The Right Fit

 I’m an Apple girl: iPhone, iPad, MacBook. Last week, when I accidentally created a too-close encounter between my MacBook Air and a glass of iced tea, I never considered replacing my dearly departed computer with anything but a new MacBook Air.

Actually, I'm pretty brand loyal in other areas, too. Exhibit A: my collection of Kate Spade handbags. Exhibit B: Multiple pairs of shoes with the same name inside (Kate didn't win that contest). Exhibit C: My daily Starbucks run at which I order the same drink 95% of the time.

I could go on, but I won't. The thing is, I know what I like. And, when I find something I like that works, I stick with it unless I'm given a good reason not to do so. Sticking with what works is an easy way to combine something functional with something that brings me joy, not to mention that it makes shopping more efficient.

This comes in very handy when it comes to organizing — in fact, it’s what organizing by STYLE is all about. 

So why do we persist in using things that don’t work? 

I have a personal list of exhibits here, too. Exhibit A: file cabinets. Exhibit B: binders. Exhibit C: any container that hides what’s inside (unless I can put a label on it).

For years, I tried to make myself fit into those boxes. These were the tools I grew up on, the ones that were readily available and used by other people whose opinions I valued. But, as it turned out, these tools failed me.

Do me a favor. Go back and read the last sentence of that last paragraph again.

The tools failed me. They may be perfectly fine tools, but they weren’t the right fit for me. Since then, I’ve found replacements — tools that are a better fit for the way I think and the way I organize.

It’s exactly that kind of fit that keeps me brand loyal. When a tool works, fits my lifestyle, and is within my budget, it’s a win-win situation. When that delicate balance is no longer met, it's time to look elsewhere, guilt-free and judgment-free. 

Maybe even splurge a little.

In the end, buying a succession of inexpensive tools that don’t work can be as costly as just buying the right thing — the one that works for us — in the first place. And, when we find that right thing, we might even want to stock up.

Especially if it goes on sale.

X is for Excited (Sort of)

  I wrote this post yesterday afternoon, then promptly posted it in the wrong place, a mistake I discovered late last night.

Sigh.

Apparently it wasn’t just my to-do list that didn’t go according to plan :-j

I'm one week into the semester and I'm already breaking promises to myself. 

Tuesdays were supposed to be a "light" day with respect to schoolwork. While today hasn't exactly been a super busy day, I blew right by my time guideline early in the day, and I'm not finished yet.

It's not that the workload is overwhelming. It's that I have lots of ideas and I actually have time to look into them. Maybe even implement a few.

For a change.

Writing was on today's calendar and, with the exception of this blog post, that's probably not going to happen. I could switch gears and switch tasks, but I kinda want to follow these new ideas for my classes and see where they lead. 

Undisciplined? Maybe. But, the truth is, I work better when I follow my heart. Enthusiasm is a catalyst that augments my energy and that's a resource I don't want to lose. 

So, it's off to my web search. Today, I'll be applying my creative energy to my classroom work and, as for my writing, tomorrow is another day.

I promise.

Imperfect But Improving

 This post from 2019 connected very nicely with my current situation. A lot of this fits together with a podcast I recently guested on and a post I wrote on Monday for The Porch Swing Chronicles about using my time wisely in a semester where I'm teaching fewer classes. In addition, it is, I hope, a good reminder to all of those who entered February with little progress on that New Year's resolution to get organized. 

There's still time. There almost always is.

I used to be embarrassed by the state of my house often. It wasn't terrible -- just cluttered and very, very lived-in. My I need to see it/drop and run styles were in evidence in many places and on many flat surfaces. Having visitors required either hours dedicated to finding homes for things and putting them in those places or a frantic dash through the house to grab and stash.

These days, I'm embarrassed a lot less often. If you were expecting me to say I'm never embarrassed, I hope you're not shocked or disappointed. The fact is that knowing about organizing -- and even writing about organizing -- is different from doing it.

When it comes to organizing (and keeping things uncluttered) the "doing" is often hampered by real life obstacles. Things like time, space and conflicting priorities lead us to take shortcuts that feel comfortable in the moment (like dropping and running, cramming and jamming or putting things somewhere), but that lead to piles and clutter we end up having to tackle later on.

Organizing is not a one-and-done process. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were?) Balancing what comes in with what goes out in a timely fashion requires consistent time and attention. As long as  both time and attention are plentiful, things go relatively smoothly. But, when we get busy or overwhelmed or other priorities emerge, it's easy for things to pile up. Quickly. 

Pixabay

Tomorrow is my last day of classes for the semester. This week, I've emerged from the grading cave long enough to tackle a pile or two and create some clear space. Because I have workable systems in place, it's a fairly easy process, but it still requires time and attention. Fortunately, each clear space motivates me and reminds me that I know how to do this. I just need to have all of the tools -- including the intangible ones -- at my disposal.

When it comes to organization, no matter how much I learn and how much I write about it, I remain a work in progress. Some days, it's hard not to see this through the lens of failure -- as though simply understanding what I need to do will get the job done.

But it won't. Although knowledge alone is insufficient to keep my surfaces clear, there is one piece of information that helps me keep things in perspective -- one that I remind myself almost daily.

It's a process.