Finding Your Zen: How Each Type Can Create a Room of Her (Or His) Own

We all know how difficult it is to find peace these days — the phone is always ringing, or the kids need constant attention, or there are multiple deadlines at work. ‘Rest’ is not a priority in our culture, in fact it can be pretty hard to come by.

So how and where can we create areas of space to do just that (and we aren’t talking about the bedroom, either)? We want to rejuvenate, restore, and plug into ourselves so that we have the energy our normal, everyday life demands. First off, do we have an extra room where we can create a peaceful space? Second, how do we even go about creating it? And finally, what would that space look like? Chances are, the pocket of zen will look different depending on your type. For Classic Structures, for example, their ‘zen space’ might be their home office, where everything has a place and is neat and organized, right down to the color-coordinated folders and pencil-holder. In this article, we’ll try to figure out just how and where your specially designated space to zone out (or do whatever activity you like to do) will be, depending on your Pixie Type. Remember: “every brain is wired differently and has a unique way of coping and thriving in his/her house.” – Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality

Pixie Types: A Quick Rundown

If you’ve visited our website and taken our quiz, you already know which type you are, or which types you fall between. This exercise is paramount to our ability to help you make the most of your living/working space, and organize it most effectively. After all, organizing effectively is not about having an outsider come in and organize your space their way — it is about you learning how to organize things in a way that best suits you and the way you make sense of your surroundings. This is why we combined personality types with organizational techniques: we knew that in order for it to work, our strategy had to be personal.

Below, we’ll go over the four basic personality, or Pixie, types. There are two subtypes per general type, but we’ll focus on the basic, core type for now for purposes of brevity and clarity.

The first type: Classic

Classics are the ones who do what needs to be done. They are not only action-oriented, but minutiae is their forte. One might say that they thrive on being organized — right down to the last, tiny detail. They are traditionalists, volunteers, and goal-oriented.

The second type: Fun

These types work with their hands to create things: food, woodworking, skincare — anything that involves crafting something using their hands is a good fit for a Fun type. What is most important to these creative types (who are not all artists, by the way) is that something gets done right. So, while Fun types do get things done, they tend to be flexible with how and when (as long as it takes for it to get done in the right way is how long it will take to get done!). With this de-emphasis on timing, and emphasis on flexibility, Fun types are great at improvising and coming up with solutions on the fly.

This type has one goal: helping others achieve their fullest potential. They are idealists and dreamers, and value their personal growth and personal relationships over all else. Competition doesn’t excite them; in fact they avoid it at all costs. Instead, they would rather work with others toward a common goal. In our book, we claim that Organics “often feel alone in [the] battle to place authenticity and meaning ahead of achievement and ambition.” Sums it up perfectly, doesn’t it?

The fourth type: Smart

These types think strategically, have an uncanny knack and ability to see the big picture instantly, and excel at delegating and doling out tasks in order to achieve their main goal. They can see the way all the pieces of the puzzle fit together — before it’s even constructed. They are ambitious and analytical, and excellent at solving complex problems. Because of this skillset, Smarts are often found running things — as CEO’s or head honchos of some kind.

A Haven for Each Type

Classic- Their office or home office. Complete with filing cabinets, cubbies and bulletin boards, they love nothing more than puttering around, putting things back where they found them, organizing and reorganizing things to their liking. Hard for some other types to believe, but this is where a Classic finds his or her best peace of mind.

Find these types in the garage, where they are painting miniature airplanes, carving a wooden table or sanding down a dresser and refinishing it. They could also be in the kitchen, making homemade pasta or bread. As long as they are in the ‘zone’, they are at peace.

Organic- You can find Organics anywhere people are. Look in the kids’ bedroom upstairs and find them helping to build a fort out of pillows, or a makeshift tent. Squabbling over who gets to do what? No problem for these types, as they love to help settle differences and always have creative solutions to potential problems.

Smart- Chances are, if you’re looking for a Smart, you’ll find him/her in either the living room, library, or study. Any place they find quiet and can organize their thoughts (and paperwork!) in peace. A place they can hang inspiring artwork that allows them to expand their minds and see the bigger picture. The key here? They’re alone. This is a pretty solitary type, and for good reason: they have the world on their shoulders!