Organization - who does it right?

[bluelikejazz]

We use google keep and google calendar. Meals for the week, appts, parties, etc go into a shared calendar. Our grocery lists go into google keep - one for kroger, one for costco, and one for "other".

Mail - sort it BEFORE you even bring it into the house. I walk through the garage to get to the mailbox, and sort as I'm walking back up - all the recycling goes straight into the recycling bin in the garage.

Clutter - we spend 10-15 minutes after DD is in bed picking up, doing dishes, making lunch, etc (DH usually starts while I'm feeding her). If we do it right away before we sit and relax for the night it's much less stressful.

Work - I have an old school paper calendar (similar to EC, but I made it myself) with my ongoing to-do list + tasks completed + meetings + meeting notes. I'd probably use Outlook if we used is as an organization, but we use Lotus Notes and it kind of sucks for this type of stuff.

[sometimesrunner]

One thing that has helped me keep on top of non-urgent tasks is to make a list of all of these types of tasks, then assign an amount of time next to each one. Then group them, and keep the list handy so the next time you're thinking "I only have 5 minutes, I'll just space out/GBCN/whatever, you can look at the list and figure out what small task you can cross off.

[Muddled]

Jun 23, 2015 10:39:18 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

Jun 23, 2015 10:37:49 GMT -5 Muddled said:

I honestly think I need to hire an organizer to get me started.

I'll be right there.

Lol. It can't be a friend. I'm too ashamed.

[Deleted]

I just started reading that Japanese organization book and I think basically it comes down to get rid of all your shit. You don't need it. Clear the clutter.

[autumnfire]

I could have written this post, every single word of it.

I've been making spread sheets since the beginning of the year. TO be honest they work for a while then they don't. So I'm trying though.

Also the laundry I throw a load in the wash before bed and put it in the dryer as soon as I get up in the morning (normally 5 hrs after). I've found this to be of assistance so my laundry doesn't pile up.

I have a few of these worksheets. Most right now are bills and house projects.

I feel like our biggest problem is everything does not have a spot. If we had the proper storage (and we have the space just need to design the storage) we'd be a lot better off. If everything has a place we're not shoving things where they don't belong causing clutter and mess in our life. So that's why I did the project sheets as well.

here are a few of my free downloadable files if you're interested.

Project Planning and List:
Planning: app.box.com/s/9wm9s5145nicc1ilq1oo
Lists: app.box.com/s/7q5wpgmfji425d1xlbko

If you'd like my other sheets (Similar in setup and style) I'm more than happy to send them to you. I have a bill paying sheet (lays out dates and check boxes for each month). I'm also working on a Calender with a cleaning chore that needs to be done for that day. This way things are taken care of every day and doesn't build up.

I print these off and keep them in a binder.

Other than that I will be lurking for tips to the same issues you have.

[autumnfire]

Jun 23, 2015 12:03:40 GMT -5 pinotgrig said:

Great suggestions so far!

I'll ditto @vicmo on the Our Groceries app. I'm not a huge apps person but love this one. We have lists for target, Costco, etc. and the sync feature is awesome.

@cricketswife purging idea is great, too. I've made several passes through my closet over the past few weeks. It's intimidating to try to "clean out" your closet, but making several small attacks has been more manageable for me.

Can we start another daily cleaning challenge? Was that on here or mm? Everyday was a focus area - things like linen closet one day and junk drawer the next. Complete with pips, of course.

Please tag me if you do. I'm in.

[niq]

The goal is not to be organized. The goal is to get shit done. Having an EC planner or the right app or whatever may or may not help. It depends.


I am not exactly good at this stuff, but let's see.

Work:
* I try to only check email a few times a day: when I get in (or from home), right after lunch, and either right before I leave for the day or at home after V goes to bed. Go through your email for the last week and ask yourself how many emails you really needed to reply to right then and there, versus stuff that could wait four hours. I use Outlook Rules & Alerts to aggressively filter anything that's a group email (always include an "Except if my name is on the To or CC Line" exception though!)
* We use a bug tracking system for our work, and I don't really have a choice. That's N/A for most people. I do make a point of breaking things down into tasks the size of one day or less, just to see some forward progress at the end of the day. I hear a lot of good things about Trello. I used Asana at a different job and didn't like it.
* My boss actually blocks time in her calendar for non-meeting work. Like "prepare presentation for XYZ conference" or "review spec that niq sent me".
* I really recommend the book "Getting Things Done", which is a bit dated but holds up remarkably well and helped me rethink my workday.

Home:
* We frequently use Saturday & Sunday nap time for decluttering-oriented chores. I'm trying to start using the half hour after V goes to bed for either chores or work. It does not help that bedtime takes an hour these days.
* We try to put scheduled stuff items on Google Calendar, and then we look at the week ahead at Sunday dinner. This started to help mom who always has these "WHAT IS THE PLAN" aneurysms. But it helps everybody. We do okay on getting events on the actual gcal, but reviewing things in person weekly really helps.
* For home stuff, we just use a spreadsheet. Give it a title that gets you pumped up, like "Halfpint's Spreadsheet for Getting Shit Done", or "Being A Motherfucking Adult" or whatever. Again, some people like Trello or Cozi.
* Don't beat yourself up for stuff that stays on the list for a long time. Life is hard, yo!

[niq]

Jun 23, 2015 11:38:50 GMT -5 halfpint said:

It really is about managing things as they come into the house, I think, so more time management maybe? Having a toddler has made it worse, because once I set something down, it's a diaper change, a snack and three laps around the house trying to get something back he shouldn't have before I touch it again

Oh I left out my favorite! Drop zones.

Get a couple of moderately-sized baskets, and place them in strategic places in the house. We have a two story, so one stays at the top of the stairs and the other at the bottom of the stairs. If something's out of place, put it in the nearest drop zone, then every few days pick up the baskets and put everything back in the right place.

I have also really become a fan of just binning things instead of being super organized with an exact place for everything. In the garage there's now a bin for screws/nails/etc., another bin for small tools, another for sandpaper and duct/packing/painter's tape, etc. It speeds the act of decluttering, and sifting through the bin doesn't take that much time.

[Deleted]

Apps that work for me/us: Google Calendar, Our Groceries, Wunderlist

Cleaning: I have a schedule I need to get back to - when I do it, it's nice. I based mine on this:
www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php

I've ordered both the books Marmee mentioned. I know the top thing I could do to make my life better is get rid of a truckload of junk. I just haven't had the energy to do it - and that's finally getting a bit better.

[deo]

For me the turning point was when I realized that I just had to do stuff right away, it's just what organized people do. Hang up jackets & bags and put away shoes as soon as you walk in the door. Go through the mail when you bring it into the house and throw out the garbage as soon as it is full. I spent more time dreading cleaning up than actually doing the tasks. I'm still working on it, procrastination is a lot easier, but I am getting better at putting things away immediately after I use them.

Having less stuff definitely helps. I just went through a major purge in our house because we are moving in the fall and the house feels so much cleaner. Everything has a place.