If you're a creative woman entrepreneur then chances are good you've labeled yourself as someone who just can't seem to get, or stay, organized. Popping up with new ideas for your business or about how to help people? Easy! Figuring out a filing system or how to get those piles of paper up off your floor? Ugh...well, that's a different story now, isn't it?!
What organized people don't understand about creative souls is that the thought of being organized seems to be in conflict with our creative spirit.
Accurate or not, creative types feel that if everything is neat and tidy then their creativity will be contained as well.
Well, I'm about to bust that myth because I am a both highly creative AND organized woman business owner. In fact, it's when my papers, email and office are the most organized that I am the most creative.
So how do I keep both ideals—creativity and order—in harmony? The answers are easier than you might think.
Here are three simple tips I use to keep my creative muse inspired and my office organized:
Creative Organizing Tip #1: Make Space
Creativity requires space. For me, that means space in my physical environment as well as a feeling of spaciousness in my body. If you want to create success in your woman small business then it makes sense that you'll need space to accomplish that.
ACTION: Pick another room, closet or garage and move everything that is piled up on the floor there now. Deal with it later but for now, enjoy the space you've just created.
Creative Organizing Tip #2: Make the System Match YOUR Creative Flair!
Creative women entrepreneurs hate being hemmed in by someone else's system. Solution? Customize the system to match YOUR style, not the other way around! Use lots of bright colors for your files. If following the traditional A-B-C filing order isn't your thing, then file in a way that matches YOUR creative flair.
ACTION: Pick an area of organization that feels difficult. What would brighten it up or make it feel more playful for you? For example, I eschew lots of folders in favor of three-ring binders that I decorate using inspiring images and motivational phrases. Binders keep my office neat and tidy and the information right within my reach.
Creative Organizing Tip #3: Quit Telling Stories
When I interviewed Fearless Organizing Expert Elizabeth Hagen, she told me that people with a lot of clutter typically have a story attached to each item.
Solution? Quit telling stories such as "I might need it again" or "Uncle Bob gave me this golf-bag shaped business card holder." (Tell Uncle Bob thanks but since you don't golf, donate it to a local resale shop that supports a charity).
ACTION: Pick up ten items in your office right now. What story have you told yourself about each item? Quit the story and immediately get rid of at least seven of those items.
I bless the success of my high six-figure business on my ability to comfortably integrate creativity with being organized. You can too, if you remember that being creative actually gives woman small business owners an edge when it comes to being organized because you can create the organizing solution that works for YOU!
