An Organized Mind Can Be Determined from as Young as Five Years Old
From prioritizing tasks to practicing mindfulness and always being on time, attributes often associated with organization come easier to some, whereas others may find them more difficult. Leading outsourced communications company, Moneypenny, has carried out research1 to reveal America’s opinions on organization, as well as to uncover if there is science behind an organized mind.
With 75% of the nation considering themselves as organized, it comes as no surprise that a third of respondents (38%) practice mindfulness, get up early in the morning (36%), and like to plan the day or week ahead (32%).
When asked how they would best describe their personality type2, almost a quarter (24%) referred to themselves as introverted, compared to a fifth (21%) who said extroverted. But is there a scientific explanation behind the organization and if so, how do the two link?
According to Dr. Blumberg, organization comes as second nature for some and not others because of an individual’s reticular activation system (RAS).
The RAS is a network of neurons positioned at the brain stem that play a crucial part in influencing behavior. With this, your RAS also works in conjunction with the brain’s executive system (prefrontal cortex), which manages self-control and in turn, impacts concentration.
Incredibly, the behavioral neurons stabilize in children from an early age, and so research suggests organization can in fact be determined from as young as five. Individuals with a naturally active RAS will often feel as though their brain is ‘on all of the time, allowing them to absorb a great amount of detail around them and resulting in them adopting more organizational tendencies. Individuals with a less active RAS may struggle to filter and structure information efficiently, potentially making them less organized.
Dr. Blumberg explains that those with an active RAS will often avoid additional external activity and therefore tend to be more introverted. In contrast, those with a ‘sleepy’ RAS lean more to displaying traits associated with an extroverted personality.
Although those with an extroverted personality type may exhibit traits associated with the organization, naturally it will be harder to maintain over longer periods. Individuals who struggle with managing their time or meeting deadlines may benefit from Dr. Blumberg’s recommendation of writing everything down, as it allows you to put all of your tasks onto paper and organizing them a little better.
Commenting on the research, Joanna Swash, Group CEO of Moneypenny said: “Good organizational skills are key for maintaining efficiency across both your personal life as well as your business, and so it’s really interesting to be able to understand the science behind this, as well as the steps people can take if the organization doesn’t come naturally to them.
“If you’re struggling to remain organized in business, you may benefit from outsourcing assistance to help lessen the load.”
To find out more about the survey, or expert insight click here.
