Thursday Then & Now: New Semester, New Tools?

As a new semester that promises to look quite different from the others approaches, I'm finding that blog posts are getting nudged down the list in favor of class preparation. On Thursdays, I've been taking advantage of voluntary virtual work days that put me in touch with my colleagues but set the mental expectation that today is a day to get things done. 

As I prepare to teach in a hybrid fashion, flexibility is, indeed, the name of the game -- which brings me to today's post.

What I said then:

One of the things I like best about organizing by STYLE is its flexibility. Don't like binders? Try an accordion folder. Not a fan of the file cabinet? Use individual standing file holders. Have a tendency to cram and jam or put things in a "safe place"? Choose storage that supports what you do naturally -- flexible and/or see-through containers -- instead of "shoulding" yourself into using a traditional tool that frustrates you.

Another benefit of the flexibility of this method is that it automatically lends itself to change. No matter how perfect the system, it needs to be dynamic in order to meet changing demands, uses and time constraints.

Case in point: my school stuff. Each semester, I have things to sort, store and carry back and forth. Old faithful tools -- my planner, which doubles as a lesson plan book, my pencil case loaded with writing implements and office supplies, my pocket folder that houses reference materials for each class -- form the foundation. From there, I add tweaks and tools to fill any gaps that arise.

A few semesters ago, I added a clipboard to my arsenal of supplies. It came in handy during the first few weeks of class, providing a place to house rosters and seating charts as I learned my students' names, and then I set it aside. Over time, the clipboard has earned its keep, playing a role in my attendance-taking, thanks to a the online system my college has adopted. In addition, I added a single sheet of paper to my clipboard, one that summarizes my schedule and appointments for the week. It's amazing what a big difference that small change has made in bridging the gap between my school schedule and my home schedule. One piece of paper has combined my to-do lists, and appointments for two parts of my life, uniting two separate pieces of the same puzzle.

Finding a tool that works is wonderful. Finding one that will grow with the demands and changes of daily life is even better. While it's tempting to wish for a permanent solution to our organizational needs, finding ways to adapt and adjust not only refines our systems, but our overall organizational skills as well. And, since a stagnant life would be a boring life, we might just have to adjust to the one true rule of organization.

It's a process.

What I think now:

As I transition into a part online/part face-to-face semester, I'm still figuring out what tools I'll need to take with me. My planner/plan book is a definite yes and has already been pressed into service as I figure out due dates and lay out my course calendars. My week-at-a-glance pages look different in the summer (I've purchased a variety of styles over the years) as there is less going on, but they are a centerpiece year-round for home and school, and will take up residence on my clipboard so I have them handy whether I'm working online from home or face-to-face at school.

In addition, I'm also using some reference tools right now that I expect will help me to stay organized as I move into the semester. The binder I created last semester is serving as the foundation for two of my courses, and an accordion folder divided by unit topic is serving a similar purpose for my third class. When I need more space for planning than my planner provides, I use a lesson plan book with squares big enough for brainstorming.

This semester promises to be quite different from the ones before it. While I know some of my old tools will survive the transition, I'm sure my styles will lead the way toward new ones as well. After all, who could have predicted that I'd be beholden to a binder last spring?

Certainly not me.

True Confessions Wednesday: Quiet Collectors

True Confession #37: If it's not broken, it's easy to ignore.

Piles. Closets so overstuffed the doors won't close. That mysterious smell coming from the back of the Mom-mobile. These things can't help but attract our attention -- in fact, they practically scream for it -- moving them to the top of our organizing to-do lists. 

But what about the quieter spots? The cram-and-jam drawer that contains a little bit of everything, making it difficult to find anything? The stack of items to deal with later that got neatly tucked into a basket or bag, then a closet, leaving it out of sight and therefore out of mind? The surface that seems to be magnetized, based on the number of homeless items that have taken up residence there on a semi-permanent basis?

If the squeaky wheel gets the grease (no more clichés, I promise), these spots are doomed to a life of inattention -- or at least a very long respite. 

Whipping the counter in my office into shape made me more aware of these surfaces and spaces. The semi-empty file sorter on top of my desk. The top of the dresser in our bedroom. The top of the shoe organizer in my closet that began as a sort of vanity tabletop, but ended up a catchall for small, homeless items that kinda sorta belonged there.

What's going on here?

None of these spaces ever had a pile dumped into or on top of them. Each one started as a clear space that slowly morphed into a holding zone for a variety of homeless items, usually one at a time, that were supposed to be there temporarily until slowly, but surely, each of these clear spaces stopped being clear and became a catch-all space. It happened gradually and stayed just under the radar until it reached the tipping point.

But that third spot -- the one inside my closet -- was the sneakiest one. As with decorative baskets and junk drawers and yes, the file sorter on my desk, the stuff was hidden away. Those spots didn't call out to me like the counter in my office or the top of my dresser. They just quietly collected stuff.

And dust.

While part of the problem here is my I need to see it personal style, there's also something deeper at work.

None of those spots was assigned a definite purpose. That set them up perfectly to catch the overflow until they, too, overflowed. Until they reached that tipping point (or my consciousness was raised, thanks to my counter), they were easy enough to ignore. 

When we see things that are out of place, we are motivated to put them back -- maybe not immediately, but eventually. But, when something is out of place for too long, it begins to claim that space as its own and we no longer notice that it's not where it belongs. And, if a place isn't assigned a purpose -- this shelf holds books, this cabinet holds pots and pans, this basket holds toiletries -- it becomes a magnet for things that aren't assigned a home. 

Bru-nO via Pixabay

My office counter is much, much better, with almost every last homeless item removed from it and given a home. Right now, I'm taking think time as I try to decide how many of the decorations that are there get to stay. I might also solicit opinions from my husband and daughter about what looks cluttered to them and use their input to rearrange some things into the final configuration of the space but first, I'll do what I did to the top of the shoe organizer in the closet. 

I will clear off the counter completely, clean it, and put things back one at a time, paying attention to what is enough and what is too much, trying to find the tipping point. Right now, though I am loving the expanse of open space, I can tell there is more work to be done.

When it comes to organization, some of our projects call out to us. The ones to be wary of, however, are the ones that serve as quiet collectors.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Components for Containers and Organized Spaces

Yesterday's post got me thinking about the collision of containers, organization, and think time, which brought me back to a topic I haven't talked about in quite a while. 

Despite their many variations, all containers have just three key attributes: form, function, and style. 

• Form (the "what") refers to the size, shape and physical attributes of a container, including features such as lids and sections. Using our styles to dictate the form of each container we choose increases our likelihood of actually using the container long-term.

• Function is exactly what it sounds like - the purpose the container will serve. Is it meant as a catch-all? A place to organize various documents or items? Is it decorative, useful or both?

• A container’s style comes from its aesthetics - color, texture, pattern, attractiveness. Although these things might not seem important when it comes to containing our stuff, I've found that we're more likely to use a container or storage system that looks nice. In addition, a container's style can be part of a room's overall style, contributing to the aesthetic of the space and keeping us more invested in keeping the space tidy.

If we want to organize in a sustainable way, all of these attributes matter. How much each one matters depends on what needs to go into the container or space, as well as the user's personal and organizational styles. 

This is where think time comes in. Giving consideration to how the containers will not only fit into the room but contribute to the overall flow and beauty of the space takes time, thought, and even trial and error. Our end goal is to choose containers that are both appealing and functional so that they’re easy and fun to use and fit well into the space. When we're successful in doing this, we create a space that's not only organized and efficient, but reflects who we are as well, increasing our motivation to use the systems we've set up and spend time in our wonderful, personally organized space.

Wednesday True Confessions: Think Time

True Confession #36: I need time to let things evolve. In education, we call this "think time" -- the space we leave between a question we've posed and the answers our students provide. When it comes to organizing, it's the space between the start of a project and its completion, especially when we're taking small steps and working on something a little at a time.

That's exactly the approach I've been taking with the counter in my office. As promised here and to myself, I'm working on it for 15 minutes every day until I get it de-cluttered and looking nice. I've chipped away at it since we got home from the beach, missing only one day (but spending way more than 15 minutes on it on other days) and I'm discovering that the closer I get to finishing the project, the more think time I need. 

Last night, for example, I don't think I got rid of anything. I'm down to one small pile of miscellaneous items, none of which is likely to be tossed and all of which need a home. Instead of tackling those decisions, I spent my 15+ minutes cleaning the counter and rearranging the decorative items that are vying for a place of honor on the finished space. Some might call this procrastination, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong.

But it's more than that. When I set the timer last night, the first thing that caught my eye was a mini display I'd created. It was too tall and, even though it was organized, it made the space look cluttered. So, I took it apart and played with the arrangement, moving this item and relocating that one and, in the end, the counter looked better than it had when I started, which is my only goal in my daily plan of attack.

If we want to organize in a sustainable way, we need to take our time, considering what belongs, what doesn't, what deserves a home, (even if it's somewhere else in the room or in the house), as well as what that home should look like. One reason I like taking small steps is that I'm more likely to remember what I put where and to create a space that's not only organized, but also pleasing to the eye. Because the line between the right amount of stuff and too much stuff can be very thin, this process takes time.

I'm happy with the gradual uncovering of clear space this project has yielded, and I enjoy hearing my family comment on it as well. But, once I've removed all the papers and clutter, I want the counter to look nice not just because it's clear, but because it's a reflection of the inhabitant of the space as well.

And that takes not only organizing time, but think time as well.

 

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Choices for Dealing with Interruptions

If there's one thing the past few months have made abundantly clear, it's that the best-laid plans don't always work out. On Sunday night, I laid out my goals for the week and then, last night, on the eve of what was scheduled to be a flexible work day, I made a list of tasks to accomplish.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

While I still have some time left today to make progress on those goals, being far from where I expected to be at this point in the day got me thinking about what our options are when our best-laid plans rise up and take off in an unexpected direction. We can:

• Go with the flow. Today's to do list got knocked off-course by two meetings that lasted much longer than expected, erasing a chunk of the work time I thought I'd have available. But, since the meetings offered valuable information and connection with colleagues, I opted to stay in the meetings and re-schedule the work. When the second meeting ended, I took a deliberate break, took stock and dug into the to-do list item that rose to the top for me in terms of both importance and motivation.

• Get back on course. I could have excused myself from either meeting, but chose not to. Had I opted to exit the meeting(s), I could have checked my list, adjusted my time frames, and gotten started on the work I'd planned to do. Given the fact that I was already off-schedule, I'd need to make adjustments in either the number of items I tackled or the amount of time I spent on each, but I could have honored most of my to-do list.

• Do a little bit of both. One of my colleagues in the first meeting needed to leave before an important part of the meeting, and she asked if it would be recorded. That way, she could stay true to her schedule and view the recording later, getting most of the best of both worlds. I say most of the best because doing both fully is rarely a realistic option. Though she could see the video, she couldn't participate in the discussion but, had she stayed, she'd have missed an appointment so, in her case, staying was not an option. This sort of trade-off is typical when we try to do everything; in addition, it often involves more of a time commitment as well. As long as we're okay with both of those limitations we can sometimes do it all. Sort of.

No one of these options is the right one for every situation. Had I had a meeting scheduled with someone besides myself, I would probably have gone for the third option rather than the first (and honoring our commitments to ourselves is another blog post entirely). Had the down side of staying in the meeting outweighed the benefits of staying put, I would probably have gone with the second choice.

Dealing with the demise of our best-laid plans is a fact of life. Some of us have personalities that allow us to do this seamlessly, while others are so thrown by the change in plans that getting back on course is all-but impossible. Understanding that we have options, though -- that we can choose which action to take based on the circumstances, our personalities, and a host of other factors -- is an important tool in our time management arsenal. 

Today, I opted to stay. As a result, tomorrow's schedule will most likely be light on commitments where I relinquish a degree of control over my own time because I will want to catch up on the tasks I didn't complete today. Time management must, like time itself, include a certain amount of fluidity because life itself is unpredictable and the harder we try to grasp time, the more easily it slips away. 

Or so it seems. 

Wednesday True Confessions: Didn't This Look Better Before?

True Confession #35: I'm an organizational multitasker.

When it comes to organizing, there are several varieties. There's the day-to-day picking up and putting away of all the varied items that seem to walk out of closets and cabinets and plunk themselves on floors and surfaces every single day. There's the quick pick-up we do when company is coming in half an hour or less. There's the how-did-this-pile-get-so-big pick-up we do when things have accumulated on a countertop, desktop or table. And then there's the organizational overhaul, often kicked off by one of these smaller scale endeavors.

For me, summer is the time for organizational overhauls. 

This summer, because I'm not teaching a class, I've rediscovered how much more leisurely my schedule can be. Suddenly, time, energy, and inclination to tackle problem areas have aligned, and I'm motivated to sort through accumulated items (mostly papers) and re-vamp the systems that have become overloaded due to a surplus of stuff. And, since I'm home more and need to devote less time to planning for classes, I'm noticing the less-than-stellar ways in which I deal with the things that don't have a home or a dedicated system.

In short? A pile of papers is not an organizational plan and a counter is not a storage container. 

This summer, I targeted one trouble spot in particular: the counter in my office. In fact, last week, I publicly promised to spend at least 15 minutes a day on it until it was free of piles and held only the things that were supposed to live there. When I got home from vacation, I even pulled out a calendar that had the whole year on one page so I could cross off each day, only to discover that it was a 2019 calendar and therefore easily disposed of. Writing this post reminded me of that, however, and I now have pressed a 2020 calendar into service, crossing off Saturday, Sunday, Monday and yesterday and creating the beginning of my Jerry Seinfeld calendar.

As expected, the piles on the counter consist mostly of homeless items. This means I need to find places to put them. On Saturday night, after I spent my designated fifteen minutes on the counter (task #1), I sorted through two file bins that do not live on the counter (task #2), condensing them into one and freeing up the other. On Sunday night, I relocated some items displaced by the file bins sort (task #3), sorted through three containers holding contact information, tossed the old and put the ones that were still relevant into a business card file (which now needs a home). I used a picture frame on the counter to display post cards (also on the counter), which necessitated rearranging things I had on the walls in order to find a place to hang the frame (task #4). While most of this was part of the main job of clearing the counter, some of it was not.

Meanwhile, all of this occurred on the heels of our return from vacation. As I put away the bag I keep pre-packed with toiletries, I decided it was time to clean out the bin in which the bag lives (task #5). This led to more tossing, but also to uncovering more items that should be stored somewhere else, which led to taking a hard look at the top of my dresser (task #6), which has also become cluttered and in need of an overhaul.  

When did all of this happen?

Life gets busy and, when it does, we revert to the habits at the root of our styles. If I ever doubted that I'm an I need to see it/drop and run kind of girl, one look at the top of my dresser or office counter is enough to send those doubts packing. And, when I see multiple areas in need of assistance, it's rarely a straight line from cluttered to clear.

Because I love to organize, I see all of this as an opportunity -- a problem to be solved. And, since I have the time to tackle everything, I'm not overwhelmed but rather excited by the possibility of how things can look now that I've stopped looking past what needs to be done and am ready to dig in and do it. 

My tendency to take on multiple projects simultaneously and redecorate as I reorganize definitely means it will all look worse before it looks better but, as someone with an I need to see it personal style, I recognize that all of those steps are a part of the process. And, as long as I stick to my promise to spend at least fifteen minutes a day chipping away at that counter, it's not really so terrible if I work on a few other things, too, just to keep things interesting. To avoid the drawbacks that accompany multitasking, I just need to make sure I focus on one area at a time, chunking my time instead of trying to do it all at once. 

It's my process. 

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Everyday Travel Considerations

Last week, I wrote about the tools I need when I'm traveling for an overnight stay or longer, but most of my travel, especially these days, is more mundane. Assigning homes to the things we take with us on a regular basis, even if just to run a quick errand, helps us to feel less scattered and more on top of things.

We all have our own list of things that we grab when we leave the house so we can feel organized and prepared on the go. Here are a few of mine.

When I'm running a quick errand or two, I might grab just my keys and the small holder that has my license and school ID, a credit card and a bit of cash but, most of the time, I take a bag of some sort with me when I leave the house. The ID holder is easily tossed into my school bag or my writing bag. For longer trips or family outings, I grab my purse, which is fully stocked with more of everything (except my license and ID, of course).

My phone -- and a place for it. Keeping my phone in the same spot eliminates a lot of panicked moments when I'm on the go. I have a rule that any purse or bag I buy must have a dedicated spot for my phone. This keeps me from tossing it "wherever" (at least most of the time). If I don't bring a purse or a bag with me, I stick it in my back pocket, if I have one. If I don't have a purse or a pocket? Well, that's when I get into trouble. 

A notepad and a writing implement to organize my thoughts. Most of the bags I use on a regular basis are pre-stocked with these, and I have a wire-bound notebook and a few writing implements in my car as well. Yes, I know I can put memos on my phone (that's what my husband does) but not only am I old school, I also have an I need to see it personal style. As soon as that phone gets tucked neatly into its home, my reminder, thought or brainstorm disappears. 

In addition, my husband, my daughter and I all have reusable shopping bags (among other things) in our cars for those occasions where we forgot to bring them along and/or didn't think we'd need one. 

Clearly, those are just the basics but, for most trips, they'll suffice. What are your on-the-go organizing basics?

True Confessions Wednesday: The Strange Co-existence of Order and Chaos

True Confession #34: My house is a blend of order and chaos. Okay, maybe chaos is too strong a word, but, as I've said before, I'm a work in progress. That means that there are places in my house that are exactly as I want them to be and then there's....

The rest of the house.

While a couple of rooms are consistently under control, order and chaos often co-exist in other rooms. Since we have a small house, this means there may be a lovely, clear organized surface two feet away from an organizing challenge in the works. 

My office is a prime example. I have conquered my desk, long an organizing challenge, and now it's usually cleared off unless I'm working there. On the other hand, the counter across the room (and "across the room" is a generous description) is a perpetual clutter magnet and the space in my house that comes closest to actual chaos. I make progress on a weekend, only to find that, by the end of the week, I've dumped new items there. It's a process, and not one I am winning.

While I'm a big fan of seizing small chunks of time to make progress, there are some areas that need either a continual succession of small chunks of time or a dedicated time block of an hour, an afternoon, or even a weekend.

I think my counter falls into that category.

Since I believe in taking small steps, and since I'm unlikely to have a totally free afternoon in which to tackle this organizing challenge, I'm going to set a small, approachable goal. Each day, I will spend at least 15 minutes de-cluttering my counter (even if that means three increments of five minutes each) until I whip it into the lovely, clear space I want it to be. 

Long-time readers who are feeling a sense of déjà vu are not wrong. Seven years ago, I launched Operation: Clear the Counter and I made progress. But, in the past seven years, I've re-vamped, re-organized and de-cluttered a lot of other spaces in my house and within the piles on my counter are items rendered homeless by those projects. Oh, and I retired, bringing all new piles home with me. 

As someone who writes about organization and has mastered it in many areas, I don't like admitting to harboring chaos. This counter project is a big one -- one that has the potential to be just the tip of the organizing iceberg -- so I'm hoping my small steps will not only yield big successes but also help keep the frustration of an tackling an enormous challenge at bay. And I'm hoping that going public will be yet another nudge to creating that Jerry Seinfeld calendar that truly does provide motivation.

Time to put some STYLE into action, fifteen minutes at a time.

Exciting News!

A picture is worth 1,000 words :-)

(Catholic Press Association Book Awards)

STYLE Then & Now: Taking My Stuff on the Road

With everything that's going on this summer, last summer's events seem so far away. This time last summer, I was celebrating a new book and preparing to go to a conference as not only as an attendee, but as a presenter as well. 

Since my favorite tools list is, like organizing itself, a work in progress, I thought I'd look back at last year's recommendations and see if they still held true. Last year, three of my key packing tools were:

My conference bag. Though I try to keep the stuff I lug around to a minimum, it's helpful to have some sort of bag to corral everything so I can keep my hands free for handshakes, pouring water and handing out business cards. This time around, I chose to use one of my Know Thyself  totes so I could advertise, too.

The bags that my sheets came in. These fabric, drawstring bags that held my sheets when they were new are a great way to transport shoes. I've pulled the drawstrings all the way through on a few of them, so I now just tuck the fabric under or wrap the drawstring around the top of the bag and tie it shut. I have a couple of smaller bags that pillowcases came in; those are great for jewelry and perfume.

Pill sorters and toilet paper tubes. One of the things I love about Pinterest is that it's full of great ideas other people came up with. Pill sorters (the kind that have a compartment for each day of the week) are great for transporting earrings. If I slide the pill sorters into into the little pouch (otherwise known as the bags my pillowcases came in), the earrings stay safe even if one of the compartments pops open during travel.

And the toilet paper tubes? Drop one end of the necklace through the tube and bring it back around the outside of the tube to clasp it. This can also be tucked into one of the little pouches (or, failing that, a resealable plastic bag) to keep it from tangling. I like to decorate the tubes with Washi tape to make them look pretty.

This summer, a writing conference isn't in the cards but we did keep our reservations at the beach. I carried my usual bag of goodies for the car ride (in lieu of a conference bag), but I also pack plenty of reading material, writing stuff, and other things to keep me entertained. This year, I packed all of that into a sturdy, cloth-covered bin. It's the perfect size for magazines, file folders and, as you can see, a pad for doodling random ideas. And, as I said yesterday, it helps me stay organized and keep things tidy while I'm away. In addition, it stores easily in the car without tipping over. 

As for the drawstring fabric bags, pill sorters and toilet paper tubes? Staples in my travel arsenal, they all made the trip to the beach as well and I am happy to report that no necklaces became tangled in the process. 

How about you? What helps you stay organized when you're away from home?

True Confessions Wednesday: Organizing Doesn't Take a Holiday

True Confession #33: I organize on vacation. Last night, after I finished eating dinner, I dug into some more food -- the supplies we brought along on vacation -- but not because I was hungry. When we arrived last weekend, we plopped the tote full of snacks and supplies onto the kitchen counter, where it stayed. It seemed logical enough. Everything was contained in one spot rather than scattered haphazardly, but the set-up still bugged me. Add to that the pile-up in a corner of the dining room that made sense to my husband, but had me strategizing all through dinner and there was no way I was going to let the status quo go.

Half an hour later, I'd consolidated the stuff in the corner, repurposed a small corrugated tray from the bottled water as a coffee pod holder, and ditched the large box from the warehouse club that had previously been home to the coffee pods. I'd separated the food that had been opened from the food that had not, the breakfast food from the snack food, the gluten-free food from the rest and stored all the breads together. The tote became home to unopened containers and got stored off the counter, which then looked much, much better.

What I really needed was a container or two to maximize the space and make the categories clearer but, since our stay here is temporary, I drew the line at going out and purchasing containers. 

Just barely.

I'm sure it seems silly that I concern myself with these things even on vacation, but I find it hard to relax when things look cluttered, especially when only a small fraction of our belongings is here in the first place. The condo where we stay has an open floor plan so when one area is cluttered, it's really obvious. This trip, I even packed my reading material, writing stuff and miscellaneous entertainment in a bin so that it was easy not only to find exactly what I wanted when I wanted it, but to put it away when I was finished.

Right now, I've got my eye on three bags that, if they were moved to a slightly different location, would be so much less of an eyesore. 

I think we all know where I'm going when I finish this post.

How about you? Do you take a vacation from organizing?