What does psychology have to do with it?
Habits drive behavior and psychology is all about understanding behavior.
If someone is not currently organized, there is a good chance they will never get organized or stay organized until they change some of their counterproductive, chaos-generating habits.
- If someone takes the time to totally organize their workspace, but fails to change their existing habits, they will soon be disorganized again.
- Failure to consider psychological issues when trying to get organized will usually result in failure to get organized.
Procrastination, perfectionism, multitasking and workaholism are all forms of psychological dysfunctions that rob people of their ability to become focused, organized and productive. As the intensity and duration of these forms of behavior increase, organization and productivity usually decrease. As an example:
- Procrastination severely limits the ability to maintain or increase productivity. According to an article in Psychology Today (Stand and Deliver by Maia Szalavitz, July/August 2003) there are at least nine reasons for procrastination. Many of these reasons are based on psychological dysfunctions:
- False beliefs
- Fear of failure
- Perfectionism
- Self-control
- Punitive parenting
- Thrill-seeking
- Task-related anxieties
- Unclear expectations
- Depression
- Perfectionism is yet another form of dysfunctional behavior disguised as a positive personality attribute. Perfectionism keeps people from starting things and keeps people from finishing things. One of the primary sources of perfectionism is past criticism. It could be that someone grew up in an environment where their parents, teachers, peers or other people important to them were, shall we say, slightly overcritical. People who suffer from too much criticism often fear making mistakes (a normal part of life and learning). Therefore, they respond by vowing to get things right the first time or not doing anything unless they do it exceptionally well.
Many aspects of the GO System help people discover and deal with psychological issues that undermine their ability to live an organized life. The course is not designed to deal with serious psychological dysfunctions. These should be addressed by a mental health professional. In terms of psychology, the GO System helps people become aware of the fact that many of the gadgets and techniques that promise to help them solve their problems related to disorganization are not enough. If their disorganization is based on psychological issues, they must address these problems first.
No system, or gadget, can take the place of good organizing behavior and habits. Understanding the source of the behavior will provide a better understanding of what it will take to live a more organized and productive life.
What does mythology have to do with getting and staying organized?
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