In my last entry, I asked about what seeds–or flowering bulbs, if you will–we might plant that could blossom into the next year?
For me, the thing that needs planting most is better organization.
The other day, I proudly photographed my 4-year-old boy, monogrammed tote bag in hand and brand spankin’ new Stride Rites over his sandal-tanned feet, to commemorate his first day of pre-kindergarten. Boy, were we ever surprised to hear the teachers asking where Nolan was the day before–the actual first day of school.
It seems I’d written the wrong day on my calendar, a weekly book with insufficient space to hold the myriad doctor’s appointments, school events, interviews with sources for articles, and myriad other reminders. Said calendar is surrounded by a quasi-filing system of sorts, featuring current work-related projects, unpaid bills, and school-related papers. And magazines–always magazines. Still, it’s a daily fight to keep the clutter at bay, and beyond that, I’m finding that I need to have a good system in place to keep key events from falling off the grid as they increasingly do lately.
So while I’m working on digging out of my paper tunnel here, allow me to share a couple of great resources for getting–and keeping–things together both at work and at home.
The Smart Woman’s Guide to a Simple Life, crafted with care by freelance writer Gretchen Roberts, is a calming starting point for those of us seeking to avoid the chaos. And there’s no magazine clutter involved–just sign up for her e-mailing list and receive weekly doses of wisdom and great ideas for living closer to your core being right in your inbox. Gretchen is no stranger to juggling diapers and deadlines, and her style is approachable and readable, like stopping by a friend’s tastefully decorated, cozy home for a welcome visit.
And then there’s attorney/journalist Heather Greenwood Davis’ story in the Toronto Star. When I read of her original means of organizing home office clutter: "Step 1: Dump your papers in a pile in a corner until they are about to topple. Step 2: Start new pile," the familiarity with my own methodology sent my jaw hurtling toward my desk. Fortunately, the huge stack of papers (and, of course, magazines) sitting there cushioned its fall. Read about how one paper hoarder found her way to the light here. Put your coffee or tea down when reading, though; Greenwood Davis’ writing is really funny.
In our next entry, we’ll talk more about workflow, efficiency, and maybe I’ll have made some headway on the miles of piles here. I might even share some "before" photos for you to <strike>laugh at</strike> learn from.
Until then, please use that comment box and share what works for you, and what doesn’t, in your workspace and work life.
–Toni
This is great! I recently had a huge “a-ha” moment as far as my own family’s organization. With the start of school, it seemed I was destined to be buried in the pile of school papers (with my son’s special needs, I get about 8 sheets of paper home *every day*).
I took wooden magazine files (from IKEA, but any magazine files, wooden or not, would do) and wrote each family member’s name on one of them. I made a fifth called “To File.” Now all the school papers go in each kid’s magazine file, my work notebook and a few magazines or other papers I need to deal with go into mine, all the papers my husband leaves around go into his, and the mail and other things that need to get put into the file cabinet go into the “To File” one.
Now - I admit - “To File” as of right now will end up on the floor in a pile a la Heather Greenwood Davis’ original system. But it’s a start, right? It was pretty cool when my daughter finished her thank you notes from her birthday, and I needed to address and stamp them, but didn’t have time right then. “Put them in my inbox,” I told her, and - she did!
Lauren:
Your system sounds fabulous! I’ve got “inboxes” on my list for my next trip to either Target or IKEA. And I’m also certain to get behind on my “to file” stuff, too.
Thanks for commenting! I’ll be writing more periodically about getting and staying organized while running both home and home business, so stay tuned . . .