Organizing Ideas

  I love notebooks. I've collected so many, in fact, that I might actually have a lifetime supply. Some of my stash is brand new, just waiting for the right task, but I also have a significant number of partially used notebooks and journals, many of which were my daughter's at various stages in her development. When only the first few pages have been used, they're worth setting aside and repurposing (have to save those trees!).

My most recent repurpose is a book journal. I got the idea from a stationery website. I clicked on their book journal, thinking it was a cool idea, but quickly discovered it offered much more detail and structure than I wanted or needed.

But just as quickly, I decided that I both needed and wanted a book journal. So, I dug through my collection and quickly found the perfect candidate. With a laminated cover about the same thickness as a composition book (only prettier), it was just right.

I quickly dug into setting up my pages with the information I wanted to record. Now, whenever I finish a book (whether traditional, e-book, or audiobook), I know just where to go to make notes about it and record all the information I want to remember.  Not only does it create a record that's fun to review, but it takes my reading resolution to the next level.

It's funny how one thing can lead to another. A few Sundays ago, I decided to make time for a Sunday Sampling of my Kindle content. Suddenly, I knew just where I wanted to keep track of things. I opened to a clean page in my reading journal and began recording the books I was in the middle of (many of which I'd forgotten I started), which book samples showed promise, and a few other details I wanted to keep track of. Sure, it's all on my Kindle but having it all on one page suits my I need to see it personal style. In addition, it was relaxing to spend the time exploring and planning.

When we think of organizing, we usually think of organizing stuff and sometimes, we think of organizing time. But, it's also important to think about how we organize ideas. Often, they belie their incredible value, showing up when we least expect them -- while we're in the shower, while we're driving to work, just before we fall asleep -- at times when preserving them is a challenge. Sure, we can scribble them on scraps of paper.

But don't they deserve a place of their own? A place where they can bloom and grow and blossom? A place where we can find them and take them to the next level?

Where will you store your ideas?

Still the One

 Last week, I filled the third of these planners -- the one I first wrote about in September 2021. Luckily, I asked for new ones as gifts for Christmas and my birthday, so I already had several blank ones at the ready. Still, I'm thinking of purchasing an extra, just in case. I've used a lot of planners for both personal and professional purposes, but this is one of the few that has stood the test of time over multiple years. 

Do you love your 2023 planner? If not, it may not be too late to find one that's a better fit. While the selection is much smaller than it would have been a few months ago, the prices are great because not many people are looking for new planners in March. Or, you can go with an undated planner, which gives maximum flexibility.

Life is short. Buy the pretty planner :-)

I recently bought a new planner. I didn't need a new planner. I have plenty of planners. 

Yes, planners. Plural.

But it was pretty. And undated so, theoretically, it will outlast my current planners.

Did I mention it's pretty?

Shallow as that sounds, I really don't judge a planner by (just) its cover. In the end, while pretty was a key factor, the interior layout sealed the deal. Each page has room for my daily schedule, three daily priorities, and a to-do list. There's also room at the bottom to note food and water intake for the day, should I so desire.

I don't. I keep track of that on my phone.

My hope was that having my schedule, priorities and lists bound into a book, I'd reduce the ubiquitous flurry of papers that litters my desk, and I would (almost) never need to dig to find my to-do list. 

So far, so good. I still jot down notes on random pieces of paper from time to time, but I'm developing the habit of adding those items to the list in the book, usually the same day. In addition, I'm learning to keep the book close at hand in the evenings, when to-do list items pop into my head.

katespade.com

After purchasing the planner, I discovered that the pages are perforated, making it easy to pull out an unfinished list and tuck it into the next day's page, rather than re-writing it. I haven't yet done that, but it's nice to know it's an option. 

Truth be told, no matter how useful it is, this planner was a splurge. I saw it, I liked it and, although I didn't buy it right away, I bought it in spite of the fact that I didn't need it.

Am I sorry? Not a bit. It has much more room than the pages I was previously using for my week-at-a-glance cheat sheets (but the flip side of that is that it also takes up more room than those single sheets). As it turns out, that's an unexpected bonus. I rarely fill every line in the to-do list section of the daily pages, and my daily schedule isn't usually lengthy enough to fill that section either. The resulting white space is calming, reassuring me, in a way, that although my day was busy, it wasn't overwhelming.

Not on paper anyway.

Organizing is a practical process. If the tools we use aren't up to the task, we need to replace them. But, from time to time, we all need a tool that's pretty and practical because that combination can make organizing not only fun, but a habit as well. 

List-Shifting

 It's my spring break (in the form of a long weekend) and I've been making a to-do list for more than a week. Characteristically, the things on the list (which don't even include items from my work to-do list) will likely take more than a week to accomplish.

Call me an overachiever. 

Lots of the items on the list include things that don't need to be finished -- working on a jigsaw puzzle, taking time for writing and sketchnoting, reading for fun. Others sit squarely on the spend-some-time-on-it/finish-it line, threatening a sense of dissatisfaction unless I check them off the list completely. 

When it comes to those items, I have a choice. I can strike them from the list completely, determining that a break is not supposed to be stressful, or I can readjust my mindset.

So which is the answer?

It depends. Case in point. I had originally put "paint dining room wall" on the list. A few weeks ago, my husband and I selected some new colors that are way outside of our usual box. Before committing, I wanted to paint one wall and live with it for a bit.

Then, one day earlier this week, I found out that my husband would be working from home for part of this afternoon. I don't know why I feel the need to have an entire day at my disposal to paint this wall, but I do. After being grumpy for a while (I hadn't told him about the wall--I'd wanted it to be a surprise), I decided that the amount of brainpower (not to mention work) it would take to accomplish this task over break was sucking all the joy out of break. Since I didn't seem to be having much success in the "adjust my mindset" realm, I went a different way.

I took "paint dining room wall" off the break list and added to a Saturday list. Now, I also have the added benefit of finding a time to pick up the paint. 

I could have left that to-do list slot free, creating lovely white space where a task had been. But you know where this is going.

I added something new. Something less labor and time intensive. 

We've also been talking about replacing the floor in our bathroom. The current floor was ill-advised (I take full responsibility) and I'd love something new. So, instead of painting a wall, I'm going to go pick out floor samples. 

What does all of this have to do with organizing?

First of all, it's about organizing time -- free time, to be precise. In this overrated world of adulting, free time is a rare commodity. Personally, I protect mine with a fierceness usually demonstrated by animals in the wild. I'm very particular about what makes the cut (list) and what doesn't. And, once the list begins to grow, it's even more important to determine what should go and what should stay. 

Deciding this depends on how we want to spend our free time. Whether it's a few free hours or a few free days, we can opt for productivity, creativity, relaxation, or another option entirely. Personally, I usually have a bunch of things I want to do but never seem to find time for -- those are the ones that make the list and stay there. Then, I need to organize my time, my lists, and my priorities in order to spend that gift of time in the way that best suits me.

When it comes to organizing spaces, we need to do this same sort of list-shifting. Have a project that needs a big chunk of time? You can either set aside that big chunk or tackle it in small pieces.

Have several projects to tackle? (Don't we all?) Determining how the projects fit together in terms of importance, time commitment, desire, and urgency (to name a few) is key to making the most of the time we have. 

Our personal and organizational styles--along with our moods and energy levels--help determine the best use of our time. And, whether it's free time, found time, or a run-of-the-mill Saturday afternoon, we often have the most success accomplishing a task when our heart is really in it. Because we don't always have that luxury, we should take full advantage of it when we do.

Organizing FAQs: Pressing Tech into Service

 On Tuesday morning as I stood at the podium, fingers flying over the keys as I pulled up the slides and various info I needed for my class, it occurred to me how second-nature all of this had become. 

When I first started teaching at the college level, the podium was a mysterious place where things went wrong almost as often as they went right, and where trouble-shooting was an art in which I had no training or apparent skill. I lived in fear of being unable to access the slides that simultaneously shaped my discussions and afforded my students a visual. 

No longer. I mean, those thoughts cross my mind, but they rarely intrude, because such things rarely occur.

Uh huh. You know where this is going. 

Yesterday, I stood at the same podium in the same room, but the computer refused to cooperate. I did the trouble-shooting that has, by now, become second-nature. Then, when I failed to resolve the issue, I asked my students if anyone was a good tech troubleshooter (I no longer think that just because I stand up front I need to know everything. But that's another post). 

One sweet student (who'd previously served as my fellow in my first year seminar) came to my rescue, finding something I'd missed.

We were on our way.

Until we weren't, and the same inscrutable screen presented itself. 

I joked to my waiting class (all of whom were very content talking among themselves and/or doing something on their phones) that the computer and I were engaging in a battle for world domination and it was winning. I told them I'd be a few minutes.

But the problem was bigger than my skills, so I gave in and called IT. Meanwhile, I pulled up my class slides on my phone, and invited my students to do the same on their devices and I began teaching, albeit not in the way I had planned. 

When I write about organizing, I very rarely address technology-based solutions. 

And this is why. 

For me, tech is a great tool, but it's one that requires back-ups. In addition, one of its assets (keeping everything tucked away, and therefore looking tidy) is a terrible fit for my dominant style, I need to see it.

But, for many of you, technology is more than a viable option -- it's the best option. Like the IT wizard who appeared at my door very shortly after my call and solved the problem before I'd gotten very far into the material (doing something I couldn't do, for those of you keeping score at home), technology is an extension of you. It's the way you keep track of appointments and special days, the way you keep clutter to a minimum by saving files electronically instead of generating printed hard copies, and a place to keep photos safe and organized.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

So, why don't I write about it more often?

Because my vision of tech as an organizing tool is limited. I'm an I need to see it, paper-and-pencil, hard copy girl all the way. I love my iPhone and iPad, and I don't know how I ever taught lugging a laptop and an adapter back and forth to campus as I did pre-COVID. Some days, my school bag is so much lighter because everything I need can be accessed from the networked computer on the podium at the front of a classroom.

Wait. Some days?

Yes. Other days, I carry the book(s) my students are reading in my bag. I love my Kindle, too, but when I'm teaching, I like to reference my books the old-fashioned way.

There is no one personal or organizational style that includes or precludes the use of technology, just as there is no one right way to organize. If you've found a tech solution that helps you to reduce clutter, organize your time and/or other key elements of your life, congratulations! Use it, love, it, make it your own. Share it in the comments below if you'd like so that other folks might try it out, too. 

I might be one of those who checks it out. But, when pushing buttons comes to shoving papers, it might not be the tool that works for me. 

Because one size, no matter how luxurious, never fits all. 

Then and Now: When It's All Too Much

 Then: Did you ever have one of those days?

Thursdays are the days the week begins to catch up with me any week, even when I've figured out the school/life/writing/blogging balance for whatever semester I'm in.

I have not yet done that.

Until we can make the world stop when we do, feeling overwhelmed from time to time is inevitable. Knowing what to do when that feeling strikes can help us to take charge and feel a little less out of control. For me, this "take charge" approach includes:

Taking baby steps. When it's all too much, we start feeling the need to slay big dragons. Unfortunately, the pressure to get it all done at once, even if it's self-imposed, only contributes to that feeling of too much to do in too little time. Putting one foot in front of the other and taking one thing at a time can create a sense of accomplishment as we erase all of those little tasks from our to-do lists, one by one.

Prioritizing. As we approach each of those small tasks, it's important to ask ourselves if the baby steps we're taking are leading us in the direction of something that must be done now or something that can wait. While we have the luxury of mixing it up when we're not in a time crunch, we need to focus first on the here and now when we've hit the panic button. When we're overwhelmed, baby steps that make progress on a project due in two weeks may be less useful than the ones we take on the stuff that's due tomorrow.

Using the plan. In an effort to find shortcuts and super solutions, we often get in our own way. When this happens, we need to stop, step back and assess the plan(s) we have at our disposal. If they work on a day-to-day basis, they might just be the life raft we're looking for when seas get stormy. Choose the most appropriate plan and put it into action. Even a semblance of a plan can help us feel less out of control.

In a few weeks, I will have settled into a routine. Until then, it's one baby step at a time. 

Now: Yesterday, I hit the wall of overwhelm, even though it was a Wednesday, not a Thursday. And, while I still stand by all of the baby steps above, sometimes what we really need is to step back and take a break. While we don't always have that opportunity, it's often less out of reach than we realize. Yesterday, I couldn't figure out what was wrong, let alone why I was so upset and overwhelmed. Today, the answer was clear. I was exhausted by a pile-up of tasks and emotions. 

Today was a better day -- much better. But it wouldn't have been without the break I took yesterday to reset. 

Too often, we interpret down time as a luxury or a weakness. Instead, maybe we should embrace it for what it really is: a sign of being human and reaching our limits. And maybe if we were more open to the interpretation, we could cut those feelings of overwhelm off at the pass.

Maybe.

3 Key Reasons Not to Do it All in One Day

 Organizing projects are one of my favorite things to do. So much so that when I get a break from school, they rise to the top of things I want to do with my free time.

But, over time, I've learned not to try to cram huge projects into one day. Here's why.

1. Age, pure and simple. The biggest reason (and the one I most want to deny) is that I'm no longer 20-something (or even 50-something) and overdoing it exhausts me. In the midst of the project, I'll think I have plenty of time and energy to see it through, but the feeling of "okay, I'm finished now" sneaks up on me pretty quickly and usually when I'm standing amid piles of things that need to be sorted and put away. Consequently I've learned to set goals that seem too small, knowing they will blossom into tasks that are bigger than I expected. Even if you're younger and more energetic than I am, reasonable goals make the task much more pleasant, and make it much more likely we'll reach the finish line.
2. Mental exhaustion. Decision fatigue is a real thing and the longer the project goes on, the more likely it is to set in. When you find yourself staring at that thing in your hand and thinking I really don't care where it goes, it's time to wrap things up. Past time, actually, but until we can turn back time. we have to do what we can do.
3. Too much change. Invariably, the organizing projects that go on and on are the ones where we end up relocating things. Too much relocation in too short a time frame creates unsustainable systems and that place for that thing that seemed so logical in hour three quickly becomes forgettable by the time we need to retrieve it. If you need a treasure map to keep track of all the changes you've made, you've gone too far.

Those of us who have to work to stay organized may already have a complicated history with the task. Taking small steps and letting things go in time frames that work for us can make the difference between successfully organizing and resentfully organizing. There's no sense in making an essential task painful. Listen to your heart and your body, and tackle the task in a time frame the works for you.

23 Organizing Tasks for 2023

 If you're like me (and much of the rest of the world), you made some sort of resolution to get organized in 2023. Because I write about organizing and have time off from the middle of December to the middle of January, I've made a lot of progress on my organizing endeavors. 

But still, I focus on what remains to be done, not the least of which is the pile of items made homeless by my recent organizing projects. 

Some days, I look around my house and see a lot of organizing successes. Other days, I'm overwhelmed by all of the clutter that seems to collect and proliferate as soon as I look the other way.

That's when it's time to take small steps. Whether you're way ahead of schedule on your 2023 plans, or still at the starting line, you're sure to find one task in the list of 23 tasks below that can help jump-start your resolution. Some are one-and-done tasks (at least for this year), while others may turn out to be starting points for larger projects. Remember that it's okay not to do it all one sitting. The key is to take small steps and to remember one thing.

It's a process.

23 Organizing Projects for 2023

1. Decide what your perfect planner looks like inside and out. Then, splurge on one that comes as close as possible to your ideal.

2. Clean out the junk drawer.

3. Clear off surfaces, clean them well and put things back mindfully, putting back only the things you choose to return.

4. Collect all the homeless items littering surfaces in your home and put them in one container. Put a sticky note with the date on the lid, and put that container in an accessible but out-of-sight location. In a month (or longer if you prefer), donate or toss anything remaining in the container. 

5. Dedicate 15 minutes to decluttering a space that annoys you.

6. Stare down a container that's not working and consider why you are using it. What do you love about it? What do you wish it had that it doesn't? 

7. Sort through the thickest file in your file cabinet and get rid of anything you no longer need to keep.

8. Change the shelf paper in one of your cabinets.

9. Clean out your underwear drawer and get rid of anything you'd be embarrassed to be wearing if you ended up in the emergency room.

10. Stand in the doorway of the room you spend the most time in. What decorative touch or organizing project would make the space a little better?

11. Go through the medicine cabinet and get rid of anything that's expired. Make a list of what you need to replace.

12. Go through your makeup and/or toiletries and get rid of anything that's expired or that you haven't used in a year or more (3 months for eye makeup). Make a list of what you want to replace.

13. Take stock of your towels. Decide how many need replacing and buy one new towel a week until you'd be satisfied offering any of the towels in your closet to an overnight guest.

14. Set aside an hour to take stock of the place in your house that most needs organizing (kids' rooms don't count). Make a plan for tackling it an hour at a time.

15. Take everything out of the cabinet under the kitchen (or bathroom) sink. Clean the area and replace only the products you actually use. 

16. Stand in the doorway of your bedroom. What is one thing you could do to make it a more peaceful haven? 

17. Have everyone in the family go through his or her sock drawer. Toss anything that's too small, falls down, has holes, or is too pilly, dingy or faded. Set aside socks without a mate and determine how long to continue the search and/or if any of the singletons can be put together to make an interesting pair.

18. Make sure all the pens in your go-to writing or messages spaces write, and all of the pencils have points and erasers.

19. Take everything off one shelf of one closet. Wipe down the shelf and put back only the things worth keeping.

20. Go through all the purses, tote bags and backpacks. Keep only those worth keeping. 

21. Work together with each child in the house to organize one space according to their style. 

22. Take everything out of the refrigerator. Toss anything that's expired. Wipe down the interior and put back only the food people actually eat.

23. Stand at the entrance to your home. What is one small touch you could add that would make you smile every time you walk in?

idamkilde via Pixabay