Unorganized does not mean disorganized

There is a massive difference between being unorganized and disorganized. Unorganized refers to a view of the new world devoid of security, stability, certainty and permanence. Disorganized refers to disarray- to untidiness, to an inability to find certain documents or turn up as arranged. Unorganized is a macro world term, disorganized refers to a confused and overloaded personal state of mind and possessions.

To thrive in the unorganized world, individuals cannot afford to be disorganized- if they are it means that they are likely to miss out on otherwise suitable opportunities because they are somewhere else doing something else. There can be chaos in the external environment- just make sure you are organized enough personally not to be in chaos yourself. You can be all over the place geographically, but in your head you need to know where you are going mentally.

I am a great believer in the importance of flexibility in the unorganized world. Flexibility is effectively the ability to be mobile enough to up and go somewhere at short notice- having a suitcase packed and ready to go. Being disorganized on the other hand is characterized by an individual’s failure to book tickets to get where they want to go or being ill-prepared for what they are doing when and if they arrive. To be flexible, you cannot afford to be disorganized- you have to have the tools to let you catch hold of fleeting opportunities in the unorganized world- a phone, laptop and other such tools.

To avoid being disorganized, work out what tools and what work is essential and focus on the opportunities your skills let you exploit. You get disorganized if you don’t know what you want to do, where you want to go and how you are getting there. Remember clarity and purpose not fuzziness and indecision! Individuals can enact their own futures and invent their own future if only they set their priorities rather than being disorganized.

To conquer disorganization and thrive in the unorganized world, remember to aim for business not busyness! Down-shift, enact, stream-file, simplify, tidy up, throw out... and avoid disorganization!

Author: Simon Buckingham

What do you think?

To make a comment to the author, send e-mail to simon@unorgan.com

 

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