Why Do We Have a Bench if We Can't Sit on It?

Currently, the bench in our mudroom -- purchased to
provide additional storage -- is about as useful
as this one. (Photo: jill111 via Pixabay)

Sometimes, the things in my home that are out of place are all I can see. They call to me from the flat surfaces where they congregate and seem to invite guests so that the pile of things I eventually put away seems larger than the pile I put there in the first place.

Other times, similar piles (on different surfaces) blend right into the background.

Last week, for example, I went to sit on a bench in our mudroom to pull on a pair of boots. Only I couldn't.

Rolled up newspapers held an incongruous place of honor between a reusable grocery bag full of books to be donated to the library -- which has been there for months, I might add -- and a basket full of miscellany which has been there even longer.

Why do we have a bench if we can't sit on it? And why did it take me so long to ask this question?
Because the thing is, I don't remember the last time we could sit on this bench. The accumulation of "temporary" homeless items has been so gradual that's it's almost as if this bench really is their home.

Only it isn't. Again, I reiterate. Why do we have a bench if we can't sit on it?

Coats hang on hooks behind the bench, further complicating matters. When we first decorated the mudroom, this seemed logical. After all, we'd seen many hook-and-bench units as we went in search of the one that worked for us, so it seemed only logical to put the bench we eventually purchased under the hooks we'd already hung.

Why again? If there are coats hanging on the hooks, that makes it even more challenging to sit on the bench.

I don't expect you to answer any of these questions, let alone solve the mystery of what goes where in our mudroom but, clearly, I need to.

In December and January, a large bookshelf took up temporary residence to the right of the bench and the hooks so that we could make space for our Christmas tree. Now that the room has been restored to its usual configuration, it's clearly time to take a closer look at where things are and where they should be -- a task I will add to my list of things to do while I'm on break next week.

It's so easy to grow so accustomed to the landscape of our homes that we don't see what needs to be done, leaving homeless items collecting dust in plain sight. The bench situation is one I am overjoyed to be remedying -- and soon -- because, once I do, I'll have the best of all possible organizational rewards.

Clear space.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Factors to Consider Before Adopting Someone Else's Strategy

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Yesterday, I wrote about finding the sweet spot between my planner and my to-do lists. It's a plan that took a long time to evolve, and one that works extremely well for me.

Does that mean it will be a good fit for you?

Maybe. Maybe not. If we share styles, perhaps it will. If we have different planning needs, it most likely won't.

One trap I fell into frequently before learning to organize by STYLE was trying to replicate things that worked for other people. Almost invariably, I ended up frustrated and no better organized than I was before I started. Even worse, I sometimes blamed myself instead of considering the (usually correct) possibility that the tool was not a good fit for one (or both) of my styles.

That's not to say that other people don't have good ideas -- they often do. But, before you try to adopt someone else's plan as your own, ask yourself these questions.

Does it fit my styles? As someone who loves planners, I've seen, picked up, flipped through and nearly purchased many of them. But, as someone with an I need to see it personal style, I've put almost as many right back where I found them. Plenty of lovely planners lack the layout and planning space that I've learned that I need in order to function effectively. And binder planners? Fuhgeddabout it! Binders and I do not get along. Those planners may be a perfect fit for someone else, but they don't work for me.

Will the novelty wear off? Novelty can be just what we need, especially if our brand new tool fits our styles and moves us in the direction of a change we're committed to making. But, novelty will only carry us so far. If the learning curve is too steep, we may go back to the old way out of sheer frustration. Fit new tools into existing styles and throw in just enough novelty to spark the excitement of a new approach.

Is it worth the expense of time and money? Good organizers don't have to be expensive. Our kitchen calendar gets limited use and is mostly a visual reminder of doctors' appointments, so it's as basic (and cheap) as I can make it. The blank sheet of paper I put on my clipboard under my day-by-day sheet is usually the flip side of something I've printed but no longer need or a piece of notebook paper torn out of one of my daughter's old school notebooks. And the clipboard itself is reusable. The only thing I really splurge on is my planner and even then, splurge is a relative term. It's more important to me that it fits in my purse than that it's a thing of beauty (although pretty planners are nice). I'm a big fan of organizers from the dollar store and clearance racks and I re-purpose what I already own as much as possible -- as long as it fits my styles.

Pixabay

The next time you just love something someone else is using, ask yourself if it fits your styles. If it does, ask yourself if you can imagine using it every day and how much time and money adopting this new tool will cost. If you can check all the boxes, go for it.

We never know until we try.

Keeping it All Straight

Kaboompics via Pixabay

You'd think that after all these years of writing about planners that I'd have a go-to planner -- one I choose every single time so that planner shopping is a no-brainer.

But I don't.

I used to have one of those planners when I was working full-time. It was expensive, but it had all the elements I needed. And, since I didn't carry a lot around, I didn't mind that it was bulky and not exactly lightweight because everything I needed was in there.

It took me a long time to find that perfect, albeit expensive, fit, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's taken me as long as it has to find my next perfect fit. The precise interior of my primary planner (yes, I have more than one) changes somewhat from year to year, mostly because I can't seem to find an exact match, but this year's planner marks a definite departure from my norm. I decided that I wanted more room for notes, so I opted for a planner that's more of a journal, with only monthly view (not the daily I usually go for) and lots of room for notes.

That's Planner #1. And I love it. The more I use it, the more I don't know how I did without this much space for notes.

Planner #2 is my work calendar, and it doubles as a lesson plan book of sorts. This is the planner with the weekly and monthly view, but it contains only my class and work information. More utilitarian than pretty, it needs to have just weekly and monthly views and maybe a little space somewhere for notes; everything else is immaterial.

Planner #3 is one I try to replicate every year -- a cheap (I try to pay only $1), thin book with a two page spread for each month and maybe a couple of extra pages for notes or contacts at the back. This is my goal-setting and writing plan book, where I keep track of my monthly goals and my writing assignments.

My planner.
Photo: target.com

But every single one of these books closes. This is, of course, to be expected as that's an integral part of how a planner is set up. As someone with an I need to see it personal style, I need a place to corral all of this information into a format I can see at a glance.

Enter my Knock Knock notepads. I'd seen these in a number of gift shops and bookstores (and on Amazon), but then discovered I could go to the website and explore the whole gamut of options, not just the ones the store buyer liked. I settled on the "This Week" version, which I've been using since sometime last summer. Then, after Christmas, I found several others (which appear to be discontinued) at Marshall's, and I added a different version of the weekly planner and a weekend planner to my collection.

Each Sunday (okay, sometimes it's Monday), I check my planner and transfer any appointments to my "This Week" sheet, which, by the way, also has a "Next Week" block so I can give myself a heads up if I need to do something to prepare for an upcoming appointment hidden in my neatly closed planner.

But I digress.

I then put a clean sheet of copy paper or notebook paper on a clipboard with my 6 x 9" "This Week" sheet on top. The difference in size between the two pages allows me to use the margins of the larger page to make a master list from which I transfer tasks to the appropriate day of my "This Week" sheet.

If this sounds like a lot of work to you, try keeping track of all of this in your head.

All kidding aside, this system might be way too complicated (or time-consuming) for you. You might prefer simply one planner and one master list, and if that works for you, that's wonderful. Before landing on this plan, I tried all sorts of ways of keeping my lists separate yet merged, and something always fell through the cracks. For me, this set-up provides the perfect blend of visibility for immediate planning (and urgent tasks) and long-term planning. Writing the tasks out each week keeps them in the forefront of my mind and, when I find myself overrunning the space provided, it makes me stop and think about whether I might be overloading the day -- something a big, blank sheet of paper just doesn't take into account.

As a serious stationery lover, I get very excited bout finding my "just right" fit and I'm a sucker for pre-printed pads that are a match for my personal style. These are the kinds of things I like to splurge on, but you might prefer to go more basic and/or make your own.

Have you found your perfect set-up? If not, what is your current set-up missing?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Elements of "The Plan"

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Yesterday, I wrote about remembering to use the strategies we've selected, and the title of the post ("Note to Self: Use the Plan") got me thinking.

What's the plan?

When we organize by STYLE, each of us will create a plan that's somewhat unique. Sure, we're all operating out of the same six styles, but since personalities, tastes and individual preferences vary, every I need to see it/drop and run person will put her (or his) own twist on the tools and strategies that comprise their organizational blueprint.

Here are three key concepts -- perhaps even the top three -- I need to keep in mind if I have any hope of staying organized.

Write it down. Whether it's a task, an appointment or an idea, writing it down not only helps me remember it, but also frees my mind to brainstorm it further and/or concentrate on other tasks. My planner/list/clipboard system screams I need to see it and, best of all, keeps it all in one place.

Take small steps. I run into trouble, organizationally speaking, when I run out of time. When things get hectic, I don't always choose/remember to use my systems (see yesterday's post). Aligning my systems with my styles is the first step, but putting habits like Don't Put it Down, Put it Away! and Give it Five! to use help me to stay on top of things (or at least avoid the piling that's the default setting of someone with an I need to see it personal style) when time is limited. Then, when things slow down, I have less to tackle. 

Focus on the visual. My all-time favorite tool is an open-top file bin -- it allows me to put things away, but still see them. In addition, I color-code -- a lot! -- sometimes down to the color of the paper clip I use to keep papers for my classes together. This allows me to see at a glance where something belongs.

Bonus strategy: Value clear space. As someone with an I need to see it personal style, I have a lot of piles. When I finally clear off a space that was laden with visual reminders, I feel not just a sense of accomplishment but a sense of peace as well. Keeping those hot spots clear is an important investment in organization, but perhaps more important, it's an investment in

my well-being as well.

What are three key elements of your plan?

Note to Self: Use the Plan

Today is one of those days when multiple projects are colliding, so I'm opting for a "Way Back Wednesday" post. This one, from November 2016, is a good reminder that our strategies only work if we use them. Pretty obvious, I know, but if you've ever been too busy to take that extra step, you know just what I mean. 


This week, I caught myself engaging in a very bad habit. As numerous due dates and assignments to be graded collided, I found myself in an almost constant state of to-do high alert. I'm sure you know the feeling.

But that was only part of the problem. It seemed that the more I had to do, the less I wrote things down. I had a system all set up, and it worked well when I used it. Yet this week, whether motivated by fear, some bizarre sense of saving the two seconds it took to write things down, or magical thinking (if I don't write it down, it will go away), I stopped writing things down just when I needed to most.

Bad plan. Very bad plan.

Once I identified the problem -- or at least the bad habit that was compounding the too-much-to-do problem -- I also realized how easily I could fix it. All I had to do was overcome the urge to curl up in a fetal position under the blankets -- organizationally and metaphorically speaking, that is -- pick up a pencil and write things down.

The relief was almost immediate. Although I still had to do everything on the list, I no longer had to carry each item around in my head. I hadn't realized just how much that was contributing to the stress and exhaustion that was dogging me.

In the end, the only way we can make our to-dos go away is to cross them off our lists, either because we did

them, or because we made the decision not to do them after all. In order to accomplish this wonderful feeling of accomplishment, however, there's one thing we need to do at the outset.

Write. Them. On. The. List.

Yeah, yeah. Okay. I'm going.

Friday Feature: Personalizing Productivity

I enjoy reading posts and articles about productivity and, as a result, I've read a lot of articles on how productive people start their days.

None of them sound remotely like how I start my day -- or how I want to.

Luckily, I'm not a proponent of one-size-fits-all thinking.

It would be easy to assume that since the people I'm reading about run huge conglomerates and make lots of money that I might want to adopt their habits. But, while I may envy their productivity, I don't want to do what they're doing. I want to do what I'm doing, only better.

A couple days ago, I bookmarked another of these articles to read and honestly, I was expecting more of the same.

Luckily, the writer doesn't seem to be a proponent of one-size-fits-all thinking either.

In his article, "I’ve Interviewed 300 High Achievers About Their Morning Routines. Here’s What I’ve Learned," Benjamin Spall shares the ingredients of productive routines. Rather than telling me how long Entrepreneur X meditates in his gazillion dollar mansion with a perfectly outfitted mindfulness space or how far Businesswoman Y, who's training for a marathon while running a multi-billion dollar corporation runs, Spall focuses on personalizing the generalities, boiling it down to the essential questions.

What works for you? And what should you do when life intervenes?

I was excited to see that Spall is also the author of My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired. 

After all, the more productive I become, the more time I create to read books like his.

How do you start your day off on the right foot?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Creating Routines

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Yesterday,  I wrote about invisible routines that help me keep things running smoothly as well as improving my efficiency. When used well, routines add a consistency to our days that helps us feel calmer and more efficient.

Thinking of coming up with a few routines of your own? Here are three things to consider.

Keep them simple. Routines should work in our service, making things easier, not more complicated. A good routine improves flow and efficiency, but establishing a routine just for the sake of doing so often wastes time instead of saving it.

Honor your styles. One of the reasons I love my school day routines so much is that they fit right in with my I need to see it personal style. I'm sure professors who take attendance at the beginning of class and don't feel the need for paper copies would see my way of doing things as cumbersome, but I developed my routine after trying those ideas and finding they didn't work well for me. My routine not only fits my personal style, but it also puts my mind at ease.

Don't overdo it. Routines are helpful in moderation, but too many routines can box us in. We're not robots, so we need to strike a balance between routine and flexibility. If things are already going smoothly, save the energy required to create a routine. In other words, if it's not broken, there's no need to fix it.

Routines should free us up to enjoy the things in life that are more fun than efficient, as well as providing us with peace of mind. Are your routines living up to those standards and working in your service, or do they need an overhaul?

Invisible Routines

rayedigitaldesigns via Pixabay

Changes in life require changes in organization. There are the obvious examples, like moving and home renovations, but there are also subtler changes that require us to come up with methods of keeping the non-tangibles organized and creating peace of mind as a result.

This semester, I'm once again teaching three classes, but this time, they're essentially the same. All three classes are child development classes and there's a substantial overlap in content. I teach two of the classes back-to-back in the same room, making it impossible to anchor what I've said to a specific location.

I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm finding that the reduction in planning time is a nice bonus. In addition, I opted for these teaching times, which are convenient to my schedule.

The problem is not in timing, but rather in remembering. Because the first several units are essentially the same, keeping track of where I left off in each class can be challenging.

Another challenge I face is with the online attendance option. I really like it, but needed to find a way  to do it without it being disruptive to the flow of the class. For this reason, along with my own I need to see it personal style, I really need a paper copy of the attendance for my own use.

These kinds of organizational issues are invisible to others, but make a big difference in the flow of my day and my sense of confidence as an instructor. When I'm unsure of where to begin or distracted by details, I'm off my game. My teaching suffers and classes don't go as well as they might otherwise. I'm less enthusiastic, which pulls down the energy of the whole room. At some points in the semester, this can be disastrous.

To maximize flow, confidence and efficiency, I needed to find solutions to these invisible problems.

Solution A: A planner for keeping track. This is so simple. My planner has both weekly and monthly layouts. In the monthly layout, I keep track of due dates for long-term assignments (color-coded by class). In the weekly layout, I keep track of where each class left off or, more accurately, where to begin the next class. When I set up before class, I pull out the planner, open it to the current date and leave it on the podium. At the end of class, it takes less than 30 seconds to write where to begin the next time we meet. Laying it out at the start of class allows me to reference my notes from the last class so I know where to begin as well as saving time when I'm wrapping things up at the end of class. This way, even when all three classes have mysteriously ended up in different places, I don't have to ask my students where we left off.

MoteOo via Pixabay

Solution B: Class list on a clipboard. Last summer, I discovered a printable grade book on the Super Teacher Worksheets site. I use one of these sheets for each class roster and, at the beginning of class, pull it out, put it on my clipboard and take attendance the old-fashioned way, which allows me to have what I call my "orientation slide" up for my students when they come into class. I keep the roster on my clipboard until I enter the attendance into the online site, then put it back into my folder. This visual reminder keeps me accountable. If the roster's still on the clipboard, I still need to enter the attendance into the online portal.

These kinds of routines may seem silly, but they're the kind of small steps that assure that things get done. Putting my I need to see it personal style to work helps keep things running smoothly.

What invisible routines do you use?