Yes, that’s right; we are going to talk about cleaning your room and personality in this blog. May 10th is National Clean Your Room Day, a day dedicated to the idea that a clean and tidy living space leads to improved mental clarity and overall well-being. While this may seem like a trivial holiday — you might not even know of its existence — the truth is that a clean and organized environment can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life.
If my mom and dad were reading this, they’d be sure to get a good chuckle. I wasn’t exactly the tidiest of kids growing up. There was one traumatizing Sunday evening when my mom went into my room with a garbage bag and threatened to toss everything after I’d dodged her daily demands that entire week to get things put in place. It culminated with a toss into the shower after they also informed me, I didn’t smell too good either. I can’t believe I admitted that!
I’m probably comfortable doing so because things changed drastically for me as I got older. Once I got my first apartment, I became obsessed with order and cleanliness. I mean, I could have founded The Home Edit if I had only thought of that. Darn! One day I was “playing” Barbie Dolls with my daughter. While she was busy getting Barbie and Ken ready to go on an amazing camping adventure, I got lost and found inner peace when I started sorting their shoes and accessories. Suddenly my daughter looked up at me and pointedly asked, “Mom, are you playing or organizing?” She knew me well.
And now both my daughters have followed in my footsteps, fancying a trip to The Container Store anytime I ask. My older daughter even got me a whole spice drawer system for Christmas this year. And thankfully I didn’t have to battle with them about clean rooms when they were children. They came about it naturally. But why?
Why do some people find it easy to maintain a clean and organized space while others struggle to keep up with the clutter? The answer lies in personality traits and the approach to cleaning.
Let’s break down personality traits first. Omnia’s behavioral assessment measures a person’s behavior using a concept called psychometrics, which defines non-pathological behavior. We break this data down into 4 key personality traits: assertiveness, communication style, pace, and structure. Our easy-to-interpret reports display these 4 behaviors as pairs of columns because every trait has an opposite. Some people are assertive (tall Column 1), while others are more cautious and supportive (tall Column 2). Some people are more social (tall Column 3), while others are more reserved (tall Column 4). You get the point. The magic beneath each of these personality dimensions are many other factors of personality that relate to how you prefer to communicate, solve problems, approach your work, and can even link to how you approach cleaning your living and workspace. I promise. Let’s dig into it.
Individuals who are naturally organized and detail-oriented tend to find it easier to keep their spaces clean and tidy. They can break down cleaning into manageable steps and develop effective systems for organization and maintenance. On the Omnia assessment, this would be tall Columns 6 and 8. On the other hand, individuals who are more focused on immediate priorities and juggling a lot of balls in the air at once (tall Columns 5 and 7) may struggle with cleaning and organizing tasks, as they tend to focus on more immediate or urgent concerns. The idea of spending a whole day cleaning and organizing could exhaust a tall Column 5, while a tall Column 6 could relish the time doing it.
One of the reasons why I think I struggled keeping my room clean as a child is that I lacked an organizing framework to help me. I didn’t understand how to sort and store things, and we didn’t have a plethora of different shaped and sized storage bins to help. Getting and staying organized takes some planning, the right resources and intentional follow-through. I didn’t have any of these capabilities as a young person, and all my other traits won out. For example, my high need for autonomy and independence (Column 7) made it easy for me to ignore the countless pleas from my mom. And after all, my Column 3 wanted to spend my time talking on the phone with friends and going out.
A clean, organized workspace can boost productivity, improve mental clarity, and create a more professional image. Understanding your unique personality traits in the context of your approach to cleaning can help you develop effective organizational strategies that work for you. If you are naturally organized and detail oriented, you may already have effective systems in place. If you struggle with those kinds of tasks, it may be helpful to break down cleaning and organizing into smaller steps, prioritizing based on importance and developing a routine that fits both your personality and your schedule. Start with one drawer, and you’re on your way!
Omnia is here to help. Contact our team to find out how you can use our professional development reports to learn about your key traits and those of your employees, and how you can conquer National Clean Your Room (or Office) Day in your own unique way.
