How to Organize with Improv

A couple of years ago I took an improv class. I didn’t do it because I secretly yearn to be the next Drew Carey, but because I had heard that improv classes can sharpen your public speaking skills and how well you think on your feet. The idea also scared the hell out of me, so I figured that was a good sign that I’d get something out of it.

As it turns out, improv is filled with wonderful life lessons on how to conduct yourself both on and off the stage. Not only can it help with your speaking jitters, it can also teach you true, honest teamwork and the brilliance that comes from following your intuition and not thinking too hard.

This was in fact my biggest challenge – I wanted to think my way through all of it. It is well established that I am a planner – I can spend hours in my head coordinating my life without any major actions to show for it. But in improv you have to put everything on the line immediately. It’s about going with your gut, committing to action and trusting that the pathway will become clear.

So what does this have to do with organization?

Everything! One of the biggest frustrations I hear from people is that they “didn’t get the organizing gene like their sister, mom, friend, wife, etc.” What I hear when you say this is: “I can’t trust myself to do this right/perfect/proper/as well as other people.” But here’s the kicker: you can!

With all of the craziness life throws at us, it’s easy for it to all spin out of control. We lose confidence in our own intuition to get us out of the muck we are in. We all get into the muck. Everyone. It’s not just you– I promise!

Because of this, helping my clients trust their gut is one of my highest priorities. One of the ways I do this is by highlighting the good systems they already have in place. In a sea of papers, I will be able to find their brilliant system and uncover the reason why it works for them.

It is always there. Even if you think you are the most disorganized person on the planet – you’ve got great systems that work well for you. Do they always look pretty? Nope. Does your spouse understand them? Probably not. Could they work even better? I don’t know – you tell me!

These are the systems that we build on and around to make the rest of your life easier. Are your bills always stacked on a particular shelf? Is your checkbook the only thing in your filing drawer? Is everything out and visible because you don’t have another system to remind you about what you have to do? These are your brilliant systems at work!

Another way I underscore your obvious intuition is by highlighting the amazing things you’ve accomplished in life. Do you think you could have done all that you have without something working right? I didn’t think so.

The sooner you realize how amazing you actually are and how much you already know, the easier it is to trust yourself to start and finish an organizing project.

So take a few minutes now and think through those quirky systems you’ve got and pat yourself on the back for following your intuition and making things work.

And when your next organizing project rears its head, remember the ways of improv: get out of your head, go with your gut, commit to action, and trust that the pathway will become clear.

And if you do happen to find yourself in the muck and your gut says call Julie, it’s okay to follow that one too! :)