Organizing For Your Brain Type By Lanna Nakone

There are thousands of organizing books on the market. In fact, a search for books on Amazon using the keyword "organizing" yields over 160,000 results, which tells us, if nothing else, that there are thousands of people out there who consider themselves experts in this area.The problem is that many of these experts prescribe a "one-size-fits-all" approach to organizing that tends to be quite structured. Many of them are naturally organized and believe that by sharing what they do, they can teach the rest of the world to be organized as well. Readers who are also naturally organized may gain a tip or two from these books, but in many cases, will not find them terribly helpful. Others, to whom organizing does not come naturally, may find some of the ideas appealing, but have difficulty carrying them out. Still others will find the suggestions completely unrealistic and not at all suited to their style of living or working.Occasionally an author comes along who recognizes that we are not all the same, and that an organizing system needs to fit the individual. Lanna Nakone is one of those authors.The book begins with a self-assessment quiz to identify the reader as having one of four brain styles:The Innovating StyleThis style is associated with the frontal right section of the brain, and seems to correspond with the SP personality types, Artisan temperament, or Orange personality style.The Harmonizing StyleThis style is associated with the posterior right section of the brain, and seems to correspond with the NF personality types, Idealist temperament, or Blue personality style.The Prioritizing StyleThis style is associated with the frontal left section of the brain, and seems to correspond with the NT personality types, Rational temperament, or Green personality style.The Maintaining StyleThis style is associated with the posterior left section of the brain, and seems to correspond with the SJ personality types, Guardian temperament, or Gold personality style.A full chapter is dedicated to each brain style, including general information about typical strengths and challenges, as well as specific suggestions for managing space and time at home and at work. Ms. Nakone even makes a point of describing how each style may be perceived by individuals who have different styles.As someone with the Maintaining Style, I especially appreciated the author acknowledging that my greatest organizing challenges aren't about what to do with my "stuff" but about dealing with interruptions, relaxing my expectations, and remembering to schedule a little fun in my calendar!Adding to the book's appeal was the insertion of organizing-related quotes throughout each chapter, most of which I'd never come across in previous reading.Supplementary material includes a Sensory Preference Assessment to identify the reader's preference as auditory, visual, or kinesthetic, along with tools and strategies to enhance productivity for each combination of brain type and sensory preference, and a chapter dedicated to addressing the typical challenges that arise when individuals with different brain types live or work together.If you've read other organizing books and found they weren't helpful, I highly recommend that you check this one out. Once you've completed the self-assessment at the beginning of the book, you can easily jump to the chapter which applies to you. I also recommend it to anyone who helps others with time management or spatial organizing. dr seuss cat in hat history