How to Organize with Your Personality in Mind: Understanding the 4 Organizing Styles
- Claire Dickson
- Nov 18
- 5 min read
No organizational solution is one size fits all! We all operate differently and need a system that works with our own individual comfort levels and needs. Our personalities, natural preferences, habits, and available time influence how we use space, plan our lives, and process information.
Which is why I believe it is SO important to understand your organizing style before you dive in with organizing your space. What works for someone else might not work for you at all (and it might even make your life harder, not easier)! Capitalizing on your personality, style, and preferences is key when establishing organizational systems and solutions.
THE FOUR ORGANIZING STYLES
There are four main organizational styles, and knowing what fits your personality and lifestyle will make or break the sustainability of the systems you put in place. We want you to be able to maintain your systems because they work for YOU! While nuance and gray area can come with any descriptor, these four main categories help inform the way you tackle organization:
Micro-Visual Organizers
Macro-Visual Organizers
Micro-Hidden Organizers
Macro-Hidden Organizers
Being aware of your style helps make it easier to categorize and divide spaces; determine the size, material, and color of containers needed; and best choose where to place items.
MICRO-VISUAL ORGANIZERS
Anything "micro" makes reference to small and detailed, and there's no question that micro-visual organizers pay attention to detail. Micro-Visual organizers love organizational styles that make things look pretty, with everything neatly folded and lined up. They prefer to see everything so they can easily find what they need. Typically, they like to have everyday items out and accessible. For example, a Micro-Visual organizer would likely enjoy a pantry with most of their food decanted or in clear, specifically-categorized bins, easily able to see how much they have and assess when to restock.
Some challenges Micro-Visual organizer face include the tendency to over plan and need everything to look just right (which can make organizing take more time that it might need to, leading to the tendency to procrastinate).
Pro tips for a Micro-Visual style: Make the most of your vertical space with open shelving, pegboards, and plenty of hooks. Clear containers, see-through bags, and wire baskets make it easy to spot what you need while still giving everything a designated home. Tackle your space in stages, start with simple systems, and give yourself permission to refine things later. It’s way better to have something “good enough” now than to live with clutter for months while waiting for the perfect setup.
MACRO-VISUAL ORGANIZERS
Just like Micro-Visual organizers, Macro-Visual organizers feel more comfortable seeing everything so it's quick and easy to find what they need (and not forgot what they have!). Out of sight might mean out of mind, making these types of organizers feel uncomfortable with not being able to see what they have because it comes with the risk of forgetting about it. They like to surround themselves with their possessions rather than hide them. But they're big picture (macro) thinkers and don't want to spend extra time maintaining small categories, folding everything just right, or focusing on details.
One challenge Macro-Visual organizers face is the tendency to generate a fair amount of clutter - they might not have the patience to put things away and like to see everything, so it can build up quickly without a solid system in place!
Pro tips for a Macro-Visual style: Keep it all in sight with large, clear containers (no lids - we don't want to create more work!) in open shelves. Trays and wire baskets on top of counters can also help keep things contained in a "home" without being tucked away. And hooks are your best friend! Use walls and hooks to hang things, keeping them off the floor and counter but out and ready for when you need them. You might even want to take the doors off your closets so you can easily see and put away. Arrange items by color, function, or frequency of use to keep big picture areas tidy and intuitive. Make broad, general categories and use large labels (even in clear containers) so you can see quickly where things should go.
MICRO-HIDDEN ORGANIZERS
Micro-Hidden Organizers prefer minimal clutter and visual simplicity. Read: they like a clear counter! Very detail-oriented with a love for subcategories, Micro-Hidden organizers are willing to put in the work to make their space work for them. They tend to get rid of things quickly and easily, the epitome of "minimalism." And while they like MOST things in a home, out of sight, they prefer to see what they are working on: they will typically leave bills to pay or an unfinished project sitting out, waiting until they are completely finished before taking the time to put it away.
Micro-Hidden organizers share the same challenges as Micro-Visual organizers. Because they like things so detailed and particular, it can lead to burnout or procrastination, in turn increasing clutter.
Pro tips for the Micro-Hidden style:
Make friends with drawer organizers, not shying away from multiple dividers! Pick opaque bins and baskets (with dividers when possible). Stackable drawers can help keep things tucked away in specific categories. When you need to see a current project, utilize command centers with wire or acrylic baskets and bins to organize "pending" items.
Give yourself some grace! It might be helpful to let go of perfectionism and adopt a "good enough" approach.
MACRO-HIDDEN ORGANIZERS
If you're a Macro-Hidden organizer, you think big picture and appreciate efficiency. You don't need to see all of your things out - in fact, that might stress you out!
Some challenges that come with this style include the tendency to put things away quickly without a plan just to get clutter out of sight - if categories and systems aren't obvious and relatively loose, Macro-Hidden organizers will likely tuck things away without a plan.
Pro tips for a Macro-Hidden style:
Use big, less particular categories so you can put things away quickly without much thinking. Avoid clear containers: go with opaque, solid or neutral-colored bins/baskets. Keep them uniform, well-labeled, and available on open shelves. Drawer dividers are also a great way to help you put everything away and out-of-sight quickly!
Try to avoid visual clutter like hanging too many small things on the walls. Opt for command hooks inside door cabinets to keep things out of sight. Bottom line: keep your things out of sight but with quick, easy, efficient access using relatively broad categories.
A COMBINATION OF STYLES
Just like personalities, organizing styles are unique to the individual. One of these might be more dominant for you, but you can still incorporate aspects of other styles into your systems - most people have a blend of styles. For example, I like to keep everything in the pantry visible and ready to use, but I keep opaque baskets in the mudroom so those mittens and hats are out of sight!
Whichever style (or styles) best suit your personality and needs, it can be daunting to get started! I'd love to support you in your journey. Let's connect to schedule your complimentary consultation today!
Comments