3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Ideas for the I Love to be Busy Personal Style

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

I love to be busy folks thrive on hectic schedules. They're often good at managing their time (that's how they manage to do so many things), but unfortunately, organization can be more challenging.

Not surprisingly, the biggest stumbling block to their organizational success is lack of time, so developing an efficient system is essential to their success.

• Divide and conquer. As mentioned in yesterday's post, these are the folks who often benefit from having separate storage for separate activities (e.g. a backpack for school items and a duffel bag for their after school sport). Depending on their organizational style, they 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 items that are needed for one activity from getting mixed in with materials for something else. 

Not all styles can manage drawers,
but I love to to be busy folks
do well with them, especially
with a drawer divider.

• Keep it simple. Since time is at a premium for the I love to be busy person, the best containers are those that require as few steps as possible so that they can put things away even while they're on the go. Lids that lift, pockets with Velcro and open containers are often good storage solutions.

• Set aside time to deal with the inevitable pile-ups.  I love to be busy people may lack time , but they're usually good with schedules. Scheduling in a time to pick up and restock, just as they schedule other activities, can help them restore order and keep track of all their varied supplies.

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.

Troubleshooting for Easy Upkeep

Photo credit: Seemann via Morguefile

Did you get a chance to look at Putting it All Together? Check it out by clicking on its title in the previous sentence, or on the new "Charts" tab at the top of this page.

Why am I sending you to a chart? Because it's your road map. If you're honoring these styles, systems and choices, your organizational systems are probably working.

Want proof? Look at a system in your home that's working. Chances are it's simple, attractive and individualized to fit your needs and styles. It's no surprise that these systems are the easiest to maintain.

But sometimes systems break down. Three of the most common reasons for this are:

• Choosing the wrong container. It's easy to choose a container because it's pretty, the right color or the right price, and sometimes we can even make those containers work. But if a container is too small to be useful, too large for the space, or not a match for your styles, it can be the first domino in the demise of your organizational system. If you really love it, maybe you can find another organizational task for it to fulfill, but if not, let it go and replace it with something that makes your life easier.
• Choosing the wrong home. I know I put it somewhere organizers often fall prey to this one. Any empty space won't due; choosing an illogical or inconvenient home wastes time and energy, and can also cause an organizational system to come crashing down. Similar items should be stored together, close to the place where you most often use them. And if you use something often, it should be easy to access.
• Making the system too complicated. Have you ever set up a filing system where your categories have so many subcategories that you can't figure out where to put a simple piece of paper? In the interest of making a system thorough, we sometimes overcomplicate things. When in doubt, default to the smallest number of steps possible. Every style benefits from simplicity because simplicity is easier to maintain.

Alone, none of these is difficult to fix, but they can compound one another. While that can be overwhelming at first, the good news is that one small change can also have a positive domino effect. Choosing the right container or home or simplifying the system can reinvigorate everything.

Never underestimate the power of one small change. Keep it simple and style-specific.