My Curse: Organization

By Russ Baker

Lots of people are cursed with the lack of organizational skills. I am not. Contrarily, I am “cursed” with over-organization. Many of my friends compliment my organizational habits, while others tell me that I’ve gone overboard. Most of the time, my “over-organization” has proved beneficial, yet there are occasions where it proves to be a hindrance. Having things organized so that anything I could possibly need is where I need it, when I need it, definitely serves me well, especially in my architectural academics and my career. When push comes to shove, and a deadline is fast approaching, it’s definitely a plus to know exactly where that particular reference material is hiding. One resulting problem from this though, is that it enables me to procrastinate, one of my biggest flaws, second only to perfectionism. It may not sound so bad, but all of these traits combined, in my own mind, somehow escalate the smallest of issues into the greatest of priorities. Sometimes, this can be a good thing….but, usually; it causes me to focus on the wrong task, or at least one of lesser importance, thus disorganizing my priorities. My defending mindset is that if I just take care of the smaller, easier tasks first, I will be better capable of taking care of the major tasks, or at least more focused on them.


Let me explain the extremities of my “curse.” All information from every class I have ever taken is written, or printed out, and organized and stored in a black binder (see attached photo). Of course each binder has its own internal organization, subdivided into emails, notes, homework, projects, lectures, and miscellaneous tabs. I have never sold a textbook back to the bookstore. Not even if I never opened it during the course of the semester. All of my computer files are organized by type, to the max. Major folders under “My Documents” include Home Documents, Misc, My Music, My Pictures, My Videos, Old School Files, and the current semester’s files (SIUC Fall 2010, presently). Each of these obviously is subdivided into folders that I deem necessary, according to my “filing system.” I even have a file called “Passwords,” which has over 55 online, ATM, etc. passwords and logins. Of course, this file is password protected with a password. I’ve never had a messy room. My mother had never once had to tell me to pick up my room. I love to take out the trash. To me, trash is clutter. And clutter is unacceptable if for no other reason than it distracts me from what is not “clutter.” Psychologically, I could attempt to explain this through heredity, mental disorders, or whatever, but I never really liked the two psych classes I took.

Haven’t convinced you yet that it’s a curse? Well, I’m not done…. I also have every computer file I’ve ever created backed up on three computer hard drives, and a CD or DVD, and two external hard drives, and probably a couple of jump drives, oh, and a printed hardcopy. Call me paranoid, but I’ve never “lost” anything in my life. Not even the car keys. I’ve lost a cell phone once, but that was just because I didn’t put it “in its spot” the night before. I never made that mistake again! My refrigerator and cupboards are organized and faced by product type and label. I’ve always had a clean desk, to the point where I’m even conscientious that when I get my own “cubicle” at a firm, my coworkers won’t think I ever do anything. To anyone who doesn’t think I’ve gone overboard yet, let me explain how this can be a hindrance…

When habits escalate to ritual, they can become a dominating factor in one’s lifestyle. I’ve even caught myself thinking it was more important to “clean” my file cabinet, than to get a proper amount of sleep prior to taking a test the next morning. I find myself worrying about insignificant things in architecture projects, like the coping of two steel beams, which will never be seen in the final drawings of a studio design project. Perhaps I’m obsessive compulsive, or perhaps I just feel guilty about wasting time organizing, but one thing’s for sure, I’ll never waste any time looking for anything…ever, and I’ll probably never change my ways. Good or bad, it works for me most of the time.