Does My Personality Affect My Organizational Habits?

 

By DiAnn Mills

Writers, we’ve all been there—the war zone of disorganization. It’s frustrating. We can’t think, we can’t talk, we can’t feel—and worst of all, we can’t write.

We turn to articles and blog posts for help, but often those tips reflect what works best for someone else. Their intentions are good, but the truth is we need to manage our writing life in a way that aligns with how our brains function.

Each of us approaches life, careers, challenges, communication, leadership, and relationships through the lens of our DNA, culture, and life experiences. All these shape our unique personalities.

One tool I find invaluable for understanding how I process information is personality testing. My favorite is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It’s helped me understand how my mind works and why I organize (or don’t organize!) the way I do. I think you’ll love what you discover about yourself.

How Can Writers Organize According to Their Personality?

Start by taking the MBTI assessment. This tool identifies your personality type using four key dimensions:

Extraversion – Introversion

Sensing – Intuition

Thinking – Feeling

Judging – Perceiving

Once you understand how you operate, you can use that insight to customize your organizational strategies. Here's a seven-step guide to help you move from chaos to clarity:

7 Steps to Conquer Organizational Woes

1. Do You Need an Accountability Partner?
That is a question for you to answer.  

If yes, look for someone opposite your personality—someone who loves organizing and has the patience to support you.

If no, jump in and get started. But beware of procrastination. You might still benefit from a partner—be mindful that two similar personalities may clash. Who’s in charge?

2. Prioritize Areas That Need Organizing First.
Start with the most urgent or most frustrating spaces. Don’t try to fix everything at once.

3. Create a Task List.
Organize your tasks chronologically. Use a numbered list or spreadsheet and include:

What I like about the current system.

What I don’t like.

What’s needed to be more productive?

4. Set a Realistic Timeline.
Give yourself a reasonable schedule to complete each task. Make it enjoyable—reward yourself along the way!

5. Celebrate Your Wins.
Finished a project? Celebrate it. Every step forward deserves recognition.

6. Live with the System for 6–10 Weeks.
Use the time to assess:

Is this working?

What tweaks are needed?

Adjust as necessary.

7. Review Periodically.
Analyze your system every few months:

Is it still effective?

Do you need to tweak or rework it?

Or is it working fine as-is?

Writers write. It’s an incredible, rewarding, and sometimes overwhelming journey. But when we’re organized, everything becomes easier. We’re more productive, more focused—and yes, even happier.

Let your personality guide your process, and you’ll find a system that not only works but also works for you.

How do you view organization in your writing?

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites readers to expect an adventure—where heart-pounding suspense meets unforgettable romance and faith shines through every challenge. Known for crafting gripping plots and richly layered characters, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling? Her novels have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists and have earned numerous honors, including the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol Awards.

DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and serves as Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is also active in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. Passionate about helping others succeed, she invests in writers through mentoring, book coaching, editing, and dynamic workshops she teaches across the country.

A self-proclaimed coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She makes her home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas. Connect with DiAnn for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively conversations at diannmills.com, or on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, and LinkedIn.