Organizing Ideas

  I love notebooks. I've collected so many, in fact, that I might actually have a lifetime supply. Some of my stash is brand new, just waiting for the right task, but I also have a significant number of partially used notebooks and journals, many of which were my daughter's at various stages in her development. When only the first few pages have been used, they're worth setting aside and repurposing (have to save those trees!).

My most recent repurpose is a book journal. I got the idea from a stationery website. I clicked on their book journal, thinking it was a cool idea, but quickly discovered it offered much more detail and structure than I wanted or needed.

But just as quickly, I decided that I both needed and wanted a book journal. So, I dug through my collection and quickly found the perfect candidate. With a laminated cover about the same thickness as a composition book (only prettier), it was just right.

I quickly dug into setting up my pages with the information I wanted to record. Now, whenever I finish a book (whether traditional, e-book, or audiobook), I know just where to go to make notes about it and record all the information I want to remember.  Not only does it create a record that's fun to review, but it takes my reading resolution to the next level.

It's funny how one thing can lead to another. A few Sundays ago, I decided to make time for a Sunday Sampling of my Kindle content. Suddenly, I knew just where I wanted to keep track of things. I opened to a clean page in my reading journal and began recording the books I was in the middle of (many of which I'd forgotten I started), which book samples showed promise, and a few other details I wanted to keep track of. Sure, it's all on my Kindle but having it all on one page suits my I need to see it personal style. In addition, it was relaxing to spend the time exploring and planning.

When we think of organizing, we usually think of organizing stuff and sometimes, we think of organizing time. But, it's also important to think about how we organize ideas. Often, they belie their incredible value, showing up when we least expect them -- while we're in the shower, while we're driving to work, just before we fall asleep -- at times when preserving them is a challenge. Sure, we can scribble them on scraps of paper.

But don't they deserve a place of their own? A place where they can bloom and grow and blossom? A place where we can find them and take them to the next level?

Where will you store your ideas?

Still the One

 Last week, I filled the third of these planners -- the one I first wrote about in September 2021. Luckily, I asked for new ones as gifts for Christmas and my birthday, so I already had several blank ones at the ready. Still, I'm thinking of purchasing an extra, just in case. I've used a lot of planners for both personal and professional purposes, but this is one of the few that has stood the test of time over multiple years. 

Do you love your 2023 planner? If not, it may not be too late to find one that's a better fit. While the selection is much smaller than it would have been a few months ago, the prices are great because not many people are looking for new planners in March. Or, you can go with an undated planner, which gives maximum flexibility.

Life is short. Buy the pretty planner :-)

I recently bought a new planner. I didn't need a new planner. I have plenty of planners. 

Yes, planners. Plural.

But it was pretty. And undated so, theoretically, it will outlast my current planners.

Did I mention it's pretty?

Shallow as that sounds, I really don't judge a planner by (just) its cover. In the end, while pretty was a key factor, the interior layout sealed the deal. Each page has room for my daily schedule, three daily priorities, and a to-do list. There's also room at the bottom to note food and water intake for the day, should I so desire.

I don't. I keep track of that on my phone.

My hope was that having my schedule, priorities and lists bound into a book, I'd reduce the ubiquitous flurry of papers that litters my desk, and I would (almost) never need to dig to find my to-do list. 

So far, so good. I still jot down notes on random pieces of paper from time to time, but I'm developing the habit of adding those items to the list in the book, usually the same day. In addition, I'm learning to keep the book close at hand in the evenings, when to-do list items pop into my head.

katespade.com

After purchasing the planner, I discovered that the pages are perforated, making it easy to pull out an unfinished list and tuck it into the next day's page, rather than re-writing it. I haven't yet done that, but it's nice to know it's an option. 

Truth be told, no matter how useful it is, this planner was a splurge. I saw it, I liked it and, although I didn't buy it right away, I bought it in spite of the fact that I didn't need it.

Am I sorry? Not a bit. It has much more room than the pages I was previously using for my week-at-a-glance cheat sheets (but the flip side of that is that it also takes up more room than those single sheets). As it turns out, that's an unexpected bonus. I rarely fill every line in the to-do list section of the daily pages, and my daily schedule isn't usually lengthy enough to fill that section either. The resulting white space is calming, reassuring me, in a way, that although my day was busy, it wasn't overwhelming.

Not on paper anyway.

Organizing is a practical process. If the tools we use aren't up to the task, we need to replace them. But, from time to time, we all need a tool that's pretty and practical because that combination can make organizing not only fun, but a habit as well. 

List-Shifting

 It's my spring break (in the form of a long weekend) and I've been making a to-do list for more than a week. Characteristically, the things on the list (which don't even include items from my work to-do list) will likely take more than a week to accomplish.

Call me an overachiever. 

Lots of the items on the list include things that don't need to be finished -- working on a jigsaw puzzle, taking time for writing and sketchnoting, reading for fun. Others sit squarely on the spend-some-time-on-it/finish-it line, threatening a sense of dissatisfaction unless I check them off the list completely. 

When it comes to those items, I have a choice. I can strike them from the list completely, determining that a break is not supposed to be stressful, or I can readjust my mindset.

So which is the answer?

It depends. Case in point. I had originally put "paint dining room wall" on the list. A few weeks ago, my husband and I selected some new colors that are way outside of our usual box. Before committing, I wanted to paint one wall and live with it for a bit.

Then, one day earlier this week, I found out that my husband would be working from home for part of this afternoon. I don't know why I feel the need to have an entire day at my disposal to paint this wall, but I do. After being grumpy for a while (I hadn't told him about the wall--I'd wanted it to be a surprise), I decided that the amount of brainpower (not to mention work) it would take to accomplish this task over break was sucking all the joy out of break. Since I didn't seem to be having much success in the "adjust my mindset" realm, I went a different way.

I took "paint dining room wall" off the break list and added to a Saturday list. Now, I also have the added benefit of finding a time to pick up the paint. 

I could have left that to-do list slot free, creating lovely white space where a task had been. But you know where this is going.

I added something new. Something less labor and time intensive. 

We've also been talking about replacing the floor in our bathroom. The current floor was ill-advised (I take full responsibility) and I'd love something new. So, instead of painting a wall, I'm going to go pick out floor samples. 

What does all of this have to do with organizing?

First of all, it's about organizing time -- free time, to be precise. In this overrated world of adulting, free time is a rare commodity. Personally, I protect mine with a fierceness usually demonstrated by animals in the wild. I'm very particular about what makes the cut (list) and what doesn't. And, once the list begins to grow, it's even more important to determine what should go and what should stay. 

Deciding this depends on how we want to spend our free time. Whether it's a few free hours or a few free days, we can opt for productivity, creativity, relaxation, or another option entirely. Personally, I usually have a bunch of things I want to do but never seem to find time for -- those are the ones that make the list and stay there. Then, I need to organize my time, my lists, and my priorities in order to spend that gift of time in the way that best suits me.

When it comes to organizing spaces, we need to do this same sort of list-shifting. Have a project that needs a big chunk of time? You can either set aside that big chunk or tackle it in small pieces.

Have several projects to tackle? (Don't we all?) Determining how the projects fit together in terms of importance, time commitment, desire, and urgency (to name a few) is key to making the most of the time we have. 

Our personal and organizational styles--along with our moods and energy levels--help determine the best use of our time. And, whether it's free time, found time, or a run-of-the-mill Saturday afternoon, we often have the most success accomplishing a task when our heart is really in it. Because we don't always have that luxury, we should take full advantage of it when we do.