One of my little ones was getting extra tuition. During the lesson that day, I picked up a few very interesting and beneficial points. One of the phrases used was "Move slow to go fast." Isn’t that great? It meant that although she was significantly behind in some concepts taught in school, she needed to slow down and understand what was happening and how it all worked. Once she did get it, she understood the material like the best of them, at a deep level; she not only knew what, but how it worked, and through the tuition, she had more practice than anyone else.
Why You Need to Slow Down to Speed Up
This concept - move slow to go fast, can be applied to organising as well and I think it should. The TV shows that show a transformation in two days aren’t what organising is about. In order to become organised our thoughts have to slow down, we need to understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and what is the best way forward.
Get organised slowly.
Organising Unpacked helps you change your mindset and skillset around decluttering and organising, one step at a time.
Is it the easy way to slow down to go fast?
Nope, the slow way can be full of frustration and questions, asking yourself why you don’t just ‘get it’. However, the slow way also brings rewards. For example, time spent setting up an organised paperwork system means thinking about folders, subfolders, how you store your information, and how you use it. One of the most important features in organising is also retrieval. When do I need this piece of information how will I go about finding it?
Looking organised or being organised
If I wanted to move fast with the above example, I would get folders, files, a labeller and start creating this image of organisation. If I truly wanted to organise, I would think about where this fits. Who needs access to this information? When? Is it easier to have a paper-based or an electronic copy? When and how will I dispose of it? Over time, the filing and retrieval will go faster and easier; it will be like learning anything that is at first very difficult.
If you spend time practising, understanding, organising - in time, organising transforms into a skill for life without you realising it.
Questions to Ask Before You Organise Anything
Before you buy folders or containers, slow down and ask:
Where does this fit?
Who needs access to this information, and when?
Is a paper copy or an electronic copy easier?
When and how will I dispose of it?
Answer these first, and the filing and retrieval will get faster over time.
Note: part of this article was originally an Illawarra Mercury article updated and refreshed in 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
-
It means taking the time to understand something properly so you can do it faster later. In organising, that means thinking about where things belong before you buy containers or folders.
-
Organising is a skill. At first it feels slow and frustrating, but with practice, filing and finding things gets faster and easier, like learning anything else.
-
Looking organised is buying folders, files and a labeller. Being organised means thinking about where each item fits, who needs it, and how you will find and dispose of it.
