NEATNESS = PEACE OF MIND...

...and is a contributing factor to success!

Having a background as a bean counter, being a bit compulsive about neatness and organization should come as no surprise. It makes me feel so much better, more confident, more relaxed. It is such a time saver in finding things, in contributing to higher productivity because of a more focused mind, and with increased peace of mind on and off the job.

Why increased peace of mind? Thinking about difficult projects--at hand or upcoming--I found if I couldn't remember where I put something, or where a file was on my computer, it was a stressor.  On the other hand, a neat workplace often ends those thoughts quickly, and I can go back to life!

Neatness typically means systems are in place. It means concentration on the work at hand can be intense and focused, tools needed are at hand or exactly where they should be! The frustration of losing focus, getting bogged down is eliminated! Surgeons, mechanics, accountants, executives...all rely on a neat, organized work place or neat, organized assistants to concentrate effectively.

Working for my father's construction company as a teen and into college, he would often repeat his father Hugh's mantra. Grandpa Hugh, a carpenter for the Northern Pacific Railroad back in the day, apparently regularly remarked, "a place for everything and everything in its place." While perhaps irritating at the time, later experiences working with carpenters or foremen that couldn't find their tools or allowed a sloppy job site, proved very frustrating and unpleasant. Builders with a commitment or near obsession to a clean job site, I observed, tended to be more successful, professional and efficient.  Those with the sloppier sites tended to be angrier, less successful and micro-managers!

Robert Irvine from TV's "Restaurant Impossible" show often attacks messiness with a passion on his show. One Florida diner, the Soup to Nuts Diner, was termed "dangerously dirty" by Robert, and he refused to allow anyone to eat food from their kitchen. It was a clear case where physical messiness also translated to a messy financial situation, as Soup to Nuts was losing money as well. The fact is, a business that is sloppy in appearance often translates into a business that is sloppy in other areas as well.

Finally, a story B. Eugene Griessman shared in his excellent book, "Time Tactics of Very Successful People" about the creator of the famed Peanuts cartoon (Charlie Brown, Snoppy and the gang), CharlesSchultz. Greissman noted that despite what he had expected from such a creative genius, Schultz's office was clean and tools of his craft were perfectly in order. When Greissman asked about it, Schultz replied, "I like things neat."

While perhaps overlooked, don't underestimate the power of neatness in a prosperous business!