remember. You may want to use Evernote to process this information.

Auditory processor:

  • Consider setting timers or audio reminders on your computer to help alert you of meetings and other scheduled events.
  • Carry a small recording device with you so that when you have an idea you can record a message to yourself. Most cell phones also have this ability. Jott.com might also be a resource you want to consider using.
  • If you need to share an office, try to get an office with someone who works while wearing earphones. When you talk to yourself, he or she won’t be distracted when you need to talk through ideas.
  • Keep all of your files in alphabetical order to help you find them more quickly.
  • Have a headset for your telephone since you interact more reliably with people over the phone than you do by e-mail.

Kinesthetic/Tactile processor:

  • Feel comfortable pushing your office furniture against the walls so that you have space to move when you need to.
  • Explore non-traditional desks when looking for office furniture. A drafting table or adjustable height table might work better for you than something that has a fixed height and angle.
  • Keep a space for a small fan on your desk and a space heater under your desk.
  • Exercise before going to work in the morning.
  • Have as few objects on your desk as possible so that you’re not tempted to pick them up when you need to concentrate. However, you should also have a stress ball quickly available to squeeze when mulling over ideas or talking on the phone.
  • You probably like to try on different outfits before choosing the best one to wear, so be diligent about returning the non-selected items back to their proper home.

What organization tips and tricks do you employ in your home and office that are crafted toward you information processing style? Please share your insights in the comments!

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Posted by Erin on May 16, 2008 | Comments |

18 comments posted

  1. Posted by Karen - 05/16/2008

    I’m a visual learner, with a touch of kinesthetic, and I’ve always found that physically writing things down really helps me remember things. Everything is on computer these days, and I love my computer, but it’s much harder for me to remember something if I only type it on a computer screen. If I need to really learn something, I get out a pad of paper and write it out. It seems to really fix it in my mind. This goes back to my college days, when I used to rewrite my chemistry notes the night before tests - my friends made fun of me but it was so much easier to remember things that way!

    I’m also really terrible at putting together names and faces. I can remember faces, but if I only hear someone’s name (and don’t see it written down), it just flies out of my head. I wish everyone wore nametags so I could see names in writing. When I first started at my job, I discovered that they had a database with pictures of every employee and their names. I found it so much easier to learn names when I could look at their written names (and maybe even write them a couple of times on a pad of paper) while looking at their faces. I’ve been tempted to take pictures of people with a cell phone camera and label them, so I can more easily match the face with the written name!

  2. Posted by Ginger - 05/16/2008

    I’m a visual person, so I find colour-coding everything helps me out a lot.

    I have several colours of highlighters at work for my to-do list, I use the coloured flags in outlook, and I even colour-code my closet and drawers. I feel much more organized when I can see at a glance that everything is in it’s place.

    I also keep a notepad or palm pilot/blackberry with me at all times so I can write down my thoughts, or lists that are floating in my head and I want to remember. It’s great for other people’s names and phone numbers, too. If I don’t have a photo of a person but want to remember them later, I will write down a unique description of them and review it when needed.

    I also find charts, files and lists of everything are extremely helpful in organizing things in my life. They’re colour-coded and alphabetized, of course!

  3. Posted by MK - 05/16/2008

    This is interesting. When I tried to take the quiz, I wasn’t sure what I was—I couldn’t definitely give/not give me a point for each statement. But looking at this post, outlining what works, I can see that I’m mostly a kinesthetic/tactile processor, because that’s exactly how I operate (except for trying on multiple outfits in the morning). I guess I’ve somehow managed to adopt things that work for my style!

  4. Posted by Bobbi - 05/16/2008

    Erin:

    There is an “assessment” or “test” a person can take that will help them discover their learning preference. See an occupational therapist or counselor.

    When I took it in school I scored 33% in each category. How challenging is that!! So I read over the suggestions and, sure enough, one or two in each category appeal to me but not all of them. Whew! The key is to honor what works.

    Thanks for your blog. I look forward to it everyday.

  5. Posted by Erin Doland - 05/16/2008

    These are terrific suggestions in the comments!! Keep them coming!

  6. Posted by Mom of 4 - 05/16/2008

    Quick question: if this is part 2, where would I find the part 1 article? I searched the blog, but didn’t see it.

  7. Posted by Erin Doland - 05/16/2008

    @Mom of 4 — The link to the first article is in the first sentence of this post:

    http://unclutterer.com/2008/05.....ed-part-i/

  8. Posted by Tiffany - 05/16/2008

    Visual/kinesthetic here. Which makes me very whiteboard dependent, because I can write things down, but the act of writing on it is also very kinesthetic. At a previous job, my business partner and I actually used a very detailed, taped-into-columns, color-coded whiteboard to keep track of all our projects. It was the most awesome thing ever.

    I also find that using graph paper helps. The grid helps me line things up neatly, but the vertical lines help me mentally break out of writing in paragraph form, while regular lined paper just encourages it. So it’s like organization for a non-linear thought. :)

  9. Posted by Tracy - 05/16/2008

    Interesting post(s)!

    I’m 100% visual — and Google Calendar is my best friend. I’ve been using it for over a year now and it has helped me in so many ways. I also second Tiffany’s whiteboard tactic: without the whiteboard in my office, I’d easily lose track of projects and of my feelings of progress toward finishing them.

  10. Posted by MHB - 05/16/2008

    I thought I was all-visual, but that assessment showed me to be almost 50/50 visual/kinesthetic (the temperature thing tells me I’m not crazy… thanks!). When I think about how I write notes (all the time. For everything. But then I rarely refer back to them) I wonder now if it’s more for the kinesthetic part of me than the visual.

    Tiffany, I’m stealing that graph paper idea for my grad school classes! At work I use un-lined paper when I’m working out ideas, but that’s tougher to do with lecture notes.

  11. Posted by Tania - 05/16/2008

    hmmmm…. now I feel like I need to re-take the test….

  12. Posted by Dan - 05/16/2008

    Fantastic post! I found myself laughing out loud whilst reading it, as some of the suggestions were spot on with what makes me productive…I just never realized them before. I will definitely be taking these and implementing them in my new work space that I am creating.

    Unfortunately, I am supposed to be in an office with a door, but in my work environment we have one large room with about 12 desks…there isn’t even any waist high cubicle walls. No wonder I can never get anything done here :)

  13. Posted by tay - 05/16/2008

    This test was very interesting for me. Because the test actually said that I am more auditory and kinesthetic..however the suggestions that I know will and have worked for me are more visual and then probably 50/50 kinesthetic and Auditory. I’m like Karen…I always had to rewrite my notes in order to make it stick. I also want to get more use out of my palm pilot (to not feel like I totally wasted my money) but I actually was more organized when I had the good old paper and pencil scheduling system! I know have learned how to make my palm work for me..I realized that I purchased it because I will write something but unless I am forced to look at it I will not act on it..so I needed something to make noise to let me know ‘HEY!!! YOU HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED’ So I’ve learned to make it work for me..but I just HAVE to write it’s crazy. For my office I’m creating I am working with ideas that will allow me to write…I’m considering that dry erase board paint for walls and pieces of glass suspended on cable that i can write on and move..Anyhow I’m going off on a tangent…bye!

  14. Posted by Dee - 05/16/2008

    My score came out to 75% Visual/Kinisthetic split evenly with 25% in the Auditory - I write everything down in a journal for business and home use and I also color code things right down to my in-box for work. One thing that perplexes me though - Since I am a strong visual learner, I have a tendency to leave things out. .. because I have a tendency to want to see those items rather than put them away I guess. To overcome that obstacle in the kitchen it was easy - I designed my kitchen space to have open storage which looks nice, all of my dishes mugs, servers, etc. are out and nicely organized and displayed. Its all of the other stuff that is constantly floating around my house that I can’t get a handle on. Theres only so many open storage ideas one can use before your house looks like one big container storage area :-)!!!

  15. Posted by Yinna - 05/16/2008

    Hmmm, so according to this I’m spot on visual. That wasn’t clear from the test before.

    I’m actually quite uncluttered since I can’t seem to think straight when it’s a mess around me. To keep things neat, I try to put things where they belong immediately after I’ve used them. For tasks I really dislike (folding laundry or washing dishes), I call someone and do it while chatting. So why can I focus on the conversation perfectly while I’m doing these things, if I’m so visual?

  16. Posted by Kacper - 05/18/2008

    Exercise before going to work - exactly what I need. So simple and effective.

  17. Posted by Matt - 05/20/2008

    I’m mostly visual. As other people have already mentioned color coding really helps.
    I’m in high school and all of my subjects have assigned colors for the folder/binder, notebook and book cover. The colors just seem to make sense in my mind and a quick glance into my backpack tells me which materials I currently have or need to get from my locker. Math is red, science is orange, languages are blue, etc.
    This also makes locker organization a breeze and pleasant to look at.

  18. Posted by Jen - 05/25/2008

    I got 2, 2 and 2 on the quiz but seeing this part, I am most definitely visual. I should have known that seeing as how I am an editor and really hate talking on the phone. LOL Thanks for the interesting posts.

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