#5 The Second Access Type is Spatial: Do You Access Spatially First? How Can It Help You Get Organized?
Hi again!
You might remember from the prior column that everyone has all three Access Types — Visual, Spatial, and (detailed in the upcoming issue,) Chronological. Of these three you have one that's primary.
Access Types are the second greatest indicator of how to get organized (the first is your Personality Type,) because once you know them you can go directly to only the best organizing techniques for you. Is Spatial your Access Type?
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Unlike Visuals who access things first with their eyes (they look before reaching,) Spatials access things first with their hands, arms, feet, etc. (they reach before looking.) If Spatials still can't find things, then they look, but it's not their initial preference or habit. Think of people who pat their pockets to make sure their keys are there, grab a pen out of a drawer without looking, or put their coffee cup in the same place every time.
Do you pat the papers on your desk? Do you need things where you can get your hands on them quickly and easily? Spatials cannot even begin to work unless they can grab what they need with ease. Their immediate surroundings are their most important portal to getting organized.
The best organizing techniques for Spatials include:
adding or increasing work surfaces
rearranging furniture for better traffic flow
moving the trash can closer
stacking paperwork in fan shapes or alternating layers (portrait, landscape, portrait, landscape)
placing thing where they will be most accessible, and more.
Here's a freeing trick for Spatials — put things where they will jump out and alert you: at odd angles, on the floor just in front of the exit, in the bag you'll be taking to your next meeting, etc. Forget worrying about what others think; just focus on maximizing convenience for yourself.
Example: Where do you read fiction? In bed? Put fiction reading by your bed. Where will you wish you had those printed coupons? (Remember, Spatials prefer paper.) In your car? Then keep them in your car. Do you carry stuff from the car into the house and back again often? Putting a simple folding table between the car and house and giving yourself a place to set things down will improve your life surprisingly.
How you can tell who's a Spatial:
She fans or "dominoes" paperwork like a display
He uses his hands when talking
She paces, fidgets, and runs her hands through her hair
He tears, folds, or crumples paper before throwing it away
Her pictures and awards on the wall are staggered in stair step fashion
He doesn't care if his work area looks messy
And the Spatial uses location oriented words like these:
Get a handle on it
A place for everything
Hang on to it
Where do you want it
I need space to myself
You can't get there from here
Walk it back
Go the extra mile
Kick it over to you
Grab a seat
When a Spatial is disorganized:
Do you hate being physically inconvenienced — having to go to another area to get what you need, becoming annoyed when people move your stuff, being blocked by large furniture, and so on? If so, you probably access Spatially.
An office that is Spatially disorganized will have large, messy mounds of paper and miscellaneous stuff, bags and boxes around the feet, furniture in the way, clutter on every surface, urgent items in another room, and obstructions all over the place.
Disorganized Spatials may not bother cleaning up, even past the point where they can no longer move around the office. Would you believe it can be their way of keeping people out of their space? It can even be a call for help, or an expression of resentment.
Also common with disorganized Spatials:
She trips, bangs her hip on furniture corners, has cuts and bruises
He throws away stuff he'll need later
She's tried the "normal" book and TV organizing, but it hasn't worked
She never has what she needs at hand
He has to retrace his steps too often
She's embarrassed by her "old-fashioned" paper calendar
A story about how Spatial reorganizing stopped nightly family arguments:
A woman called me to help her get organized, but, as happens in many cases she couldn't describe the problem. (Many people think they have to figure it out before they call me, or at least get to the root of the problem alone…which is like getting drunk and trying to cut your own hair. For best results, leave it to the experts.)
The mother was single, the daughter was six, and there was a normal amount of stuff everywhere; but when we sat down and talked, the biggest problem turned out to be nightly arguments over setting the dinner table. The little girl tried to help, but would get upset and cry, and the mother was at her wit’s end.
Mom was a Spatial, so I looked first at the layout: I asked them both to walk through their nightly routine. Mom would cook, hand the plates to daughter, and daughter would carry them to the table — but she was small and the plates were heavy, so it was hard for her. This was their layout:
Solution? I simply changed the flow by turning the table the other way, and it worked: Mom could hand plates over the counter, daughter had a much easier task, and all was well.
Where are you uncomfortable? Do your knees bang against the inside of your desk, or hit the inside top when you cross your legs? Does your chair slant so much that you feel like your rear end is going to slide right off? Do you have a blotter or mouse pad that makes your work top seem smaller or limited? Time to reorganize your way, by putting things within reach for you.
When you learn your Personality and Access Type first, then modify or rearrange the layout to suit you, 80% of the problem is solved (more on that in upcoming columns.)
What the Spatial needs to become more organized:
Clear pathways
Bigger work surface
No small containers (in-and-out baskets, cubbies, etc.)
No sharp edges, obstructions, or too-heavy items
Comfortable chair and good ergonomics
Good traffic flow and work flow
All tools within reach
Freedom of motion
Elbow room
Containers for work in process (binders, bins, manila envelopes, etc.)
Summary
Spatials cannot get organized the "normal" way, because they rely on feel and location rather than appearance. And as with all Access Types, they need to learn, respect, and relax into their own unique way of getting to their stuff.
Once you know your Types, organizing becomes simple. Stay tuned for more!
© by Liz Franklin 2022 Website: MizLizOnBiz.com
In our next column
What Is A Chronological Access Type? Are You One?
After that: The How To Get Organized…Without Resorting to Arson funny tips, stories, and unique techniques! Bring your friends and family, and prepare to have fun!
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