True Confessions Wednesday: Beholden to a Binder

True Confession #23: Sometimes, I use a binder.

It's rare. In fact, it almost feels wrong. I've spent so much time railing against doing things the usual way that choosing a standard tool makes me feel like a traitor to STYLE.

But a week or so ago, there I was, searching my stockpile for a just-right binder. The stack of printouts from my online course needed to go somewhere and, since I was pretty sure I'd want to reference them, that somewhere needed to keep them organized and accessible.

A binder was, in this case, the just right tool -- the Goldilocks to my burgeoning paper pile.

So, stylish binder in hand (none of those standard-issue solid color binders for this I need to see it girl), I sat down with my stack of papers, my three-hole punch, and my sticky tabs and I did one of my favorite things.

I made order out of chaos.

I've written a lot about making the break from traditional tools, but I've also written a lot about choosing the right container for the job. In this case, I needed to keep the papers in order, so a file folder or accordion file didn't make sense. I needed to be able to flip through them easily, take them out and put them back again, and store them neatly in between uses before setting them aside until next fall.

I needed a binder.

While I don't care for binders for everyday use, I do like them (especially if they're eye-catching) for reference materials that can -- and do -- stay out of sight until needed. They work better for my I need to see it personal style than file cabinets because once I open the binder, things are visible and,  if I've organized them correctly in the first place, they are accessible as well.

Organizing by STYLE doesn't mean we'll never use standard tools -- it just means we won't default to them. Though I've moved away from binders and file cabinets, there are times when I choose them because they are the right tool for me and for the job -- something that is at the heart of organizing by STYLE. In addition, when we choose to use a standard tool, we can personalize it. My binder is eye-catching (to go with my I need to see it personal style) and, when I add my sticky tabs to the pages, I can see what's where and flip through the pages easily. Down the road, I might also add a clip to the front, or a divider with pockets but, for now, my binder is working quite well.

I'm as surprised as you are.