Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?: Organization and Time Management

Showing posts with label Organization and Time Management. Show all posts

Kate

Here is the document I designed to help me keep track of my goals and projects for the month:

Yes, I know I'm neurotic. But I love it! =D Everything is on one page. For the two books I plan to read this month, there is a circle to color in for each chapter, plus one for typing my notes.

If you think I'm crazy, just smile politely and back away slowly. If you think this is really nifty and would love to do something similar for your own goals, let me know. If a Microsoft Word document will work for you, I can offer this as a customizable template for download. If you're interested, you can either leave a comment or e-mail me.

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 9 comments | |

WFMW: A New Download!

Kate

Check Out More Works For Me Wednesday

Planning my week totally Works for Me, and I've come up with all sorts of forms over the last few years to help me do it.

This is something I designed and used for quite a while last year, and it's something I might go back to at some point. It's a four-page-per-week planner formatted for letter-sized paper. Below is some info about it. If you're interested, you can download it for free! (It's a PDF file.)

The first page has a row of squares to write in calendar events for the week.
Below that is a section called "Things To Do." You can write in tasks in four categories. I usually labeled the categories Homeschool, Blog/Computer, For DangerBear, and General Tasks.
The bottom of the first page has a place to record money spent, as well as lines for notes.
The following three pages are daily planners. Each day contains room to record things like your Most Important Tasks, daily chores, menu, Scripture reading, and so on. I used the daily "theme" to note the day's focus, like cleaning, baking, or laundry. You could also decide to focus on a certain character quality each day.
There are daily sections for homeschool/children and blogging. I realize not everyone has kids or a blog. This is just something I designed for myself that I wanted to share. If you can think of more general categories to replace them, I can probably create a new form and offer that as a download.

I'm always open to suggestions, so if you have some ideas for improving the planner, I'd love to hear them!

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Labels: Organization and Time Management, Works for Me Wednesday 9 comments | |

I Can See My Pantry Shelves!

Kate

I tend to procrastinate doing my 15 minutes of daily cleaning, and the other night was no exception. It was late, DangerBear had gone to bed early, and I was tempted to skip the cleaning and go to bed.

Then I realized that decluttering or organizing would definitely count! I set my timer and promptly starting organizing my pantry cabinet. Here's what it looked like before:

Eek! Open packages of food, stuff shoved in everywhere... I had no idea what was in there. Now, here's what it looked like after my timer started beeping:

Oh, it makes me so happy! Every time I pass by, I feel compelled to open the cabinet door and gaze upon the organized neatness. Ahhh.

Isn't it nifty what you can accomplish in fifteen minutes? Try it! Set a timer and do something, anything! Vacuum a room, sweep the floor, declutter a drawer... I guarantee you'll be glad you did. =)

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 5 comments | |

The Secrets of the Universe Are Revealed in Magazines

Kate

At least, that seems to be my belief, considering the number of magazines I've accumulated:

Eek! Look at them all!

Plus, there are two bins full of catalogs (homeschooling and otherwise).

Yikes. Now, in my defense, I don't subscribe to all these magazines. The vast majority of them were free, and I really enjoy reading magazines. I didn't want to just throw them out because I knew there would be articles I'd want to keep.

So I'm going through a small pile each day, flipping through and tearing out articles of interest. Here's how many are left now:

I'd say I'm about halfway done, which isn't bad for a week's work! My new rule: New issues go on the coffee table, and I go through them at least once a week. I used to stash them in a bin upstairs, so they were never handy when I wanted to read them.

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 8 comments | |

Organizing Paper: Folders to the Rescue!

Kate

Today I wanted to explain my "current papers" folders, something I mentioned in some of my goals posts. For months, I was having an insane amount of trouble keeping track of papers. At first, they were all over the house and I could never find anything. I then managed to contain them in a plastic dishpan (or two), but I still couldn't find anything without rifling through a twelve-inch stack of paper.

I realized that I didn't have nearly that much trouble at work. (I help DangerBear part-time with his business.) Why was that? After much pondering, the little light bulb finally went on. I used folders.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before, especially considering my love of office supplies. I took fifteen minutes to set up my folders and have saved untold minutes since.

This little blue file crate sits on top of my desk. In it are file folders to hold all current papers. At least once a day, I gather any mail and other accumulated paper and sort it into the folders. Mine are labeled:

Bills to Pay
Actionable
To File
DangerBear's Company (This one isn't in the picture.)
Five Fat Files (Articles and information of interest to me.)
Reference
Scrapbooking

Super simple. I go through the folders at least once a week and take care of them. Then the papers either get thrown out or filed in the household filing cabinet. And I can rest easy knowing I'm not forgetting anything important.

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 1 comments | |

Organizing Tasks, or "Having Fun With Post-It Notes"

Kate

I recently wrote about my Post-It task wall, and I wanted to explain how I've designed a system to keep track of the things I need to do. (Organizing papers and information is one of my goals for the month.) Basically, keeping track of my tasks requires three tools:

Notebook (for notes and running task list)
Post-It Notes (and a wall...)
Small Whiteboard (magnetic is a huge plus)

First, I always keep my notebook with me. It's a Moleskine notebook with squared (graph paper) pages. (Can I just tell you how much I love Moleskine notebooks? So much so that both my parents and my in-laws got me some for Christmas.)

Anyway, I have a section in it for my running task list, and a section with my random notes (divided by date). The squared pages came in handy for copying down a knitting chart.

Now for the fun part. Here is a picture of my desk with the Post-It notes. As you can see, I now have little "header" notes with the days of the week.

Each weekend, I take a look at my notes and running task list and decide what I want to accomplish during the coming week. I'm not talking about recurring tasks, like taking out the trash; just one-time things. Each task gets written on a Post-It note, along with an estimate of how long it will take to complete.

I then arrange the tasks under the days of the week. I try not to have too many things for one day. I'm also careful not to put several time-consuming tasks on the same day. The Post-It note off to the side lists the projects I'm currently working on.

The great thing about this system is that you can move things around as needed. If I'm short on time and don't get to everything, I can just move the remaining notes to the rest of the week. Conversely, if I have some extra time, I can do tasks that I've scheduled for later in the week. It's also easy to add tasks during the week, as things come up.

On top of all that, it's a lot of fun to watch the wall get emptier as the week goes on. =)

I love this system, but I needed a little something extra. My desk is upstairs, and I spend most of my time downstairs. That's where my whiteboard comes in! I found it on clearance at Staples for $2, which made me very happy, and it's magnetic, which made me even happier.

Each evening, I take my whiteboard upstairs and copy down the next day's tasks. I'll also make a note of any projects I want to work on. Then, the whiteboard goes on the refrigerator so I'm ready for the next day. As tasks are completed, I erase them from the whiteboard. When the whiteboard is empty, I have a party. =D The next time I wander upstairs, I take down any completed Post-It notes.

This system might sound a little redundant, and in a sense, it is. I had to make it work for the way I think and how I spend my time (i.e. downstairs vs. upstairs). I'm a very visual person, so having my tasks in front of me all day keeps me from forgetting them. In addition, the fun of literally throwing away a completed task (or at least, the note) is a neat motivator for me.

I'd love to hear your ideas for keeping track of tasks and for planning out your day!

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 4 comments | |

Works For Me Wednesday: Post-It Task Wall

Kate

One of my goals for this month is to find a better system of dealing with papers. Keeping track of tasks is one part of that, and I decided to tackle it first!

This is something I just started doing yesterday, but it's been working so well that I wanted to post about it.

I still have a master task list, but I needed a better way to keep track of the things I wanted to do each day. I picked a few high-priority tasks, wrote each one on a Post-It note, and stuck them to the wall behind my desk:

(Please excuse the chipped paint!)

Now I can easily see what needs to be done today. It's also easy to add tasks as things come up during the day. Finally, if I don't get a particular task done, there's no need to re-write it on the next day's list. I simply leave the Post-It note on the wall.

It's also really satisfying when I complete a task, because I get to crumple up the note and throw it away!

See More Works for Me Wednesday

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Labels: Goals, Organization and Time Management 15 comments | |

Still Tackling

Kate

So the other day I talked about tackling laundry, the kitchen, and the papers taking over my desk. Here are the promised "after" pictures:

My Shiny, Sunny Kitchen

The Surface of My Desk Does, In Fact, Exist

Mostly-Empty Laundry Baskets

Empty hampers and clear surfaces make me happy. Unfortunately, they don't tend to stay that way for long. I guess I can understand where the dirty clothes and dishes are coming from, but what's going on with the papers? Are they reproducing when I'm not looking? All I know is, I think I have it under control, then I turn around and they attack!

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Labels: Organization and Time Management, Tackle It Tuesday 6 comments | |

Time for a Time Map (It's About Time!)

Kate

My time management skills are somewhat lacking. Okay, nearly nonexistent.

There. I admitted it.

Now I just need to figure out what to do about it.

(And by the way, sorry about the title. I couldn't help myself.)

It seems like my life is busier than usual lately. I'm helping out with DangerBear's business three days a week, homeschooling part-time, trying to earn some money from home, and a bunch of smaller stuff I can't remember right now. That last part of the sentence is what's causing most of the trouble.

At any given time, I know I have a lot to do, but I'm not quite sure what. There's just a bunch of stuff all swirling around in my head, and it only becomes clear right before I fall asleep at night. =)

So I'm making myself a time map. If you've never heard of time maps, they're a lot of fun, especially if you like coloring. Which I do. I have my own set of colored pencils that Chickpea's not allowed to touch.

I've made a simple grid, with the days of the week across the top and blocks going down. Each block is half an hour. A couple years ago, I tried doing a time map in fifteen minute increments, and my head popped.

Anyway, I then made a list of all the things I want to get done each day. Now I'm working on the tricky part: Cramming all that stuff onto the map. Kinda like fitting everything in my purse. Once I do that, I get to do the really fun part: Coloring everything in so it looks pretty.

Maybe when I'm done I'll scan it in and post it. Or maybe not; maybe looking at someone else's time map is like watching someone else's home videos.

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 0 comments | |

Every Woman Needs a New Purse Occasionally

Kate

Even DangerBear recognizes this fact.

We had a discount coupon for Target (pronounced the French way, of course) so we decided to pick up a couple of things we needed. I mentioned to DangerBear that I could use a new purse. I fully expected him to scoff, but he surprised me. He said, bemusedly, "Every woman I've ever known has gotten at least one new purse every year or so."

In my defense, I do not own a lot of purses, nor do I change purses to match my outfits. I use the same purse every day for 18 months or so, until I either wear it out or my needs evolve and it no longer works for me.

So my wonderful husband helped me pick out a purse:

Simple, but that's what I was looking for. My previous purse had tons of little pockets, which used to work for me, but now I want to be able to tote along bigger things, like a pocket Bible and my knitting.

Actually, I gathered up the basic stuff I wanted to keep in my purse:

In addition to all this stuff, I'll also add a book or knitting project or whatever.

Here's what I have:

coupons
checkbook
planner
Bible
Nintendo DS (not sure why, really, but why not?)
iPod
wallet and coin purse
first aid stuff: band-aids, neosporin, wet wipes, alcohol wipes, medications
tissues
glasses case, cleaner, and cloth
lotion & chapstick
calculator
keys
sewing kit
pen & pencil
post-it notes
Tide stain remover pen
camera
bookmark
gum
tape measure
potty toppers for ChickPea

It seems like a lot... I'll let you know if I manage to fit it all. ;-)

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Labels: Organization and Time Management 0 comments | |

Overwhelmed Much?

Kate

Over the last few weeks (okay, months), I've had this perpetual feeling that I was going under for the third time. DangerBear's starting a new business has created stress and uncertainty, I'd fallen behind on everything under the sun, and I seemed to be unable to keep a two-story house straightened up. I was putting off doing the big things that needed to be done (ie getting my life organized!) and I was instead spending my time doing... nothing. Not even something fun, like reading, scrapbooking, or even sleeping (or blogging). In fact, the last few nights have been among the most restless of my life. It wasn't that I was lying awake worrying; I was just lying awake. I guess I was trying to escape, but of course, that was impossible!

So what do you do when you're having trouble keeping your head above water? Here are some things that have been helping me:

Make a quick list of the things that are really bothering you. You know, the ones that are causing that nasty churning feeling in your stomach. Maybe it's an important task you've been putting off or an issue that's come up.

I'd been putting off homeschool planning and I felt guilty about it. I was also putting off routine housekeeping tasks and was embarrassed every time DangerBear said he was out of undershirts or pondered aloud whether there were any clean drinking glasses in the universe.

I was also stressed out because we found out one of our credit card numbers had been compromised. In reality, it wasn't too much of a problem. The credit card company caught it and gave us a new account number. It bothered me because I wondered who had stolen our number. Was it someone we saw around town, who works in one of the shops? Was it a trusted online business? We'll probably never know.

Take that list and figure out what you can do about the problem. If it's a complicated or time-consuming task, split it up into bite-size pieces. I like to write down the estimated time for each piece, and then race myself to see how fast I can get it done. Just getting started on it will help you feel better.
If you truly can't do anything about one of your issues (like my credit card theft), just take your worries to the Lord. Matthew 6:27 says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Unless you count the hours you spend lying awake at night instead of peacefully sleeping...
Remember your priorities. I realized I'd been neglecting my Bible reading*, and the only praying I'd been doing was an occasional exasperated, "Oh, Lord!" When all the details of your life threaten to overwhelm you, remind yourself of what is most important to you. I am first a child of God, then a wife, then a mother, and then a homemaker. Everything else is just gravy. Yesterday, instead of trying to plan my day to the nth degree when I was already overwhelmed, I used my priority planner. That helped me to get the important things done without worrying about the gravy. =)
Figure out how to claw your way out. For me, that meant, among other things, setting up a simple home management binder. Having tasks and calendar items written down all over the place (and often getting lost) was driving me bonkers. I'm almost done setting up a simple binder and I'm getting all those little post-its and scraps of paper onto a task list. I'm in the middle of helping DangerBear with a big project for his business, but once that's done (by early next week), I can have fun knocking all those little things off my task list.

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34

~Kate

*Into Thy Word has some great Bible reading plans, including their Genres reading plan.

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