Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Can you Improvise?
Long ago, when I was applying to colleges, my father didn’t want me to study theatre, but my mother convinced him that the things that actors learn were useful life skills that could translate into other fields. As always, she was right. So here are a few of the lessons I’ve brought from the acting world to the organization world:
Hit Your Mark:
Often in a play you might have some blocking that allows you to wander or improvise a bit-but you have to be in a specific spot by a certain line. That’s called “hitting your mark.” It isn’t much different in life. When we decide that we are going to routinely get up at 6, do laundry on Tuesday, eat dinner at 7, be in bed at 11-whatever, we are giving ourselves blocking. That way, when life happens-when school calls in the middle of a workday or there is a flood in the kitchen-everything doesn’t collapse. When you have a good structure, you can improvise with confidence: “I’ll drop off the laundry instead of doing it, that way I can still get the kids to bed on time.” Getting the kids to bed is your “mark.” When we hit our marks, it works like scaffolding. Yes, some stuff might be whipping around in the wind on any given day, but the structure is solid.
You’re More Creative Once You Know Your Lines:
It’s counterintuitive: You would think that when you are hemmed in by someone else’s words that it would be limiting, but really it is freeing. Once you don’t have to worry about the words, you are liberated. Similarly, you would think scheduling would be limiting, but really it frees us. If you know when the gym and grocery shopping are going to happen, then you know exactly when you can meet your friend for that movie at the Film Forum. And when those have-to-do things become automatic, then you suddenly have brainpower and creative energy to spend on things you are actually passionate about, rather than just scrambling around figuring out when to do the ordinary things.
Be observant:
In acting class, there was an emphasis on being observant, to train ourselves to really see. This has served me in good stead as an organizer. Clients are frequently amazed at the space they have that they weren’t even aware of. They are so focused on the overfull dresser that they don’t see the underutilized shelf at the top of the closet.
So, hit your marks, know your script and open your eyes. Life is one big improv!