The Productivity Guru: Why We Learned Everything about Organization in Kindergarten

While training and consulting people on their organization systems, I frequently get asked, "How am I supposed to know this stuff?" Since we're not formally taught how to become organized or manage our time, it's no wonder that many people are unsure how to achieve these goals. Even more interesting is how employers seek out job candidates who are "detailed-oriented" and have "strong organizational and time-management skills." Well, how in the world are we supposed to possess these abilities when we weren't taught them?

My theory is this: I do believe that we were taught the basics of these skills very early in life - more specifically, in kindergarten. By remembering what we learned in our very formative years, we can apply these important lessons and watch our productivity and organizational skills soar.

Here are a few comparisons:

In kindergarten, all of our toys were grouped together.

We put the trucks with other trucks, the dolls with other dolls, and the animals with other animals. In our offices and homes, grouping similar items together is one of the major cornerstones of organization. If you do nothing else at the end of the day, then at least put related items together. Make a pile of pending projects on your desk, and store all of your outstanding bills in one location. Also, gather all of your expense-report receipts and put them in one place. Categorizing similar items allows you to find what you're looking for in no time.

In kindergarten, there was always a "home" for everything.

Aside from grouping everything together, all of the toys that were removed during the day had a place to return to and "live." This is another major rule to organizing your space. Make sure that everything in your life has a "home" and resides in a sensible place. Too often, items that belong upstairs end up downstairs, and things that belong in the kids' rooms end up in their parents' room. Although this is just a fact of life, it's much easier to put items away when they have established homes. Consider this: Even in your office, your stapler, pens and paperclips have homes. And, think of how great it feels when you go to find one of these items, and it's exactly where it's supposed to be!

In kindergarten, we did something that was incredibly applicable to productivity.

We cleaned up at the end of the day. We even had a song to go along with it and make it fun. Do you remember "The Clean-up Song?" One of the best ways to boost productivity is to set aside this time at the end of the day. Just take the last 15 minutes to organize your desk, place files back in the drawer, put your pens away, and tidy up. It may seem futile, but taking time to clean up helps you clear your head and walk out the door with a sense of accomplishment.

In kindergarten, we had to rest during the day.

If you're a Seinfeld fan, you probably have visions of George Costanza taking naps underneath his desk. Although napping might be frowned upon, taking periodic breaks to stretch, walk around, and breathe is very beneficial. By giving your brain and body a break, you will ultimately end up being more creative and productive.

Sara Caputo, MA is a productivity and organizing consultant who has been streamlining environments and simplifying lives for years through consulting, coaching and training. She believes that by creating more order in our lives and eliminating unnecessary chaos, we can participate more fully in all levels of life. Sara is the owner of Radiant Organizing, a professional organizing and consulting company, based in Santa Barbara, California. Sara can be reached at: http://www.radiantorganizing.com/.