Then & Now: Do You Love to be Busy?

 As a testimonial of sorts to this week's post, it's coming a day late because I was traveling yesterday and didn't get a chance to put a post together. 

Then:

From the beginning, I've identified myself as an I need to see it/drop and run person. Walk into my workspace, and within fifteen seconds, both of these will be evident. In my world, any organizational system without a visual component is doomed by the double whammy of two styles that feed one another.

And while I encourage those taking my styles quiz to claim one predominant personal style and one predominant organizational style, many of us have traits of the other styles as well. For me, the style that lurks in the background, arguably creating the biggest problem of all, is the I love to be busy personal style.

Like many I love to be busy people, I have different bags for different activities, allowing me to grab what I need and go where I'm going. Many of these bags have subsections so that things that go wherever I go (car keys, wallet, phone) can be dropped into their respective subsections -- usually the same one every time -- so I can find what I need when I need it. Keeping all of my necessary materials together in one place (and separate from those for other activities) is key to managing my busyness.

Early on in the process of naming these styles, I love to be busy was called I like to be busy; the name change came about as a way of keeping style names consistent. But you know what? I don't love to be busy. And, the older I get, the more question whether or not I even like to be busy. Sure, I love (word choice intentional) having a wide variety of interests and activities -- that much is true. But lately, I've been craving a break from the busyness -- a life with a little less busy and a little more balance.

kaboompics via Pixabay

Once upon a time, I did love to be busy, and I took great pride in keeping all the balls in the air as I juggled multiple activities. When I was single and first starting out professionally, busy meant the opposite of lonely -- something that I suspect will be true again when I'm retired for real -- but for many of us in the process of raising families, busy means tired. Overwhelmed. In need of balance.

If you truly love to be busy, more power to you. Keep the organizational systems for your activities simple and separate and ready to go at a moment's notice. Revel in your ability to juggle, spin plates and keep track of everything.

But if you, like me, are finding that your verb is changing, or maybe you even have a love-hate relationship with busyness, maybe it's time to consider re-organizing your time just as you would your stuff. Just as we take a look at our possessions and decide what to keep and what to get rid of, so should we take a look at our calendars and find ways to let go of the clutter. Maybe we should consider using the idea of one in/one out not just with purchases (getting rid of something old when you buy something new), but with activities as well. Or even putting dates with ourselves into our calendars so we're not left without time to take care of ourselves.

pixabay.com

Organizing is a balancing act. With possessions, we balance stuff with space. With activities, we balance stuff with time. Our society seems to think that busier is better, but is it?

If too much stuff can tip the scales into disorganization, might it be true that too many activities can tip the scales into exhaustion?

How busy do you really want to be?

Now: 

I'll start out by answering that final question: not as busy as I used to want to be. It's interesting; my daughter has just started her first "real-world" job and finds herself in the head space I found myself in my twenties -- trying to stay busy enough in the hours outside of work to feel both productive and connected. 

I think the pandemic has changed all of our perspectives on busyness. As life showed down in some ways and sped up in others, we took stock of just how busy we wanted to be. As we move away from the fear that gripped us two years ago, how busy do we really want to be?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Pieces on Organizing by STYLE

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

In addition to writing about Organizing by STYLE here, I also blog about it at CatholicMom.com and  sometimes for print magazines and online publications as well. Last spring, three of the pieces I wrote for the Today's Catholic Teacher website focused on a pairing: one of the personal styles and one of the organizational styles. Entitled "Exploring the Way We Organize by STYLE," each piece went into two of the styles in a bit more detail. Since the styles are mix and match, so to speak, the styles didn't necessarily work together as a pair, but the pieces were, as the title suggests, a way of exploring one personal style and one organizational style.

I was reminded of these pieces as I put together my presentation for the Pennwriters conference last weekend, where I introduced Organizing by STYLE to writers. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to share these pieces here as a way of getting back to basics and/or zooming in on each of the styles.

So here they are: the links to the pieces. Still not sure of your style? Try taking the Styles Quiz, then use the information below to find out how to make those styles work for you.

Exploring the Way We Organize by STYLE: I Need to See it and Drop and Run

Exploring the Way We Organize by STYLE: I Love Stuff and I Know I Put it Somewhere

Exploring the Way We Organize by STYLE: I Love to Be Busy and Cram and Jam

Which styles hold the key to your organizational success?

Location by Style

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Yesterday, I wrote about location on vacation. Today, I am attending a family funeral, so I'm taking a break from my style-by-style posts (3 Key Concepts) posts and sharing a previous post on location and the styles. 3 Key Concepts will return next week.

My mom was a big believer in the old adage, "a place for everything, and everything in its place." I don't know about you, but I've always found that phrase (attributed to Benjamin Franklin, by the way) intimidating. Nothing like a little perfectionism to make us feel bad about an almost clean space. Maybe Benjamin Franklin was a minimalist (he did travel a lot). Or a Type A organizer.

But I digress.

For our purposes, let's eliminate the perfectionism inherent in the second half of the philosophy and focus on the first part: A place for everything. This is the part we can make happen when we tackle the Y in STYLE ("Yes, it has a home!") and apply our styles to our systems. 

What does that look like? As always, it depends on your styles.

I love stuff people are good at putting things together, sometimes in unconventional ways, which is a key concept behind choosing good homes for their things. Often collectors, folks with this style already understand the importance of storing similar items together, and may come up with creative combinations that make storage fun. 

I need to see it people are good at putting things where they can see them, and therefore, find them. Building systems on visual cues (like labels and color coding) can help folks with this style to make the transition from putting things down to putting them away so that they worry less about another adage: out of sight, out of mind. 

I love to be busy people are good at categorizing. Keeping track of the supplies for their many activities gives them lots of practice at deciding which groups of items should go where. Running from one activity to the next has usually convinced them of the importance of this concept, which allows them to grab and go.

Designed by freepik

Cram and jam people are good at simplifying; if it's all in one spot, it's easy to find. Learning to separate their belongings into containers by category allows them to expand their storage and protect their belongings.

Drop and run. people are good at backtracking to find things. Retracing their steps (which they do often) may lead them to determine locations that make sense, based on where they naturally drop things, allowing them to build a system based on their natural habits. 

I know I put it somewhere people are good at putting things away, making them great at finding homes for things. Learning to make those homes logical, rather than haphazard, is the key to their location success.

Every once in a while, we need to be reminded that even if our homes don't embody the "a place for everything, and everything in its place" philosophy, we're moving in the right direction. Finding consistent, logical homes for our things is possible when we remember to view our styles as strengths, and plan our systems accordingly.

3 Key Concepts for the I Love to Be Busy Personal Style

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Two summers ago, I wrote a series of posts dedicated to strategies that work for each of the styles. As part of this summer's goal-setting series, I've decided to revisit and update those posts, especially since summer is one of the times that many of us take advantage of the longer days to tackle projects like organizing. For each post, I'll link back to the original post first (and sometimes I'll even steal from it), then provide some insights for organizing, list-making and goal-setting.

I'll begin with the personal styles: I need to see it, I love stuff and I love to be busy and move on to the organizational styles (drop and run, cram and jam and I know I put it somewhere).

Up first: I love to be busy. Click here to read the original post.

Time management is usually a strength for those with the I love to be busy personal style -- it's the thing that enables them to do so many things. Unfortunately, when time is tight, organization can be more challenging.

• Organizing: Divide and conquer. As I said in my original post, I love to be busy folks often benefit from having separate storage for separate activities. For kids, this might mean separate bags for school, sports and music lessons; for adults this might mean leisure reading goes in one bag, each hobby has a storage space of its own and each committee or commitment has, at a minimum, its own notebook. Depending on their organizational style, the I love to be busy  among us might also like compartmentalized storage that allows them to see at a glance what's missing from any given container. Separating supplies by activity also prevents unrelated items from getting mixed together. 

• List-making: Together, but separate. I love to be busy folks often benefit from a notebook system. This allows them to separate lists by subject, day or activity, but still keep them all in one place, minimizing the possibility that important reminders get lost or misplaced. Inexpensive pocket-sized notebooks work well for this and can be customized to meet the needs of the list-maker; simply use sticky tabs to create sections.

• Goal-setting: Small bites. Because they're involved in so much, it's all too easy for I love to be busy folks to overdo it on the goal-setting. Even just one goal per activity can quickly create an overwhelming list. If you're an I love to be busy person, it's important to consciously limit the number and size of the goals you set. A big project or goal in one place may mean you can only set small, short-term goals in several others. Dare to dream, but make sure the reality is something you can accomplish in small steps because life is sure to intervene.

If you're an I love to be busy person, what are the key ideas you swear by? Share in the comments below!

For printable information sheets 
about containers and the styles, 

click on the CHARTS tab at the top of this page.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Overcoming Motivational Obstacles Unique to Your Styles

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

I've been writing about Organizing by STYLE for over a decade, so you'd think I'd have discovered the link between my styles and motivation long ago. Not true. In reality, it took me until last weekend to make the connection.

Thankfully, the solution was an easy one; merely listing my accomplishments at the end of the day took them from invisible to visible, satisfying my I need to see it personal style and salvaging my motivation (and my pride).

Yesterday, I wrote about the motivation issues that may arise naturally from our personal and organizational styles, so today, I'd like to share three keys to bringing motivation back.

Listing. While these serve as proof of accomplishment for the I need to see it personal style, they serve as item locators for those with the I know I put it somewhere organizational style. Being unable to find something you've stored "in a safe place" is a real motivation killer. Cheat sheets bring order and a system to the sometimes haphazard organization of the  I know I put it somewhere organizer.

Chunking. A popular strategy for saving time (run all the errands that are in geographic proximity at the same time) and memory (chunk bits of information into related groups (think of phone numbers) to get more information into short term memory), chunking can work as a motivator, too. The I love to be busy person can actually see progress when he or she breaks organizational tasks into bite-sized pieces that can realistically be accomplished between meetings, appointments and practices. The drop and run organizer can save time digging through piles if each pile ("chunk") contains one category of items. It may take a little creative dropping, getting into the habit of putting all the items for one activity in the same spot, but it's the beginning of a system.

Containing. Choosing containers that match our styles increase our motivation to put things away instead of down, and to use the organizational systems we set up. Cram and jammers whose containers are large and/or flexible are less likely be defeated by crumpled, ripped or broken items. I love stuff folks protect their collections by containing them in ways that keep them safe and out of harm's way.

It's hard not to get discouraged when our styles don't match those of our Type A organizer friends, but remember that consistency is key, no matter your styles. Finding tools that work and using those tools consistently leads to habits and systems that work because they've arisen out of what comes naturally. Celebrating small successes and using tools whose form, function and style are a good fit for you keeps motivation high and the piles of stuff low.

Even better? It feels a lot less like work.

Motivational Mishaps

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Last weekend, I discovered one of the drawbacks of the I need to see it personal style. I don't know why it surprised me (but it did), and it got me thinking about the drawbacks that accompany the other styles.

Let me assuage any fears that this is going to be a "beat up on the styles" post. I hope you know by now that's not my, um, style. We're all aware of the drawbacks of our lovely styles when it comes to organization. What occurred to me the other day is that they get in our way from a motivation perspective as well.

As an I need to see it person, I tend to downplay any progress I can't see. I can spend an entire day chipping away at things that need to be done, but if I can't see any difference by the end of the day, I feel as though I've done nothing.

Those with a cram and jam or I know I put it somewhere organizational style can have exactly the opposite problem. They think they're more organized than they actually are. Because things are put away--all in one place for the cram and jammer and without an overall plan for the  I know I put it somewhere organizer--they look organized. Other people (unsuspecting parents, teachers and spouses, for example) might even believe the cram and jammers and I know I put it somewhere organizers are organized--until they look more closely. Then, when they can't find what they need, those with these styles are often blindsided, embarrassed and overwhelmed.

People with an I love stuff personal style may have a similar problem. To them, their collections and piles are organized, and their love of their belongings makes them resistant to any recategorizing of their beloved treasures. Change is hard for the person who has all her stuff just the way she wants it.

Time, or the lack of it, can be a motivation killer for other styles. Drop and run organizers often rely on time as a retrieval cue, as in, "no, it can't be that deep in the pile because these papers are from last week," leading them to struggle to find things that don't adhere to the drop and run schedule hierarchy. Folks with an I love to be busy personal style may never feel fully organized due to time constraints and may constantly feel that they're playing catch-up when it comes to getting their supplies for even one activity organized.

Is it any wonder I prefer a lighthearted approach to organization?

As with anything else, though, knowing these things is the first step to overcoming them. Tomorrow, I'll share three keys to help manage those motivational mishaps.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Creating a Tickler File that Just Might Work

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Yes, I know. I spent yesterday's post dissecting the reasons a tickler file doesn't work for me.

A traditional tickler file, that is.

But, I've also spent many posts detailing how any tool can work if we adapt it to our styles. We are the keepers of our containers, and we can adjust them accordingly. Thinking a tickler file might be for you? Here are a few things to consider before you get started.

What's going in it? I chose to use my tickler file to house all the stuff that ends up all over my desk. As an I need to see it person, I like keeping my current projects as visible as possible, but I wanted a tidier way to do it. Labeled, color/pattern-coded file folders give me the visual cues I need, and if I put all the folders together, tucked into one solid color folder, still within view, my desk looks a lot better. Honestly? This is an experiment that's taking me a little out of my comfort zone and that will require me to develop some new habits. I'll keep you posted.

What will you use? I intentionally chose an accordion file with 31 sections to illustrate yesterday's post, but a tickler file can consist of individual file folders, 31 (or more) files in a file cabinet or 31 (or less) sections in a binder. Your styles, how much space you have and what you want to put into the tickler file should be your guide.

How will you subdivide? My friend who introduced me to the tickler file liked day-by-day storage, but I prefer to divide by projects. Others may choose to label the subdivisions: to do, to buy, to call, etc. I love to be busy folks may want to subdivide by activity while I love stuff folks may choose the container first and subdivide later.

Subdivisions should be style-friendly, too. As an I need to see it person, I need visual cues, so although I tuck all my folders into one black folder for aesthetic reasons (I store it where it can be seen), I make sure the folders inside are colorful, patterned and/or labeled. Cram and jammers may prefer fewer subdivisions, since their natural tendency is to put everything in one place.

Although all of us need to decide on consistent homes for our tickler files, I know I put it somewhere organizers will need to be sure their subdivisions are clear and as mutually exclusive as possible, while drop and run organizers might choose the simplicity and one-step filing of an accordion file.

See that black folder peeking out?
That's my tickler file.
This pocket hangs right in my line of vision.

Barb's comments yesterday reminded me of one more key: a tickler file shouldn't be home to every single piece of paper you get. My friend's tickler file held things like concert tickets and boarding passes. Mine holds projects in progress and things I need to access quickly and often, and/or need to act on. An overstuffed tickler file defeats the purpose.

Think back to the basic concepts of homes and locations. What is your tickler file a good home for? More specifically, what paper storage problem can it solve for you?

If you decide to try the tickler file, I'd love to hear from you about your success and stresses. No judgment here -- I'm trying out my own new-and-improved tickler file, and fully expect stresses among the successes. Maybe we can solve them together.

Write it Down!

Pixabay

The full-to-overflowing schedule that flooded the end of May at my house has continued to pour into June. Yesterday morning, I woke up with lists scrolling through my head, so I did the only thing I could do.

I wrote everything down.

Then I tackled my email, and the list grew longer.

As an I need to see it person, I have a love-hate relationship with lists. Because I need to see things, I love dumping "stuff" out of my head and onto paper -- to a point. If the lists get too long, however, I start to get overwhelmed and I need to subdivide. As I wrote yesterday, some of that subdivision came naturally as I indented bullet points beneath topics that had more than one thing to do beneath them.

Does your list-making reflect your styles, or do you have a different style altogether when it comes to making lists?

• If your personal style is I need to see it, do you subdivide and color-code for visual efficiency?
• If you're a cram and jammer, do you cram as much as possible onto one page?
• If you're a drop and run organizer, do you make your list, set it down and forget about it, only to return to it later?
• If you have an I love stuff personal style, do you need to find just the right paper before you can write anything down?
• If you're an I know I put it somewhere organizer, do your lists go missing because you put them in a "safe place"?
• If you have an I love to be busy personal style, are you as efficient with your lists as you are with your time?

In my case, my list-making does reflect my styles. I've already revealed my I need to see it tendencies, and I do, indeed drop my list and run, only to return to it later on. Fortunately, the mere process of writing it down reminds me of the things I need to tackle, so when I return to my list, I've typically made some progress, even if I was in one place and it was in another.

Whether your list-making style mimics your personal and/or organizational styles or deviates from them isn't what matters. What matters is whether or not your list-making works for you. With lists, as with all other aspects of organizing, one size does not fit all. 

Location and the Styles

freepik.com

Today at CatholicMom.com, my STYLE Savvy post is about location -- finding the right homes for our things so that we can live up to the old adage, "a place for everything, and everything in its place."

I don't know about you, but I've always found that phrase (attributed to Benjamin Franklin, by the way) intimidating. Nothing like a little perfectionism to make us feel bad about an almost clean space. Maybe Benjamin Franklin was a minimalist (he did travel a lot). Or a Type A organizer.

But I digress.

For our purposes, let's eliminate the perfectionism inherent in the second half of the philosophy and focus on the first part: A place for everything. This is the part we can make happen when we tackle the Y in STYLE ("Yes, it has a home!") and apply our styles to our systems. 

What does that look like? As always, it depends on your styles.

I love stuff people are good at putting things together, sometimes in unconventional ways, which is a key concept behind choosing good homes for their things. Often collectors, folks with this style already understand the importance of storing similar items together, and may come up with creative combinations that make storage fun. 

I need to see it people are good at putting things where they can see them, and therefore, find them. Building systems on visual cues (like labels and color coding) can help folks with this style to make the transition from putting things down to putting them away so that they worry less about another adage: out of sight, out of mind. 

I love to be busy people are good at categorizing. Keeping track of the supplies for their many activities gives them lots of practice at deciding which groups of items should go where. Running from one activity to the next has usually convinced them of the importance of this concept, which allows them to grab and go.

Designed by freepik

Cram and jam people are good at simplifying; if it's all in one spot, it's easy to find. Learning to separate their belongings into containers by category allows them to expand their storage and protect their belongings.

Drop and run. people are good at backtracking to find things. Retracing their steps (which they do often) may lead them to determine locations that make sense, based on where they naturally drop things, allowing them to build a system based on their natural habits. 

I know I put it somewhere people are good at putting things away, making them great at finding homes for things. Learning to make those homes logical, rather than haphazard, is the key to their location success.

Every once in a while, we need to be reminded that even if our homes don't embody the "a place for everything, and everything in its place" philosophy, we're moving in the right direction. Finding consistent, logical homes for our things is possible when we remember to view our styles as strengths, and plan our systems accordingly.

Can I Have More than One Style?

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When I first share the styles quiz, I frequently get the question, "Can I be all of them?"

The answer is yes...and no.

While it's possible to have elements of each of the styles, most of us end up with one predominant personal style and one predominant organizational style. These styles lead the way for organizational systems that play to our strengths.

So, does that mean we should ignore the elements of the other styles that pervade our personalities? 

Absolutely not. While our predominant styles form the foundation of our organizational systems, the traits that are true to other styles broaden the range of tools (especially containers) that work for us. Combining the tool options that work for our primary styles with those tha work from other styles allows us more choices and helps us to infuse creativity into our organizational plans. 

For example, my predominant personal style is I need to see it. I also identify with both of the other personal styles, loving both stuff and busyness. While the tools I choose need to work with my I need to see it style, I might also choose some of the fun, unique containers favored by those with an I love stuff style -- but they still have to work with my need to see things. No matter how pretty, cool or unique the container, if it doesn't work with my primary style, it will be an obstacle rather than a tool.

My predominant organizational style, on the other hand, is drop and run. Focusing on this style helps me to rein in my I know I put it somewhere tendencies. And, since I often drop and run because I'm busy, I can use the strategies that work for the I love to be busy style to enhance my drop and run systems.

Confused? Here's the simple version. Use your primary styles -- one personal style and one organizational style --as the foundation of your organizational system. Then, use your tendencies from the other styles to build on that foundation, adding variety and creativity while staying true to what works.

Oh -- and don't forget to have fun.

I'm traveling today, so today, I'm digging into the archives for your reading pleasure :-)

Since this blog has been running for over a year now, I thought I'd go back to the very beginning and revisit the styles quiz.

If you've joined me recently and haven't yet taken the quiz, now's a good time to check it out. Determining your styles will make the posts here much more useful.

If, on the other hand, you've been with me from the beginning, it might be time to reassess. The first time many people take the quiz, they come up a little bit of everything. Now that you've been trying some things out, can you narrow your styles to one predominant personal style and one main organizational style?

If you're secure in your styles and looking for something else to read on the topic of organization, you can find additional choices in my STYLE Savvy posts at CatholicMom.com, where I post every Wednesday.

Happy reading! See you tomorrow for 3 Keys Thursday.

Personal and Organizational Styles Quiz

Mark each item below as true or false.

1. You participate in so many activities that you have something to do nearly every night.
2. The only way you remember to bring things with you is if you leave them out where you're likely to trip over them.
3. Your closets are filled with things you no longer use and/or clothes you no longer wear, but can’t get rid of. 
4. Your house looks neat, yet you have trouble finding what you need when you need it.
5. Your papers -- even the important ones -- are often wrinkled and/or torn.
6. The flat surfaces in your home tell the story of the activities you've done and the places you've been in the last few days.
7. When given a pocket folder or three-ring binder, you may tuck your papers inside, but you don't usually put them in the pockets or the rings. 
8. You can often find lost items by retracing your steps.
9. You often feel bored when you have unscheduled time.
10. You have more stuff than room to store it.
11. You usually put things away, but often forget where you put them.
12. You often forget things if you don't write them down.  
13. Your bookshelves house:

a. anything and everything, as long as it fits.

b. overlapping sets of “collections.”

c. books in various stages of completion, stacked so that the titles are visible.

d. sports gear, sheet music or art supplies, but no books. 

e. piles of items, with a telltale trail from the door to the bookcase.

All finished? Now let's compare your answers to the key below. Every "true" is a clue:

• Item #1 is true for I love to be busy.
• Item #2 is true for I need to see it.
• Item #3 is true for I love stuff.
• Item #4 is true for I know I put it somewhere.
• Item #5 is true for cram and jam.
• Item #6 is true for drop and run.
• Item #7 is true for cram and jam.
• Item #8 is true for drop and run.
• Item #9 is true for I love to be busy.
• Item #10 is true for I love stuff.
• Item # 11 is true for I need to see it and I know I put it somewhere.
• Item #12: I need to see it organizers are likely to do this.
• Item #13a: Cram and jam or I know I put it somewhere; 13b: I love stuff; 13c: I need to see it; 13d: I love to be busy; 13e: Drop and run

How'd you do? Do the quiz answers match your predictions and observations? For most people, clear patterns will emerge, and the answers will come as no surprise; what they've noticed about the way they organize matches their answers on the quiz.

Some people are “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” At this point in the process, that's to be expected. Further observation, discussion and exploration will help you to determine predominant styles. And some people really are a mix of styles, but this can be a benefit.  An overlap can mean more strategies to work with! 

The most important thing to keep in mind right now is that there are no right or wrong answers on the quiz and that these styles are not personal or organizational flaws. Up to this point, the styles have been stumbling blocks. Moving forward, the goal will be to help you see your natural tendencies as assets rather than liabilities so you can use them as a blueprint for developing a workable, sustainable plan based on what comes naturally. 

For more on the personal styles, click here. For more on the organizational styles, click here.

Time to Tackle Time

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I've always prided myself on being self-motivated. But lately, days seem to fly by, and I get to the end of too many of them with too many things still lingering on my to-do list and a nagging feeling that I haven't been working very hard at all.

I told my husband the other night that I had a new idea for organizing my time. He laughed and made a joke about how much extra time I have (yes, that was sarcasm). I told him I thought perhaps my goals were a tad too high. He laughed again.

Okay. So maybe I'm onto something.

When I retired nearly four years ago, I resolved not to think of myself as retired. I was barely 50, after all, and decades away from traditional retirement. Instead, I saw retirement as a reset button -- a chance to begin the second half of my life with the optimism of youth, if not the energy. I would write  and I would pursue the goals that had been pushed aside due to a life that was bursting at the seams, in part, due to a full time job that required more than full time hours to be done well.

And here I am, four years after turning in my retirement letter. Life is once again bursting at the seams. And this time, I can't blame my course load (one) or a full-time job (zero).

Apparently I'm more I love to be busy than I care to admit.

But the busyness wasn't always making me happy; often, it was leaving me frustrated. So I decided to view time the way I was advised to view my daughter's food intake when she was a toddler. Instead of looking at what she ate in a day, I looked at what she ate over the space of a week. Through the second lens, her diet always looked more balanced.

I pulled out a dollar store tablet I'd bought years ago and pressed it into service. I replaced the days of the week with the tasks that took up most of my time -- and some that should get a bigger share -- and resolved to keep track of where my time was going when it came to these categories.

It didn't take long at all to see that what I'd suspected was true. Blogging and class planning took the biggest bite out of my time, effectively edging out all the other tasks that made the list, not to mention the slew of others that didn't. And, though I didn't include it, household duties (cooking and laundry mostly) played their role in limiting my time as well.

So now comes the tricky part. Do I use this information to pat myself on the back and say, "See? You were doing more than you thought you were!" Or, do I need to make some hard decisions about how I spend my time?

I suspect it's the latter. Though I can't make a decision based on less than a week's worth of information (perhaps not every week looks like this), I need to look at this information and decide if this is how I want my time expenditures to look, and if not, what I plan to do differently. Some spaces should have less time dedicated to them. If I've got good systems in place, organizing should not take a lot of my time; nevertheless, I want to keep it on my list since staying organized is a priority. Social time is also missing from the list, but that omission was intentional. Unless I feel it's underrepresented, time spent with friends and family should arise naturally, not as part of a carefully balanced plan. Then again, if that's a good way to spend my time, perhaps I should give myself credit for it.

When it comes to commitments, how do you decide what to keep and what to cut? 

Planners by Style: Questions to Ask as you Seek a Planner to Match your Styles

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I was at the mall with my daughter on Monday and discovered that the calendar kiosk still has a few selections left -- at 75% off! -- which is proof that if you've procrastinated pursuant to your planner purchase, you still have options. Not a big fan of the leftovers? Online sites sell planners year-round, so no, you're not off the hook! I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a planner, and, like any other organizational tool, your planner should fit your styles.

Perhaps you've been delaying your purchase because you're in pursuit of the perfect planner. Here are a few things to ask yourself as you head online or to the mall to make this VIP (very important purchase). Feel free to skip over the styles that don't apply and focus on your styles.

• Do you need to see it? I need to see it folks can be very picky about the view. Some like month-at-a-glance, while others are die hard day-by-day planners. Finding the view that works best not for just your life, but for your personal preference plays a role as well. Personally, I need to see white space. A cluttered planner stresses me out, so trying to cram everything into one of those pocket-sized calendars is an absolute guarantee I won't use it, no matter how cute the cover is.

• Do you like to be busy? I love to be busy folks need calendars that travel easily. Many I love to be busy people choose electronic planners and apps for just that reason. Whether you choose paper or electronic, however, finding a consistent home for your planner is key. A lost planner is of no use whatsoever, and is more stress-inducing than no planner at all.

• Do you drop and run? Then you need a place to corral all of those appointment cards and reminders or you need a planner that makes them obsolete. Electronic planners or desk planners may rise to the top for this style because it's less likely that we'll set down a device that serves multiple functions and forget about it than a single-function paper planner. Your personal style may also lead the way here. An I love stuff/drop and run person may gravitate toward a different planner than the I love to be busy/drop and run person.

Photo: dhester via Morguefile

• Do you know you put it somewhere? Once again, location is key. While personal style may lead the I know I put it somewhere organizer to a particular planner, the most important thing for someone with this organizational style is deciding on a consistent, convenient home for the planner so that it always goes in the same "somewhere." Electronic planners, desk calendars and the ever-faithful kitchen calendar just might do the trick.

• Do you cram and jam? Electronic planners and apps may be your saving grace. Not only do you not have to worry about deciphering all the information you crammed into a small square on a paper planner, but their electronic counterparts will notify you of all the things you tried to squeeze in as well.

• Do you love stuff? You might be reading this post hours after you started it because you made a run to the mall to check out those 75% off calendars! Using just one calendar is often your battle. Notice that I said using, not owning. I love stuff is not my primary personal style, but I do love stationery stuff, so you'll find multiple calendars in my house. Each has its purpose, however, and when it comes to scheduling appointments, they all must go on one calendar.

Tomorrow we'll wrap this up with three key questions that tie all the planner posts together.

How do You Organize When Life is Overwhelming?

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We tend to appreciate our organizational systems the most when we're "crazy busy." Unfortunately, this is also when we're most likely to notice the gaps in our systems and least likely to have the time to fix them.

Yet another reason to appreciate organizing by STYLE. (But you probably figured I was going to say that, didn't you?)

If we know and respect our styles, the stopgap measures we put into place in our time of need are more likely to help us build a bridge that spans those gaps. While it's certainly possible that we'll default to the worst traits of our personal and organizational styles when we're in a pinch, knowing the tricks and tools that work for us can also lead us to more constructive solutions.

• I love stuff people may leave a trail of collectibles scattered throughout the house, but they might also gather up their treasures and put them into the logical homes they've assigned to the things that mean so much.
• I love to be busy people may power through their calendars with barely a backward glance, but they might also take a few minutes to update their planners and return supplies to the special storage they've allotted for each activity.
• I need to see it people may leave everything sitting out, at least at first, but they might also put their piles into lidless bins, see-through crates or color-coded folders when they have a snippet of time in which to make an improvement.
• Drop and run people may leave evidence of every activity they've completed in the past week scattered in various locations, but they might also drop that evidence into the containers they've selected to corral the clutter until they can make time to sort things and put them in their rightful places.
• Cram and jam people may stuff things into backpacks and storage spaces, but they might also stop short of cramming and jamming the quality out of their things by moving to a new (expandable) storage space when the old one is full.
• I know I put it somewhere people may practice "out of sight, out of mind," putting things away in any available space, or they might also put everything into one "safe place" they've designated for "crazy busy" times such as these, cutting down on the number of places they must look to find things they've put "away."

Baby steps are still steps in the right direction, and it's important to keep in mind that organization is a process with ups and downs imposed by the ebb and flow of life.

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Especially when we're "crazy busy" and the flow seems to be drowning the ebb.

Does Your I Love to Be Busy Style Need a Makeover?

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From the beginning, I've identified myself as an I need to see it/drop and run person. Walk into my workspace, and within fifteen seconds, both of these will be evident. In my world, any organizational system without a visual component is doomed by the double whammy of two styles that feed one another.

And while I encourage those taking my styles quiz to claim one predominant personal style and one predominant organizational style, many of us have traits of the other styles as well. For me, the style that lurks in the background, arguably creating the biggest problem of all, is the I love to be busy personal style.

I haven't talked much about the I love to be busy style, except to suggest keeping systems simple and subdivided. Like many I love to be busy people, I have different bags for different activities, allowing me to grab what I need and go where I'm going. Many of these bags have subsections so that things that go wherever I go (car keys, wallet, phone) can be dropped into their respective subsections -- usually the same one every time -- so I can find what I need when I need it. Keeping all of my necessary materials together in one place (and separate from those for other activities) is key to managing my busyness.

Early on in the process of naming these styles, I love to be busy was called I like to be busy; the name change came about as a way of keeping style names consistent. But you know what? I don't love to be busy. And, the older I get, the more question whether or not I even like to be busy. Sure, I love (word choice intentional) having a wide variety of interests and activities -- that much is true. But lately, I've been craving a break from the craziness -- a life with a little less busy and a little more balance.

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Once upon a time, I did love to be busy, and I took great pride in keeping all the balls in the air as I juggled multiple activities. When I was single and first starting out professionally, busy meant the opposite of lonely -- something that I suspect will be true again when I'm retired for real -- but for many of us in the process of raising families, busy means tired. Overwhelmed. In need of balance.

If you truly love to be busy, more power to you. Keep the organizational systems for your activities simple and separate and ready to go at a moment's notice. Revel in your ability to juggle, spin plates and keep track of everything.

But if you, like me, are finding that your verb is changing, or maybe you even have a love-hate relationship with busyness, maybe it's time to consider re-organizing your time just as you would your stuff. Just as we take a look at our possessions and decide what to keep and what to get rid of, so should we take a look at our calendars and find ways to let go of the clutter. Maybe we should consider using the idea of one in/one out not just with purchases (getting rid of something old when you buy something new), but with activities as well. Or even putting dates with ourselves into our calendars so we're not left without time to take care of ourselves.

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Organizing is a balancing act. With possessions, we balance stuff with space. With activities, we balance stuff with time. Our society seems to think that busier is better, but is it?

If too much stuff can tip the scales into disorganization, might it be true that too many activities can tip the scales into exhaustion?

How busy do you really want to be?

The Backpack Project Continues: Making the Backpack Work for Each Personal Style

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So, you've got a kid and you've got a backpack -- a matched set, as it were (or perhaps several). You're invested in the idea of organizing by STYLE, but...what does that look like?

Let's take a look at what happens, style-by-style, when kid meets backpack. First up: the personal styles.

• I love stuff kids like to keep their prized possessions close at hand. They often carry their collections with them (as you probably discovered when you tackled last year's backpack). Sometimes they keep their special items all together; other times, their treasures are scattered throughout the backpack. I love stuff kids will need help striking a balance between lightening their load and carrying all of their prized possessions everywhere they go. These kids may actually do well with backpacks with lots of small pockets because those small spaces are the perfect place to stash their treasures.

          You can honor an I love stuff kiddo's attachment to his or her things by allowing a limited  

           number of non-essentials to travel in the backpack. Springing for that special folder

           or notebook they'll actually use is one way to bring style and function together, ensuring that 

           some of the "stuff" traveling in the backpack actually has a purpose. One caveat: to make sure
           they're not just sucked in by the item itself, have them show you how they'll use it before you
           buy it. 

• I love to be busy kids may need more than one backpack or tote bag, depending on how many activities they're involved in. These kids often carry reminders of and supplies for all of their activities with them. They may have a system for keeping track of all the essentials for each activity, (or they may not), but in their hurry to leave one activity for the next, they may end up leaving things behind. Assigning specific items to specific places (in specific bags) is a must for this style.

         A planner should absolutely be on the I love to be busy kiddo's back-to-school list. If busyness

         is their default style, helping them learn to track and manage their time is a life skill they'll need 

         as soon as possible. As with anything else, the planner should be one they choose, with input 

         from you regarding function (benefits of a daily vs. monthly view, size of blocks, etc.), rather 

         than style.

•  I need to see it kids may carry their stuff in their arms despite a nearly empty backpack. Since the "homes" they've assigned for their things are often table tops, floors and other flat surfaces, these kiddos will need help selecting the "just-right" place for their things. Kids with this personal style may need to be discouraged from using the small pockets and nooks and crannies of the backpack because that's where things tend to get lost.

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I need to see it kids benefit from labeling, color-coding,  

see-through compartments and other visual cues so they can trust that out of sight doesn't have to mean out of mind. Consistent homes can help, too, but certain key items (homework folder or assignment book, papers to be returned to school) should not be placed in an out-of-the-way part of the backpack unless the compartment is see-through or labeled. These are also the kids who need a dumping ground at home so that the backpack gets emptied every day. Once they can see things, they're in good shape.

Next week, we'll look at cram and jam, drop and run and I know I put it somewhere: the organizational styles.    

Organization Extra: Organizing Your Desk

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I love infographics. I also love writing and, of course, reading about organization. So when I found an infographic about organizing my writing desk, I was intrigued.

It's a lovely infographic -- it really is -- especially if you're a Type A organizer.

But I'm not. And if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, chances are you're not either.  So does that mean we simply dismiss this, closing it out and making it go away before it inspires anxiety and a crisis of confidence?

That's one option. But another option is that we look for the things in it that ring true for our styles, and dismiss the rest -- here comes the hard part -- without guilt or judgment.

For example:

• A clear workspace is a wonderful goal, and with the right tools for your style, it's achievable.

•  An I love stuff  person will likely need a few prized possessions for inspiration, whether on the edges of the desk or on a bulletin board or shelves nearby, and will probably ignore the advice to "keep only those items that are essential for your daily use." Keeping these items to a minimum and confined to the edges of the desk will achieve the clear desk goal with style. 
• The I need to see it person will forgo the drawer advice and instead, keep things visible via hanging pockets or (again) nearby shelves. Those with this style will love the stickies on the computer monitor, but will need to make sure to limit the number of stickies, as well as reading and replacing them regularly. Sticky note forests are too dense to be useful.
• Cram and jammers, I see you eying those drawers. Your challenge will be to make sure that bottom ("away") drawer doesn't become the dumping ground for "everything else," which, in turn, becomes crumpled, creased and unusable.

  

  I swear by the store-bought rolling bin
  tucked under my office desk, but if
  you're craft, you can just add wheels
  to a drawer to create this rolling bin
  I found on Etsy.

• Drop and run organizers will probably note the complete absence of any tools that work for them on a regular basis. Tuck a rolling bin beside the desk or underneath it, if you have the leg room, so that you drop things somewhere besides the desk. 
• I love to be busy folks may need to designate each drawer for a different activity, and will certainly need a calendar somewhere in that workspace, whether it's on the desk, on the wall or on the computer itself.
• I know I put it somewhere organizers are likely to be fine once they establish a system for what goes in each drawer or on the shelves. Adding storage containers that can be labeled will also help, but having too many choices can add to confusion, rather than minimizing it.

The moral of the story? If your goal is to look like a Type A organizer when you're really an I love stuff/cram and jammer, there's no need to lose hope, or choose a simpler goal. You just need to chart a path from here to there using your styles as your road map.

Anyone else have any good infographics to share? This I need to see it person loves visual presentations!