Invisible Labor

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As this weekend approached, the labor I was most looking forward to was puttering around my house and getting it back into shape. Our summer ended up being very different from what I'd anticipated, and, in the last two weeks, as the predictable events emerged (we took my daughter to college and I began my fall teaching duties), the last bastion of organization collapsed, leaving clutter in its wake.

My progress is predictable. Slow to start, then on a roll. Mid-afternoon slump, followed by dinner preparation and a second wind in the evening that gets me wound up and makes it hard to fall asleep.

Still, as I turned out the lights much too late last night, forcing myself to pick up five things and put them away before I called it a day, I was disappointed. I felt as though I'd been chipping away at things all day, but there was very little visible improvement.

But I knew I'd done more than succumb to a mid afternoon reading session, and so I pulled out a notepad to jot down what I had done all day--and quickly overran the page of a small note pad.

In looking over my list, it was clear that my puttering had yielded results. I'd made two phone calls, both to people I cared about, and one of which had been on my to-do list all week. I'd gone to Mass. I'd spent time with my husband, not worrying about what I was or wasn't checking off the list. I'd read some of the novel that had been shoved to the bottom of the to-do list too many times. I'd fielded questions from my students. And, perhaps more apropos of my unwritten, vaguely stated goal, I'd taken care of a few household projects that had been on my list, but that sat quietly behind closed doors--the new shelf paper and weeded toiletries bin in the bathroom, the thinning of outdated paperwork in a previously disastrous (and now just messy) drawer in the dining room--or tucked away neatly on a shelf (the organization of the reference spot for my daughter's school). Oh, and I'd finished one blog due this week and written another that's not due until later this month.

Wow. I'd made progress after all.

Looking at all of this much too late last night brought me to two realizations. The first is a drawback of the I need to see it personal style: if progress isn't visible, it might as well be nonexistent. Phone calls. Writing projects. Leisure activity and family time that should be part of a Sunday afternoon. None of these make the list unless I actually make a list, but that doesn't mean they're not important.

Pixabay

The second realization dovetails perfectly with what I'm teaching my college freshmen right now. If you don't set a specific goal, you won't know what you're aiming for. My"puttering for overall improvement" plan left me a lot of leeway (which I like), but no way to informally assess my progress as the day went on. It's okay to forgo specific goals on a holiday weekend, but, if we have goal (no matter how sketchy) in mind, we need to track our progress. Otherwise, we run the risk of trivializing all that we've accomplished and wallowing in what still (obviously) remains to be done.

So today, I'm back to lists, albeit a combination of mental lists, hastily jotted notes and, most likely, a backwards to-do list to cap off the day. Hey. I'm making progress.

However you're spending your Labor Day--whether in well-deserved relaxation, in labors of love or in some other pursuit altogether, I hope you find success that's meaningful to you. Feel free to share your success in the comments below. We'll celebrate together.

Saturday Special: Keep or Toss?

Last night, I had my post for today ready to go -- that was the first part of the plan. The second part was that I'd get up, type up my blog and post it.

Photo: Ladyheart via Morguefile

In reality, Mother Nature dumped two feet of snow (and still counting) on us. As I lay in bed this morning, contemplating the day ahead, I decided that today was the day to tackle my student files. I figured I'd sort through everything, purge what I could (anything more than a year old) and get on with my day. Logical, really, as the office re-organization I undertook over break now meant I had specific homes for lots of previously homeless, drifting papers.

More than three hours, a full trash bag of shredding and a 6" stack of recyclable paper later, I'm finally sitting at my laptop, writing this -- entirely different -- blog.

For me, having the guideline of what to keep and what to toss was the motivation for undertaking a project that left me feeling not only accomplished, but also lighter (as a result of everything I got rid of). There's room in my file drawers, and I have a system that means I can safely drop things in the file folders and run onto the next thing, in keeping with my default organizational style.

Funny, actually, since file cabinets are rarely my choice of container. In this case, however, they're the perfect tool, despite my I need to see it personal style, because I'm using them for archived information. I don't need to access these papers often, if at all, but I can't yet get rid of them, so  a file cabinet with color-coded, labeled files is the perfect place for them. When it comes to day-to-day paperwork, however, file cabinets remain a disaster waiting to happen -- for me, anyway.

Looking to lighten your own files, but have no idea what to keep and what to toss? If you're confused, you're not alone. According to Consumer Reports, about half of us have no idea what to keep and for how long.

If you, like me, are motivated by guidelines that allow you to lighten your load in a guilt-free fashion, check out the IRS guidelines for tax-related paperwork here and other paperwork keep or toss guidelines from Consumer Reports here.

Whether you're shoveling snow or papers this weekend, stay warm and safe.

Saturday Special: Desk Organization

https://magazine.dashburst.com

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 bright green, store-bought
  rolling bin stashed under my desk, but
  if you're crafty, you can attach wheels
  to a drawer to create a rolling bin like 
  this one 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!

Let it Go: The Second R

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Sorry for the late post -- again. I'm hoping that now the the end of semester craziness has subsided, I'll get back on a regular posting schedule.

Last week, we started talking about ways to let go of things we no longer use or need. I got so excited about the potential reuses for things that I jumped into Recycle, which is perhaps the most difficult one of the three to do. If you managed to make some progress with that R last week, congratulations! You belong at the head of the class!


If not, no worries. This week, it gets easier as we tackle the second R: Resell.

Like recycling, reselling allows us to get things we no longer use or need out of our homes and helps us to "do good" at the same time. After all, someone else might just love that flowery dress or set of dishes that's not your style. When we recycle, we don't simply throw things away -- we give them new life. For those who get attached to their things (yes, my I love stuff friends, this means you), sending them to a new home can making parting with them less painful.

But for some of us, nothing short of the lure of cold, hard cash can soothe the ache that accompanies getting rid of our "stuff." I have friends who do yard sales every year, freeing up space and raking in cash at the same time.

yardsalesofyork.com

I'm not really a yard sale girl, but I love consigning things. I pack up the clothes we've outgrown, grown tired of or never should have bought in the first place and take them to a local shop that sells them and then cuts me a check. In the meantime, if I want to buy something there, I can spend the credit I've accumulated (between the time they sell my things and the time they cut the check) instead of spending cash, which feels like getting something for free. If I stay out of the store between drop-offs (which I generally do at least twice a year), the credit keeps accumulating until the end of the consignment period, when it turns into cash, and I avoid bringing new things into the house to fill the space vacated by the old ones.

I use clothing consignment more than any other, and, in fact, have two favorite stores (one for women's clothing and one that's for a younger clientele). Each accepts clothing by season, so I've learned to take things right from the dryer to one of two boxes (one labeled spring/summer and the other labeled fall/winter) because if I put the clothes back in my closet, it's that much less likely they'll ever make it out of the house. There are consignment stores in our area for furniture and household items, too, though I've never tried those.

If you'd like to make recycling or reselling a part of your routine, think about the containers that work for your style. As an I need to see it/drop and run organizer, I need containers that are open on top and labeled; otherwise it's easier to put things into the laundry basket than in the consignment box. Cram and jammers need to have containers large enough to keep them from, well, cramming and jamming, as many consignment stores are particular about the condition of the clothing they accept.  And I know I put it somewhere organizers will benefit from labeled or color-coded containers that have a specific home so they can remember where they put things when it's time to consign them. I love to be busy folks may want to put their containers into the trunk of the car as soon as they're full to make it easier to fit a drop-off into their busy schedules.

Photo: DodgertonSkillhause via morguefile

Regardless of the lure of cold, hard cash and the desire to "to good," most of us (and not just the I love stuff people among us) will still end up with some things we don't need, but just can't get rid of.

More on that next week.

If You (Don't) Love it, Set it Free!

cliparts101.com

At the heart of any organization project is a decision -- to keep, or not to keep. Finding systems, shortcuts and containers that complement your styles is important, but even the best of these containers is neither bottomless nor infinitely expandable. Like it or not, going through the "stuff" and determining what to keep and what to toss (or dispose of otherwise) is an important step toward getting organized.

And for many people, this is the most difficult part of organizing -- just ask an I love stuff person. The mere mention of getting rid of anything is painful to those who love stuff because each item holds a memory or significance, endowing it with a life of its own. 

Cram and jammers and I know I put it somewhere organizers, on the other hand, are usually able to be more heartless about this task (unless, of course, their personal style is I love stuff!) They may not like the labor involved, but their "out of sight out of mind" outlook makes it easier for them to separate trash from treasure. I love to be busy folks and drop and run organizers may also have little difficulty making the "keep or toss" decision, as their organizational struggles arise more from a lack of time than from an attachment to their things. And we I need to see it people are often delighted to get rid of things because it reduces the pile and, along with it, the feeling of being overwhelmed by how much we have to do.

That's not to say this is a simple task. Even for those who may find it easy (or even cathartic) to de-clutter, the task can be time intensive. If getting rid of things is hard for you, begin by taking stock of what you've accomplished over the past two months. If you've been reading along and chipping away, you've probably already let things go -- containers that weren't earning their keep, things you came across during a Give it Five! session, items that had no home -- and so you've already passed go and are well on your way. 

Photo: jdurham via Morguefile

Next week, we'll dig in (no pun intended) a bit more deeply, but for now, let's start with a list of expendable items. All of these can be thrown away or recycled relatively painlessly:

• Things that are torn or broken , or missing pieces
• Half a pair of anything
• Things that are outdated (e.g back issues of magazines)
• Things  you no longer use or need

So far, so good? If so, and if you've recently been working on the large, rectangular spaces in your bedroom, you might want to add "clothing that no longer fits or is out of style" to your list. Unless you really do want to throw it away or have a destination in mind, set it aside for now -- just for now.

clipartbest.com

If this is really hard, do what you can and congratulate yourself. Throwing things away is the most traumatic way for some of us to divest ourselves of our extras. If you find any of the above categories to be more magnetic than expendable, try choosing just one category or even just a few things you think you can manage; then, celebrate your successes. Or, set a goal for yourself -- say, ten items -- and see if  you can meet or surpass it. Every little bit helps.

Next week, we'll talk about finding new homes for the things that no longer belong in our homes. Meanwhile, if you've got a great suggestion for a way to give your old stuff new life, please share it in the comments below. 

Closets and Drawers, Part 2

npr.org

When I started writing these posts, I had three junk drawers. In one room.

In my defense, they weren't actually the traditional junk drawer with a hodgepodge of things from stray receipts to nail files to thumbtacks. Each drawer contained specific sorts of things, but the drawers themselves were a mess, separately and collectively. More junky drawers than junk drawers, they were clutter catchers, and, in the state they were in, they were a waste of prime real estate. The sad thing was that they'd been this way for years. I'd fallen into the habit of putting certain things in certain places, and I only realized how little sense it made when I needed space for a new crock pot and had to re-assess my available storage space.

No matter what room or piece of furniture they reside in, drawers are a blessing and a curse. Like closets, they are open, rectangular spaces, and as such, they make it far too easy to drop and run, cram and jam or stash our stuff "somewhere" -- and then close them and hide the evidence.

Regardless of our personal and organizational styles, large, rectangular spaces work best when we can see what's in them, which is one reason professional organizers frown on junk drawers -- singular or plural. Fortunately, there's one simple strategy that can make a difference. Like Give it Five! and Don't put it down, put it away! this idea can be personalized to fit your life and styles:

Divide and conquer.

evernote.com

Admittedly, I have an I need to see it bias, but I think the drawer organizer might be the best thing ever created. Okay, when you factor in caffeine and chocolate, it might only make the top ten, but my point is that simply subdividing the space inside that drawer so that you can see what you have makes the whole space work better.

Consider the flatware drawer in your kitchen -- forks, knives and spoons all neatly cocooned in their own little subdivisions. If we don't give a second thought to putting our flatware away that way, it's not such a leap to organizing our other rectangular spaces in a similar fashion.

thecontainerstore.com

Take my recently rehabilitated junky drawers. I have everyday flatware and nicer stuff. The everyday knives, spoons and forks live in the kitchen drawer described above. The nicer ones (now) have a home in a dining room drawer that wasn't subdivided. I lined the drawer with shelf liner and added narrow plastic bins from the dollar store. The drawer looked so good after I was finished that I periodically opened it up when I walked by just to see how organized it was.

The drawers in my bathroom are similarly divided with plastic (i.e. wipeable) bins of various depths and sizes so that when I open the drawer, I can not only see what I have, but I know where it goes when I'm finished with it, so I'm more likely to put it away.

Those bins at the end of last week's post? Yep. I got them -- or, more accurately, grabbed an unused one from the basement, purchased a second one in a contrasting print and ordered a third from Thirty-One (I even splurged and got it embroidered because now I know it works for that space). My sweaters fit inside and the shelves in my closet look so much better. When it's time to put summer clothes away, I'll simply change the contents of the bins. For now, I'm adding bins one at a time, and not buying new ones until I fill the ones I have.

I had the right idea in one of my junky drawers, but hadn't carried it out fully enough. I had a bin for collecting receipts and another with candles in it, but the rest of the drawer was a free-for-all. Mistake. That was an invitation to junkiness. Cleared it out, relined it (nicer spaces stay organized longer), found bins that fill and subdivide the space....much better.

While subdivision isn't necessary for every drawer, cupboard or closet in the house, it helps keep catch-all rectangular spaces organized.

sterilite.com

There's really no need to spend a lot of money to do this. Sure, you can go to The Container Store, (and I've purchased drawer organizers when I was fortunate enough to find exactly what I wanted), but bins from discount stores work, as do gift boxes, shoe boxes and cardboard dividers. Think back to the containers that work for you and determine how you can adapt them to subdividing your large, rectangular spaces.

• As an I need to see it person, I'm partial to unlidded containers that I can color code, label or see through.
• Subdividing helps I love stuff people to organize collections and keeps supplies for the I love to be busy person's many activities easily separated and accessible. 
• When the rectangular space is subdivided I can (literally) drop and run and my I know I put it somewhere husband has a better chance at remembering which "somewhere" he put something in. 
• As with other containers, size will be essential for cram and jammers -- too big and the visual is gone, too small and, well, just forget it. It'll never happen.

After many weeks on the Y of STYLE (Yes, it has a home!), we're ready to move on to the part of the process most of us have a love/hate relationship with: Let it go. (Don't worry. I'll be gentle). Chances are, you've already done some of this: if you got rid of containers that weren't working for you or reorganized a space, I'm sure you let some things go along the way. Next week, we'll talk about ways to make that as painless as possible.

Logical Homes: Part Two

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When I taught the concept of logical homes to my elementary school students, I asked them to imagine they'd just returned from a trip to a warehouse store, like Costco, BJ's or Sam's Club. As they unloaded everything they (or their parents) had purchased, they managed to find homes for everything except a large multi-pack of toilet paper. Since it was too big to stash anywhere in its wrapped state, they'd need to open it up and put away individual rolls. After storing some of the rolls in the bathroom, and putting most of the rest in a nearby closet, they still had several rolls that needed to be put somewhere. Desperate, they returned to the kitchen, opened the oven door, and, finding the oven empty, decided to stash the remaining rolls of toilet paper in the oven.

Needless to say, even ten-year-olds recognized the foolishness of this decision.

While I doubt that any of you routinely use your oven as storage for toilet paper, I suspect that there's at least one item in your house that's stored in an out-of-the-way place simply because that's where there was room. If you're an I know I put it somewhere person, chances are that's the rule, rather than the exception.

Which brings me back to where we left off last week: logical homes. As always, your personal and organizational styles should set the parameters. A home is not logical if it doesn't work for your styles, and your logical homes might not be logical to someone else (just ask my husband). While we want to move away from actual cramming and jamming and dropping and running, we need to honor those tendencies as we select permanent homes for our things -- especially those we use on a daily basis.

With that in mind, here's an expansion on the bullet points from last week's post.

cyanics.net

• Store things that are used every day in places that are easy to access. "Easy" should be defined by the style(s) of the person who most often uses the item. My husband loves filing cabinets, so his papers are stored there. This works for his I know I put it somewhere style because since nearly all of his papers end up in the file cabinet (somewhere), he needs to look in only one place when he's looking for papers.                                               Notice that I said his papers. As an I need to see it/drop and run person, I see little functional difference between a file cabinet and a trash can -- both put my papers out of sight, rendering bothcontainers useless as storage spaces (unless I really intend to throw the papers away, which renders the storage issue moot). Unless I create a more visual filing system for my  frequently used papers, they end up in a pile on my desk (or the dining room table), where I can see them, and remember to take care of them. For me, a filing cabinet is a logical home for papers I need to reference, but not for those I use regularly.

• Choose a storage solution (container and location) that makes it as easy to put things away as it is to put them down. The more difficult it is to put something away, the less likely it is that it’ll end up where it belongs. How often have you set something aside to put away "later" because it's too complicated or time consuming to put it where it "belongs"? That's a sure sign that the place where it's currently stored might not be the right home for it.

• Store things where you use them...or drop them...or naturally put them. When you get the mail each day, where do you put it down? Your mail storage should be located as close as possible to that spot. Frequently used items get prime real estate -- that's why the toothpaste goes in the bathroom near the toothbrushes, but the out-of-season linens go on the top shelf of the hall closet. The less often you use something, the more out-of-the-way it can be stored. (There's a reason we store seasonal items in the attic and the garage, often on high shelves). This isn't laziness -- it's maintenance. The easier it is to put something away, the more likely it is that things will be put where they belong. Simply changing the arrangement of the bins in my bathroom closet solved the bathroom counter clutter problem at my house, but to make that happen, I had to think about who was using the system. I liked it the way it was -- but not so much that it was worth picking up after an able-bodied teenager. Remember that the goal is to establish a system that's not only easy to use, but easy to maintain.

• Store similar items together: As with my husband's filing cabinet, if all of the similar items are stored together, you only need to look in one place when you need to find anything in that category. If you need multiples of an item (e.g. a stapler), consider buying duplicates or storing them with other related items in a mobile container (such as a basket with a handle) so that they're easily moved from location to location and you don't waste storage space by storing the same item in multiple locations. Again, style is key. I am so guilty of office supplies in multiple locations in the house, but that has more to do with my office supply obsession than my organization plan....an entirely different blog post.  

So what do we do when the necessary permanent storage space (e.g. closet) isn't working? More on that next week.

Saturday Special: Simplify with Marcia Ramsland

You've probably guessed by now that my house is not an organizational utopia of clear, spotless surfaces. As a writer and an educator, I live surrounded by paper. Paperless is not my thing. I need to see it, so life is an uphill battle with the land of spotless surfaces at the top of the mountain where the air is thin and it's hard to breathe.

But there's one surface I tackle daily. Every day, I make my bed. And I have Marcia Ramsland to thank (sorry, Mom). I found a copy of her book, Simplify Your Life, at a local store known for selling overstocks at cheap prices, and in it, I found this gem, (#1 on a list of Ten Timesaving Habits to Simplify Your Day):

"Make your bed and make your day. It takes only two minutes to give you sixteen hours of order. Besides, a room is 50-70 percent clean when the bed is made."

50-70% clean for two minutes of effort? That's an investment I can get behind!

The other nine tips were also inspirational, to varying degrees (#2 is "practice the two-minute pick-up" -- yet another advocate of small actions yielding big results!)

I went on to read several other books by Ramsland, and I've even written about her here on more than one occasion, but Simplify Your Life was timed perfectly. It landed in my hands at a time in my organizational journey when I was a sponge, open to not only tidbits but also organizational philosophies that rang true for me and encouraged the development of my own way of thinking about organization. Though other organization books have come and gone, Simplify Your Life has kept its place of honor on my book shelf.

Tricks, Tools and Concepts

itsoverflowing.com, via Pinterest

When it comes to organization, there are strategies (tricks) and key ideas (concepts). Tricks like Give it Five! and Don't Put it Down, Put it Away enable us to dig in and make progress. Concepts like homes guide our efforts and create the foundation for our systems.

Throughout these posts, I've been including pictures of various organizers -- clear, colorful, lidded, open -- the tools that can make or break your organizational system. Part of the key to creating a system that fits your style is finding containers that do, too.

Organizers don't need to be expensive. They can be purchased at dollar stores, office supply stores or the dollar section of your local department store (check the clearance sections of these stores, especially in September and January). Or, if you’re crafty, you can make organizers from household or office materials you already have on hand. The idea is to use materials that work for you, even if it means using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. Creative solutions are often the most fun.

www.jossandmain.com/magazine

As you did last week's activity, did you discover any containers that were working well, or, conversely, weren't working at all? And when I say "containers," I mean everything from the basket
you toss your car keys into to the walk-in closet in your master bedroom. If it contains something, it's a container.

Containers that work get used. Containers that don't, don't. And not only do containers that are at cross purposes to your style not get used, they also work at cross purposes to your entire organizational plan.

Next week, I'll talk about container selection in more detail. For now, I'd like to leave you with three tasks and three charts.

Task #1: This week, be on the lookout for any container that's not doing its job and remove or replace it if possible. If removing or replacing the container will create a bigger mess, leave it alone for now and use the chart below to note the specifics for future planning.

Container	What it’s supposed to do	What it’s actually doing	Does it match your styles?

 
Task #2: Look at the containers that are working. What makes them a successful part of your organizational system?

Task #3: Scroll through the organizational posts on this blog, focusing not on the words, but the pictures. Which organizers/containers appeal to you? Why do you think that is?

Next week, we'll look at the intersection between organizers and the organizational styles. For now, here are a few guidelines to get you started on the focus and tools of choice for each of the styles.

Personal Styles

If your personal style is I love stuff:

Focus on keeping only things you love (that may be a rather substantial pile) and finding new homes for the rest. (More on that later).

Tools of choice:  Containers in a variety of sizes and divided containers for collections

You may also like containers that show off items that are of special importance.

If your personal style is I love to be busy:

Focus on organizational systems that require little time to maintain; choose compartmentalized containers so you can see at a glance what's missing.

Tools of choice:  One-step organizational systems; separate storage for each activity

You may also like separate containers for each activity or containers that are specific to the activities you engages in (e.g. a dedicated bag for each activity).

If your personal style is I need to see it:

Focus on keeping things visible and replacing actual items with lists.

Tools of choice:  Clear or labeled containers

You may also like containers that are visually appealing, unique or reflect your personality.

Organizational Styles

If your organizational style is I know I put it somewhere:

Focus on establishing homes for everything and putting things away a little at time.

Tools of choice:  Clear or labeled containers

You may also like containers that are distinctive or unique.

If your organizational style is cram and jam:

Focus on establishing consistent homes for everything and making sure containers are the right size.

Tools of choice:  Open containers, flexible containers and one-step organizational systems

You may also like containers that are wide enough to accommodate stuffing without damage.

If your organizational style is drop and run:

Focus on establishing consistent homes for everything and putting one thing away before starting another.

Tools of choice:  Clear, distinctive or labeled containers and one-step organizational systems

You may also like containers that make it as easy to put things away as it is to leave them out.

One last note: don't go shopping just yet, unless it's to buy a duplicate of a container you know is working. Or, if you must go shopping, start small. Choose no more than three new organizers to test out. This is the part that gets worse before it gets better. :-)

bhg.com

Organizing By STYLE: Claiming Your STYLE

I have a confession to make. This is a rewrite. One night in early March, while trying to upload the original post to my newly created organization blog, I sent it hurtling into cyberspace. Nothing in my arsenal of tech tricks was sufficient to bring it back. A Google search supplied me with the opening line, but building a bridge from that line only gave me a headache.

I went to bed in a bad mood. I woke up cranky about having to re-create a post I wrote over a month ago. 

Until I decided that was silly. With apologies to those whose comments were lost along with the post, I'm moving forward and re-sharing the key content, if not the original post.

Thanks to Pinterest, I know that I referenced the book at left, one I flipped through during a recent visit to Barnes and Noble with my sister. I put the book back for two reasons: I didn't want its contents influencing my posts, however unintentionally and, even upon a quick flip, I could tell that this was a one-size-fits-all, "use this trick and your life will be more organized" kind of book.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Judging from the reviews on Amazon, Marie Kondo's book has proven useful to many people. Any book that improves life for anyone deserves kudos.

I just don't happen to believe that one size fits all when it comes to organization. And, for those who've struggled with organization for as long as they can remember, hailing one book as the one path to success only further damages their self-confidence if they find the path strewn with rocks and detours.

To me, the key to getting organized and staying that way lies in matching your system to your styles.
What styles, you may ask? Take the quiz below to see where you land, then check next Wednesday's post for more on the styles.

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.

Conducting the Orchestra of Collections

Last Wednesday, when it was (past) time to write my blog post, I was struggling to come up with a topic. So, I used a trick Sarah Reinhard taught me, and looked around the room for inspiration. My eyes lit on some decor-turned-clutter and a post was born.

And today, a week later, the post has stuck with me. True to my word, I've been working on seeing things with new eyes -- zooming in on piles and out-of-place items instead of wearing blinders and/or  allowing them to blend into the landscape. I'm walking through my house, conducting a "how long has that been there?" search.

I won't tell you how many things I've found. And I'm certain it's like peeling an onion. The more I find and remove/put away/get rid of, the more that will emerge.

My original goal was to seek and destroy one of these collections each day. That goal proved a little lofty. As it turns out, putting things away properly (not just cramming and jamming or putting it "somewhere") takes more than a few minutes.

But I am making progress.

www.alispagnola.com

The "I need to see it" organizational style has an unfortunate tendency to crescendo. One or two things left out as memory joggers whisper -- a gentle, soft pianissimo. A few more things join them, creating a mezzo forte to-do list. But when it's a whole orchestra of visual memory joggers, it's a cacophony of sound, sometimes fortissimo, sometimes not, but always there.

www.alispagnola.com

And in this case, the best way to turn down the volume, is to control the instrumentation. A string quartet of reminders? Lovely. A big brass band? Not so much. That's when emptying the orchestra pit strategically becomes a must.

http://www.alispagnola.com

So I will continue to take charge of the instrumentation and the arrangement of my "collections" because, after all, even the most beautiful musical compositions benefit from a strategically placed rest.



Side "note": As I was looking for visuals to add to this blog, I came across a site called Ali Spagnola's Free Paintings. I don't know who Ali is, but I loved what I saw. If you have a minute, check out her site. Though I've obviously gone for a theme here, she's got lots more than music-related paintings. 

Piles, Collections and I Need to See It-itis

Last night, I took down the birthday cards I had displayed in the dining room. Sounds like a good thing, right? Except the birthday was over a month ago. And it was mine, so I can't blame their extended stay on top of my microwave on anyone else's sentimentality or lack of initiative. This one's all on me.

I didn't leave them up on purpose. And I'm busy, but not so busy that I don't have thirty seconds to take down the birthday cards and put them away, especially since I actually do have an "away" in mind. These aren't homeless items, or even sentimental knick knacks that I intended to leave out. They aren't a physical replacement for a to-do list. They simply became so much a part of the landscape of my dining room that I ceased to see them.

I'm definitely a piler. An "I need to see it," "out of sight, out of mind" visual organizer. But, like so many others who share my special way of organizing the world, I often find myself walking the fine line between useful strategy and insurmountable hurdle. Okay, walking is an understatement. I've camped out there.

And so I suspect that a brief walk through my house (should I be brave enough to embark on such a journey) would reveal countless other "collections" that need to be attended to. In fact, right this minute, as I sit in my living room typing this blog, I can spot four such piles -- without even moving from my seat.

aim4order.com

Why does this happen? How come these things aren't where they belong? I'm not a slovenly person. And I can guarantee you that as soon as I finish typing this, I will right three of these long-overdue wrongs. And it will probably take me less than five minutes.

So why didn't I do it before?

Because until I took down the cards and started writing this blog, I really didn't "see" those "collections." They began as reminders to do something, or to finish something, and as time went on, they blended right into the landscape of the room -- so much so that it took an awakening of sorts to remind me that they were, indeed, out of place.

These awakenings often come in the form of expected company. Knowing that visitors will be arriving, I will look at my house with a critical eye, removing the blinders I wear when I am home alone. For the first time in weeks, I'll see my house as company would see it. Appalled, I'll tidy up, put things away and make my house fit for non-family companions.

Once things have been put away and clear space has been restored, I will revel in the beauty of the uncluttered space. I will remind myself how easy it is to gain that space, and how nice it feels to have order restored. And I will promise myself to try to keep it that way....

....but will stop just short of vowing to do so. Because I know that's a vow I can't keep. I know that when I put things out of sight, they often go out of mind as well. And the fear inspired by that possibility is greater than my need for clear spaces.


So the best I can promise myself is to try to strike a balance. To continue to work toward leaving out only that which it's necessary to leave in plain sight.

As for the rest, I'll keep looking for organizational options that keep things visible but not intrusive. I'm only partway through that journey, but I am making progress.

One collection at a time.