Languid Person, Meet Languishing To-Do List

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There's a fine line between laid back and lazy, and some days, I'm living on it. Between the 2 1/2 feet of snow that fell on Saturday and the two back-to-back snow days that resulted, I've been living in pjs and sweats for almost a week now. Tomorrow promises to be a rude awakening.

Snow days are like a reset button. Because they're found time, I feel as though I can do what I want to do instead of what I should do, but the truth is, I usually blend the two, taking on projects that have languished at the bottom of my to-do list. That pile of papers from last semester waiting to be filed? Done. Not only that, I cleared out the file drawer to make room for the inevitable influx of new papers.

The bottom drawer in my office that's in a prime location, but storing non-prime stuff? Empty except for two small file boxes with contact information (which will probably be streamlined into one on another day), and waiting for something to fill it. There are plenty of items on my desk and the counter in my office jockeying for position.

So, why are they there, creating clutter, rather than inside the drawer? Because, to paraphrase Elaine from Seinfeld, I'm not sure they're drawer-worthy.

Empty drawers hold so much promise.

Space in my little office is, as I've said before, at a premium. If new storage opens up, I need to be strategic about how to use it. One entire empty drawer simply cannot be taken for granted. Instead, it needs to solve a storage problem.

Yes, I know I sound a little crazy. But the whole idea behind organizing by STYLE is choosing solutions that work for us not just today, but for the foreseeable future -- leading us from existing successes to easy upkeep.

The prime contender for the drawer is the paper clutter that accumulates on my desk, taking it from clear to catastrophe in no time flat. But I'm an I need to see it girl, so stashing it away in a drawer requires a plan so the drawer doesn't become a dumping ground, but instead, creates easy access to the things that land on my desk because they're important and need my attention.

I'm working on it. And since another snow day requires more snow (which I don't want), I'll keep chipping away at it. Just writing about it, in fact, sparked some ideas I want to try. I know that subdivision (an I need to see it style staple) will play a role, and I think I might have just the containers to make it happen.

Stay tuned.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Ideas for the I Need to See it Personal Style

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Last Thursday, I posted my final Throwback Thursday post. The truth is, I've run out of relevant posts to fill that slot, so today, I'm starting a new feature: 3 Keys Thursday. Inspired by last week's improvement of my I need to see it bathroom drawer, (and because I'm an I need to see it person myself), I'm leading off with 3 Keys for those with the I need to see it personal style.

Recycled Drawer Organizer
urbangirl.com

• Subdivide drawers. As a rule, I need to see it  people do best when our stuff is visible, but we can't leave every element of our lives on display. That's just creepy. Drawer organizers (store-bought or homemade) enable us to put typical storage spaces to use by rendering the contents of drawers and other closed-off spaces visible as soon as we open them. Multi-drawer units can be further de-mystified by labeling the outside of the drawer with the general contents of the inside (e.g. "paper products"). This is the one strategy that helps me tame the fear that out of sight really is out of mind.

• Lay it all out. Anyone who doubts that I need to see it   is my preferred personal style should watch me pack for a trip. If I don't lay it out (and that means practically everything except toiletries), it doesn't make it into the suitcase. I can tell when I'm close to finishing my packing because one by one, all of the piles begin to disappear. I'm much less worried about forgetting things if I see the big picture as I plan.

Barker Creek Giraffe file folders
urbangirl.com

• Employ striking visuals. If color-coding is key, pattern-coding is even better. Even my file cabinet, which is mostly archival storage, contains multi-colored file folders. I assign a hanging folder color to each of my classes, and, when possible, match the inside folders to the color for that class, and use that option to tag all the files for that class on my Mac. Even better are the distinctive, patterned file folders that tell me which pile of papers is inside the folder before I even open it up. Lately, I've gotten really lucky, scoring 3 packs of patterned folders in the dollar bins at Target. This concept can be extended to desk bins, storage bins, or any other container.

If you have an I need to see it personal style 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.