I must admit that I do get a bit of dissing about being organized. Not too sure why. I do know that ‘some’ have said that being organized, planning ahead limits creativity and enjoying the serendipitous opportunities. To whit I reply – hogwash! Being prepared doesn’t mean that you don’t experience creative and serendipity people and activities, I would argue that it enhances the spontaneous, especially since you aren’t of two minds – because you aren’t ‘caught’ in what hasn’t been done yet in order to appreciate what’s happening. Besides, wasn’t there a warning, wise and foolish virgins, in scripture (Matthew 25:1-13) that speaks to this issue?
If you are the planner-type then once this activity is completed you are open to other possibilities, freeing you to discover the spontaneous rather than because you hadn’t planned ahead, you no longer have the time, energy, or resources to enjoy the unexpected. Possible? I would contend that this is the reason FOR planning and organizing. Then again, I am an options planner. If the main plan (A) isn’t working then you need a backup (B) plan available, sometimes quite quickly. I have never believed in the one-plan only approach to life’s issues, opportunities, threats, etc.
Actually I’m a SWOT kind of person. I try to consider the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats in whatever endeavor in which I’m involved. Even if I don’t consider everything, I’m ahead of those who never take the time to look at the ramifications from actions before taking those steps. But the process HAS to involved all 4 possibilities and potentials, because without realizing the negative and positive outcomes, one only has a partial understanding.
Organizing and preparation are tools! Tools to help us all respond effectively and efficiently to the projects, unexpecteds, daily responsibilities, plans, etc. Why not use the tools to be effective? Yes, it does take time, the mindset that what you are doing now will provide a framework for future decisions, and the ability to plan based on potential reactions. If you do this can you just sit back and relax? Hardly. This gives you a firm foundation but then it allows you to tweak what you are doing. For me, it is the tweaking that is fun and provides the greatest learnings and self-discoveries. Now you can focus on those rather than rushing to ‘get organized’. At least… that’s my approach.
