Monday, July 07, 2008

Heads or Tails


Today's topic is "The letter O." It took me a while to narrow down what my "O" word is. I don't know why, because anyone who knows me well knows that this "O" word is one of my most obvious character traits.

I'm talking about organizing! I'm hooked on organizing! I just blogged about organizing a closet in my home, and I recently blogged about organizing with Bloglines. I even blogged about organizing my scrapbook supplies. Why wasn't this "O" word obvious to me from the start?

I think my love of organizing is an attempt to control the (sometimes) chaos in my life, reduce stress, and gain some balance in my often un-balanced world, but whatever the case may be, I like being organized.


A few tools that help me stay organized:

1. A planner (datebook, calendar (both the real kind and my Yahoo calendar)
2. Containers (plastic bins, baskets, boxes, binders, whatever works)
3. Lists - I'm a list person. To-do list, grocery list, gift list, etc.

4. Folders (both the real kind and the computer kind-I can easily find both paperwork and computer files.)

5. Plans. Not the same as lists, exactly. Lists can be checked off as you complete items. A plan is a guide, sketch, diagram, or method for completing a task, for example, a travel plan, a retirement plan, a cleaning plan, , menu planning or a plan to paint my living room, which I'm working on right now. If I plan ahead, I avoid unwanted surprises, and I'm able to manage my time more effectively. Of course, it's not always a written plan, but it's a plan nonetheless.



Unfortunately, I can't always keep my family of six organized, but I try. So looking at my home, one might not realize how much of a priority I place on organizing. Sometimes people say I'm organized as though it's a dirty word. I prefer to think of myself as EFFICIENT. (But that doesn't start with "O!")


Being a professional organizer sounds like a dream job to me! Maybe someday?


A terrific web site about organizing is Real Simple.
One of my favorite blogs about organizing is I'm an Organizing Junkie.
I hope you'll check them out.



Heads or Tails is a weekly meme organized by Skittle's Place. Check out the HoT homepage for more!

19 comments:

  1. from the look of it you are organized. i wish i could be too!

    here's my HOT! hope you can drop by. thanks.

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  2. You know never say never. I always wanted to be a Professional Organizer and then when the company I worked for closed down and left me unemployed it gave me the push I needed to finally start my own organizing business. Dreams do come true!

    Great list by the way, of course I like the container one the best :)

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  3. What a great take on the theme! You are very organized! :o)

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  4. I would love to be organised - I think I missed out on that gene though!
    I love organising things in boxes and containers, but that's about as far as I get.
    I like "efficient" though, that IS something I can aim for :)
    Happy HoT!

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  5. wow...you such an organizing person. great. Me too always use agenda for monitoring my blogs..

    Visit me in here Thanks

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  6. I think I should look at those organizing sites.
    Strike that, my children should look at the organizing sites. LOL

    Yes, I am a listmaker too.

    Hope you can check out my post.

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  7. I really need to get organized. At least I have a grocery list and it goes in order of how the store is laid out.

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  8. When I was in law school, I became involved in many activities and student groups. People began to rely on me for a lot of things, and it really started to get hectic. In my effort to stay focused and not let anybody down, I created a customized weekly planner that blocked off my class schedule so those times were permanently "booked", then I penciled in any commitments I made as I made them. I instituted a rule that I could not say yes to anything unless I had my planner in hand and I wrote it down immediately. And at least one day every two weeks, I blocked off an entire day in which I had no classes, no commitments, nothing. Just a day that was open for me to do with as I pleased.

    Ahhh, yes... organization. Great "O"!

    Happy HoT!
    -smarmoofus

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  9. I use two and three a lot myself. I have found great use for the medium snap and slide [lids] see-through plastic containers that I have stacked in a closet. They're stacked in rows of three...and they're about as high as a filing cabinet [stacked on top of one another that is] ---and I can see through them all and know right away which one I need for legal papers or 'heirloom' drawings of our kids...etc. etc. etc.

    Then, I make lists. Of jobs of work I need, groceries [which I tend to forget sometimes, to take it with me] even lists of weekly menus to go by so I can know what to take out of the freezer, etc. etc.

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  10. Organization is not part of my vocabulary. I've been a "wing it" type of person all my life. Good for you with your organizational abilities.

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  11. I like the new look. Organi what? whats that?

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  12. Great topic for today's HoT. Sometimes being organized can be a challenge but it in end it is well worth it.

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  13. I wish I was half as organized as you!

    BTW...LOVE the new header!

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  14. I'd hire you! I am one of those tragically unorganized people...

    Fortunately, my sister's like you and she takes care of me.

    Mine's up at:

    www.rtmm.blogspot.com

    cjh

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  15. thats an excellent habit and a skill to possess...

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  16. I think we could all learn to be more organized.

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  17. Organization is my key to sanity. Without it I would end up in the funny farm.

    Great idea for this week.

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  18. Happened upon your blog...glad I did. I love all things organized! And I'm a list person for sure. Maybe too much so. LOL.

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  19. I wish I was more organized...but I'm just not....Sigh...LOL!

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