While others may see these traits as negative, they’re also the best things about you. As a Type-A, you’re driven, motivated, and care deeply about what you do and why you do it. But, sometimes you need to rein yourself in. Here are five organization hacks for the Type-A to hopefully keep you true to yourself while being a little more regulated.
1. Focus on the Big Picture Over the Tiny Details
As a Type-A person, you have no problem seeing the little details. Whenever you enter a space, you’re quick to notice the small things that others often overlook. And you’re also quick to create a plan of action. However, sometimes this rush towards perfection can get you so caught up in the small things that you fail to notice the big picture. Take your home: If you’re too focused on making the living room look and feel clean (even down to the dusting of picture frames), you might miss out on the whole point—organizing so that you can share your space purposefully and intentionally with others.
2. Let Your Passion Drive You
There’s no doubt about it: You’re a highly passionate person. It goes without saying that you do everything with dedication because it matters. And when it comes to organizing, you treat it the same. Let your passion drive how you prioritize, the schedule you keep, and the attention-to-detail that your Type-B counterparts will undoubtedly overlook.
3. Embrace Color-Coding
There’s a running joke about Type-A people: that color-coding and labeling is within their blood. And if we’re being honest, it probably is. But who says you have to feel shame about this? If you’re a self-identified Type-A personality, lean into the color-coding. It’s purposeful, it’s helpful, and it’s downright easier. There’s no reason to avoid the inevitable.
4. Slow Down From Time to Time
Here’s the thing: as a Type-A, you’re often running full speed ahead in whatever you’re doing—from a relationship, to home cleaning, to organizing your room, etc. While that can be a great thing—especially because your drive to succeed and move forward is far greater than anyone else around you—it can sometimes cause burnout if you’re not careful. Slow down from time to time. Stop trying to rush, to be the first or the best, and enjoy the moment. And while it may sound silly to think about taking organizing slow, it helps you to be more present in the task rather than rushing to the next thing on the list.
5. Embrace the Mess (Occasionally)
Although it may sound counterintuitive to embrace the mess, as a Type-A personality, this may be one of the most freeing things you’ll ever do. Since your natural tendency is to have everything look and feel perfect, learning to let go can help you to create space for unexpected joy (rather than manufactured or self-created). And this is special because it takes the pressure off. Rather than feeling like you have to control every little thing, you can step back and experience what’s around you. And you deserve to do that.
