"In a world of structure, be the organized chaos!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
Is it OK to be helplessly, hopelessly disorganized?
Maybe so.
What got me thinking about this was an article I came across about the importance of the ability to see clarity through chaos. That's certainly a powerful capability right about now.
And it brought to mind this situation.
Picture this - you've had a wonderful baby shower for one of your sons and his wife. It's time to return the rental chairs. Two SUVs are enlisted in the process. And unbeknownst to me, my wife snapped two photos once the loading was done.
There was hers: nicely stacked, neatly organized, structured to perfection. No wonder - she's a first-generation German Canadian, and has "Organized" as her middle name.
Then there was mine.
I guess that's how my mind works. Maybe that's why I'm so creative. I have little patience for structure, little time for routine, and precious little time to stack chairs properly.' Who defines 'properly' anyways?
It was, by any reasonable standard, chaos.
But here’s the thing: They all fit.
And maybe that's the power of "organized chaos."
My wife’s method was elegant and beautiful; it’s ideal for a stable, predictable system. My method, however, was not.
It wasn't random—I knew where the space was, I used the negative areas between the chairs, and without really thinking, I made purposeful, if messy, choices to maximize volume. The result was the same: the job got done, perhaps even faster.
And here's the point - throughout our lives, we are constantly pushed into a "world of structure." We have rigid job descriptions, linear career paths, and step-by-step instructions for everything. These structures are essential for stability, but they can be paralyzing when the world demands speed and adaptability.
And right now, the world demands speed and adaptability. It's chaos out there, folks!
Organized chaos is the ability to maintain a clear objective while allowing the process to be messy, flexible, and dynamic.
It’s the startup team that rapidly pivots, not the corporate committee that takes three months to schedule a meeting.
It’s the artist whose studio is a beautiful disaster, but who can instantly locate the right tool or brush.
It's the problem-solver who breaks the established rules to achieve the established goal.
It's the guy who stacks chairs in an SUV without thought, but gets the job done.
When rigid systems inevitably fail or slow down, don't try to force a perfect stack. Know your destination, and then let your process be the slightly messy, highly dynamic, and profoundly effective power of organized chaos.
You'll be surprised how much you can fit in the trunk when you stop worrying about making it look pretty.
Futurist Jim Carroll has little patience for structure, routine, and organization.