Boy oh boy, can I relate! I've got so many papers floating around errantly with lists scribbled upon them that might help me conquer the world if I could find them.

The best advice that I can offer is to have ONE place to write EVERYTHING down. I'm not organized, and I never will be... but having a book small enough to fit into my purse but large enough not to get lost (immediately) has helped tremendously. It works for me, but it may not work for everyone... but hey, it's worth a shot! Plus, it feels extremely rewarding if you can hold onto the thing long enough to use up all the pages!

I enjoy your blog, and came out of lurking for this post. I'm enjoying all these comments because organization is something I'm always working on.

New friends tease me about being super-organized but my old friends all know that chaos is my go-to mode. And I was okay with that, got a little high from how I managed to pull things off anyway at the last minute. But with motherhood added to all the balls in the air, that kind of juggling was no longer fun.

I've been on this road for about 5 years and my suggestion is to take it slow, and find out what works for you. One habit at a time.

I never used to make my bed, and thinking I "should" make it left me even less motivated ("it's just going to get messed up again") but realizing how much more peaceful I feel with it made came after practicing the habit for a whole summer. I know that sounds ridiculous to people who grew up always making their bed, but I had to teach myself that baby step toward organization.

I love and hate paper. Just too much of it in my life. So I have a folder on the computer called lists, and keep word documents in there --a master TO DO that I create seasonally and add to, master address list, birthday list, grocery list, and then use as I need to. I am unable to lose my computer, so this has worked for me.

Enjoy the journey!

i have the same tsunami dream! but it doesn't take my personal stuff. i just keep running and see it coming and i know i can't get away.

i use a planner. and a whiteboard to keep track of projects i have going at any given moment. writing down my list in my planner with bullets helps me tremendously.

As for what to feed the little one, I recommend checking out Julie Matthews ~ she does workshops on nutrition and what and how to feed babies and children.
http://www.healthfulliving.org/seminars/

People tell me all the time that I'm really organized, and I laugh. My computer beeps at me every time I'm supposed to do something. Whenever I have an obligation, I put it into iCal, my iPhone, etc. Then, I relax and let my electronics tell me what to do. All my co-workers (I too am I teacher and artist) are really impressed, and I meet my obligations.

People tell me all te time that I'm really organized, and I laugh. My computer beeps at me every time I'm supposed to do something. Whenever I have an obligation, I put it into iCal, my iPhone, etc. Then, I relax and let my electronics tell me what to do. All my co-workers (I too am I teacher and artist) are really impressed, and I meet my obligations.

So much great advice so far! We've worked with an organizer and it's changed my life. I feel open and free and capable. I look at "stuff" differently and ask myself questions like, "when or how will I use this?" and "I am enjoying it while it is languishing in a box?" I have less stuff in general, which is nice. Even my beloved books have taken on a different role in my life.
As far as papers go, you need to keep a lot less than you do (but your organizer will help with this). Yes to Goodwill, and have you ever tried www.bookmooch.com? For book trading, it's the way to go. Also, I'm a teacher and have so much paper (as a previous poster mentioned). Because of this, I love my iBook and my iPhone. Everything is there and backed up.
Best of luck to you! Really, having less will create the ease, I believe it. The things that have meaning and use will fall into place (with a little help, of course).

Oh I am so the same-and am working on getting better organized too.

So happy you have someone helping you with the business org.

1. First, I'm writing to thank you for writing about pregnancy and your experience with various products. Just found out that I'm expecting, and I've been referring to your pregnancy adventure that I'd read when you originally blogged it. I'm also making my own belly bands--while I loved the idea of them, I'm six feet tall. The traditional Bella Bands are too short for me and fold over. Bummer.

2. Organization--I'm a high school English teacher and working artist. One word: Blackberry. I also keep a Moleskine backup. But with over 100 papers to grade at any given time, I do not need any more paper in my life.

3. My husband and I do periodic Ebay "yard sales." I also bundle books and sell them to local used bookstores or on Amazon for credit. We refuse to exceed the space in our home. If the house won't hold it, we don't need it.

4. Clean the closet monthly and send the clothes to Goodwill for a NICE tax break. I itemize these pieces, and we're eligible for surprisingly high deductions.

5. Our time is important, so we have someone clean our home every two weeks. We also have a neighborhood kid mow the yard. We feel like this helps the families involved with extra income, and it helps us to maintain a more orderly home.

I am not naturally organized, so to some degree I have to embrace some degree of chaos. It works.

google calendar and my new friend http://www.tadalist.com/

Google calendar! I love it.

So often the questions you throw out remind me of moving from the US to Switzerland. I did it by myself on almost no money, so I sold everything except what fit in a 7' by 7' wooden box. Lots of people have said to declutter and simplify. It is AMAZING how if you have very little stuff and extremely few commitments, life becomes calmer.

If you don't want to move, maybe you guys could declare a "Do-Over" or a "Do-Nothing Month." No promises, no commitments.

For the "Do-Over" go through everything -- the things you do, the people you see, the promises you make, the stuff you have. Would you add it back in if you were starting over?

About money; Frederic Lehrman's Prosperity Consciouness, the long version )7 CDS), CD set is GREAT.

Good luck!

I think all of Debbie's advice is excellent. Some thoughts from this organized front:
- Don't freak out about it. Most people I know who are naturally not very organized get freaked out about getting organized and see it has a huge task, and sort of wave their hands in the air, waste energy freaking out, and never start.

- On that note, thing of tasks in small concrete steps, and like Debbie said, only look at the task right in front of you. "I'm tidying this part of the living room." I think this especially important with a small child, and small blocks of time.

- Related: Don't be so hard on yourself! Realize you have mommy brain. When you are dealing with a small child, your brain sort of gets in spiral think, not linear think. Mommy brain (when I'm helping a friend with a toddler for long periods of time) makes me feel like I'm not super sharp, suddenly, but really, I'm just thinking differently.

- Like everyone else has said, PURGE. Less stuff makes things much easier to organize. If you don't LOVE it, you don't need it (but you knew that!)

- I'd find a place that you will not lose to post lists (multiple lists), and a calendar. Maybe on a wall by a phone? Post lists like: stuff Ben might like to eat, finance tasks to do etc. When you have a thought, throw something up there. When you have a minute, see if you can do one micro task.

- Keep a calendar! Figure out what works for you - something by the phone? Something in your purse? Anything date related at all goes on. Anyone asks you something date related, and it comes out to look at.

- I find binders really helpful. I keep them full of plastic pocket protectors, and I throw things in them. They are divided by tabs, and topic. I have a inspiration binder divided by: color, fashion, entertaining, parties, home. If I see articles I like, I clip them, and throw them in, and then toss the rest of the magazine (see, purging). Also, I keep binders for any major project, also tabbed. I kept one for the move across country, I now keep one for the wedding. I have a three hole punch and anything important gets punched and put in. then I have one place to go for everything. You could also do this for different issues. "Food for Ben" might be one. You could even print out blog posts that might help, and throw them in.

- THIS ONE IS KEY: Allow for disorganization. I have one place in my house where I can dump things for sorting when I have time, that way I can keep the spaces I use clutter free, and me organized. For me, I have a desk I dump things on, and every so often I go through it. For you, it might be a closet. All organized people have a mess somewhere (unless they are OCD). They just know how to compartmentalize that mess!

Anyway, I hope that helps. I feel weird giving advice on this, even if it is solicited. I'm so glad you have a helper!

Being "organized" is another one of those comparing things, eh? You are probably lot's more organized than many - you manage to have a great blog, a business, family, etc. and also be stylish! Maybe you're not as streamlined as you'd like but sounds like you're getting there. Our lives in this culture tend to be cluttered with stuff, with ideas, with art, input... where to put it all? Spacious mind knows what to do with it!

only since you asked ...

- I write everything down. I keep nothing in my head. I sleep better this way.

- I simplify and purge as often as I can. It keeps me centered.

- I never put off what I can do in the moment. This is most helpful at work. If someone needs something, and it is feasible, I do it on the spot. I do everything in my power NOT to start a "do later" list .. because it compounds like interest.

- When I am overwhelmed by a concept, thought or task, I just breath and focus on what piece I can do in that moment and not on the whole task. Sort of how focusing on my steps rather than my destination seems to get me where I am going quicker and more enjoyably.

- Embrace your chaos. It probably makes you endearingly quirky. It's probably more of a problem for you when you compare it to how you think you "should" be, no? If you threw out the concept of how you "should" be, would it still cause you the same anxiety?

You're lovely and fabulous in your chaos. And you'll be just as lovely and fabulous with a little order, if that feels right. Good luck, A!

only since you asked ...

- I write everything down. I keep nothing in my head. I sleep better this way.

- I simplify and purge as often as I can. It keeps me centered.

- I never put off what I can do in the moment. This is most helpful at work. If someone needs something, and it is feasible, I do it on the spot. I do everything in my power NOT to start a "do later" list .. because it compounds like interest.

- When I am overwhelmed by a concept, thought or task, I just breath and focus on what piece I can do in that moment and not on the whole task. Sort of how focusing on my steps rather than my destination seems to get me where I am going quicker and more enjoyably.

- Embrace your chaos. It probably makes you endearingly quirky. It's probably more of a problem for you when you compare it to how you think you "should" be, no? If you threw out the concept of how you "should" be, would it still cause you the same anxiety?

You're lovely and fabulous in your chaos. And you'll be just as lovely and fabulous with a little order, if that feels right. Good luck, A!

sometimes a person thinks if they get more organised, life will be simpler, easier, more fun!

You don't need to be more organised...you just need to embrace who YOU ARE...because you are 100% Andrea...and you don't need to be anything/body else.

I love you being just YOU!

I think most of the comments can be helpful...but I love Jen and Karen's comments...perfect for me! xx

PSssttttt...... go out and play :-) xx

as a somewhat obsessive cleaner/organizer, i can safely say that the way i keep it all organized is simply to own less stuff. the less you have, the less you have to keep organized! i constantly purge my possessions so i only keep what i love/use all the time. as for remembering b-days - i put them in my calendar on my phone for the next 3 years when i learn them - that way i don't really have to think about it much in the future!

i just shove everything in the closet and shut the door and pretend that everything is done and in order.

and then i go play.

xo

funny, how the grass seems sometimes greener. i have the exact opposite problem, so my advice is as you get organized dont go overboard. I have taken 2008 as my clutter-up year. i was one of those painfully organized folks who would have heart palpitations without my outlook. i decided to get the important stuff like bills etc automated then just relax and go with the flow.

as far as lists. i spent about 4 months curing myself of this addiction. lists sometimes give us concrete meaningless proof that we've acomplished something cuz we've crossed it off or even just written it down. your heart always reminds what you truly need and want to do, the rest, in my case anyway, was just filler.

a request from me: i love how i imagine your life (since i dont really know you!). you are an inspiration in your gypsyhood, please dont trade it for boxes and squares.

HI Andrea,

I love your blog, I stumbled upon it while looking at your beautiful work!

I am a mother of 11 month old twins, and although I decided to take some time off work to be a mom I still find that life is pretty hectic.

The first thing I would do is declutter. Clutter is overwhelming. You need to clear out the "stuff", I ask myself "is it beautiful or useful?" if the answer is no, give it away. Clear the decks!

Once the clutter is gone, make a "home" for everything, so you don't waste time looking for things and you know where it goes when you are finished.

When I get up in the morning, I like to start from square one. I don't like the events from yesterday to be staring me in the face. So, each night before I go to bed, I put everything back in it's home.

I don't balance my checkbook and I tend forget birthdays but at least my everyday life is organized!

Hope this helps!

Teresa

Prayer! Just knowing there's someone out there that's bigger than me. Trusting and knowing everything is going to be ok.

Prayer! Just knowing there's someone out there that's bigger than me. Trusting and knowing everything is going to be ok.

Prayer! Just knowing there's someone out there that's bigger than me. Trusting and knowing everything is going to be ok.

Prayer! Just knowing there's someone out there that's bigger than me. Trusting and knowing everything is going to be ok.

Someday I will have my own home and office organizing business ... one of the best tips I can give ANYONE is to prioritize your mess. Look around and start with innocent looking piles. Get your bills here, toys here, mail there. Don't stress about finding a home for it right away. Work on it as you feel the inspiration for it's place. Forgive yourself for not doing it all in the space of one, tiny day.

I too say no. But my "trick" is each night before I go to bed, I write down what needs to get done the next day. I keep it under, say 7 items. That is what I do the next day. I cross off the list, which as a big Virgo i love doing. I did this at my office job, and now that I am a SAHM i do the same thing and its working. I also, on Sunday nights, write what the household needs done that week (for me and my spouse to do), and keep it to one side of the paper.

For finances, I use mint.com. Its free, got pie charts, links up all of your online accounts. I love it. Not sure if someone mentioned it yet.

Thanks Andrea. I am a lurker on your site, but I read every post. oxo gizella

Andrea, this post made me laugh because I am that person! I realise how this must make me look but it's because I have my TRICKS!

1) My business control journal a la Flylady so that I can automate my processes
2) a weekly to-do list so I don't fret if things don't get done on a particular day
3) eating the frog (doing the nasty, difficult stuff first)

You can get lots of free forms on my site under Free tools and downloads :) Let me know if you need anything else - I'm happy to help and inspire you as you've inspired me to be more creative and step out of the box!

Lots of love
Marcia
Time management & organising coach :)

Index cards and binder clips in your journal.

And an ongoing, gentle, persistent rebuilding of beliefs that help you get out of your own way.

Changing your beliefs about worthiness and what really needs to happen every day will transform your life.

But you've done all the training, and you know that. So give yourself permission to let go and do it. You have a huge accumulation of baby steps in that direction over the years that I've been reading you. Follow the call of your bliss :-)

whoa. for a second there i thought i wrote this post. you are preaching to the choir, sister.

now that i am working for myself i am forcing myself to be more organized. however, i love this post because now i can come back and read through all these comments for great tips on being more organized. {wink}

xoxo

p.s. i took a class on dreams in college. scary water dreams represent conflicted emotions. funny, i have tsunami and out of control car dreams too. usually around those nights where i am lying in bed wide awake at 4:00 am freaking out about finances or something.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

With all the money you are going to be collecting from all your bloggers, your will finally be able to hire a full time nanny, a three time a week housekeeper and a magnificent personal assistant. So don't you worry girl, going PUBLiC (ref:Stock Exchange) with your blog page, will add a nice and peachy boost to your and your husbands bank account.

I use some fly lady stuff. I write everything in my Miquelrius notebook. I take lots of deep breaths. And I hired someone.

It was surprisingly easy for me to find a woman to come in here and there for $10/hour cash to balance my checkbook for me, file my papers, data entry, etc. I hate doing admin stuff. Hate it. So even though I might muster up gumption sometimes I just won't do it regularly no matter how organized or scheduled I am. I just won't.

It's way worth it to have someone do my most hated tasks so I can do other things that are more important. Why fight who I am? I can find some extra money in the budget for this service especially since it saves me from overdue fees, lost notices and lost business. Plus I filed my taxes ON TIME this year. First time in several years and only because she helped.

My trick is to get something else to do the thinking for me. The people of Apple fed into this dependency by creating the iPhone. With a piece of technology that is smarter than me, how can I go wrong? :) I had a Trio, it was pretty nifty, but the iPhone has an app that lets you make lightsaber noises as you move it around! Who can top that?

Dear Andrea, I also have the dream about the tsunami, how odd! Except it does not snatch things in my dream, it just hovers over me.

I highly recommend any book by Julie Morgenstern. She has one called "Never Check e-mail in the Morning" which is about organizing your time, and one called "Organizing from Inside Out"which is about organizing your stuff.

Also, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen is a classic and has a cult following, people who call themselves GTD-ers. His system really works, but takes time to re-train yourself into new habits.

The GTD philosophy is basically that you need to get everything out of your head and onto paper. And the paper should be in one place, not many places. And the paper should be revisited daily.

In your case, I suspect that you simply have too much on your plate. In the GTD model, you need to write all of it down (and keep writing it down regularly) so that you can decide what is important and what is not. I'm summarizing, but it's a habit and way of thinking that has really worked for me. The best part of this is that when you have time off, it's really time off, and not thinking about the 1,000 things you need to do. Because those things are captured on the paper, you don't need to store them in your brain. You can empty your brain onto paper, but only if you really trust that you will look at the paper tomorrow. So revisiting the list every day needs to be a habit, and it needs to be one list in one place, not many lists floating around.

Hope that helps :)

I feel ya sista! Please, please listen to me. I've tried everything. I finally found the answer 8 months ago. It's very specific. Do EXACTLY what I say.

Go out and buy a Palm Trio. It will change your life.

Try it for 2 months, if you don't agree I'll buy you a Dr. Pepper and some Hot Cheetos.

I want to tell you a little secret, Andrea. I used to balance my checkbook religiously ... and then I stopped! Nothing bad happened, and I am much happier. Now, I realize this means I might miss a bank error, or not notice when a check hasn't cleared (that did happen once), but for the most part I've found that by keeping an eye on the balance electronically, I am fine. So, that's my dirty little secret ;)

As for the rest, it's something I'm struggling with, too. One strategy I sometimes use is to a take a time out from my regular tasks to give myself a chance to get to one of those "someday" projects--organizing a closet, painting a piece of furniture--because otherwise they will sit forever, undone, as I go on doing the dishes day after day, and it feels really good to get around to that stuff. I am also learning the lesson late in life of having a place to put everything (finally getting a decent filing cabinet has been magical in that regard).

"It's All Too Much" is an inspiring decluttering book, if physical clutter factors into your overload. But it sounds more like you have a bursting-full life (I won't describe it as "cluttered") that is hard to keep up with.

I surround myself with very organized people, my husband included. That way I can be as unorganized as I want and have other pick up my slack. It is very immature of me but it is the honest truth.

I used to write 33 line lists of things to get done. Then I got ill. Then I realized that I was just in self tyranny mode about an ever spiralling list of things I must do ! acomplish ! be ! I scaled right back and most days there are about 3 things I write down on the back of an envelope that I must do.

The 15 min timer thingy from Flylady does help a lot (and ABBA).

I've learned that sometimes its better not to do stuff and wait until in the mood then one is more productive.

A friend of mine found her disabled mother ironing knickers (pants I think you call them in the US). A completely useless waste of time. As a) when you put them on any wrinkles should be smoothed out by your bum and b) it makes the elastic give out quicker. This is to say ditch anything that you think you should be doing but really isn't necessary but a kind of everyone else does it so I should do it even though I don't like it and therefore will keep on moaning about it.

I did this with housework - I used to regularly entertain and exhaust myself with cleaning beforehand. Now people can come to my messy house or I just meet them for coffee elsewhere.

AND PLEASE I'm a Virgo and I've got no interest whatsoever in being organised or making other people organised can we have a monitorium on that one pretty please?

Oh and a super organised friend of mine who is a film producer just carries around one A5 note book a hardback and writes lists and lists of stuff to be done on each project and crosses them off. However she does regularly work 80 hours a week.

I have been this way too, until recently. I have stopped placing my lists, my calendar, all in separate places. After listening to a podcast from the Hip Tranquil Chick ( www.hiptranquilchick.com)
Podcast #95 Hip & Tranquil Scheduling + Time Management
I learned about a calendar called the Planner Pad. It is not on your computer (gasp!) but is a book that you write in. I LOVE IT!
The top portion allows me to categorize all my things. I have a column of to-do for both my businesses, personal, my daughter, a workshop I'm putting on... Then, that funnels into your daily to do list which then funnels into your daily schedule. you have to see it, but it is all ready helping me and I've only had it a few weeks.
Best of Luck! You just have to find the system that works the way your own brain works. I love having everything right there and my whole week at a glance when I sit at my desk with my pad open. I don't have the mismatched papers everywhere with a ton of do lists. And they don't get lost!

i just wanted to reassure you , that you are NOT alone...i am JUST LIKE THIS. i have tablets all over my house, loose papers, etc. i start up lists, forget i already wrote it down, can't find it when i need it etc. i have TONS of lists of books i want to read, but when it comes time to go to the library, can't find my 10 different lists. or can't remember what i read or didn't read.....sorry, no help here, just wanted to reassure you that you are NOT ALONE in this! LOL! scatterbrained, but the excuse is you are probably a very creative brain, am i right?!!!!
i have cooking magazines, cookbooks, recipes written down all over too and lots of sites bookmarked, but can't ever actually get organized enough to get the stuff to make some of it. i think the goal is to simplify what's important. day by day we get there! good LUCK!
tara

i just wanted to reassure you , that you are NOT alone...i am JUST LIKE THIS. i have tablets all over my house, loose papers, etc. i start up lists, forget i already wrote it down, can't find it when i need it etc. i have TONS of lists of books i want to read, but when it comes time to go to the library, can't find my 10 different lists. or can't remember what i read or didn't read.....sorry, no help here, just wanted to reassure you that you are NOT ALONE in this! LOL! scatterbrained, but the excuse is you are probably a very creative brain, am i right?!!!!
i have cooking magazines, cookbooks, recipes written down all over too and lots of sites bookmarked, but can't ever actually get organized enough to get the stuff to make some of it. i think the goal is to simplify what's important. day by day we get there! good LUCK!
tara

P.S. We use Microsoft Money and folders that allow me to drop receipts in (no more balancing a checkbook, hooray!) and I just get those checks with carbon copies. Thank goodness for my husband being willing to handle the MMoney file, though! We also have envelopes with money in them for separate areas of our budget, so we have an idea of how much we've spent and how much we've got left. If we need more money in one area, we know we've got to take it out of another envelope. At the beginning of each month, we replenish the envelopes and any leftover money rolls over into the new month.

I am also someone who has never been able to balance a checkbook beyond a few days (always crossing it all out and starting over!) and am not naturally organized. But I do like lists, and it's important to me that there is room for spontaneity and open playtime for our kids, so here's what I've been doing...

In my journal every weekend, I list out the days of the week and write in every appointment from our master family calendar, but there's usually not more than a few of these. My husband and I trade caring for our kids, so usually it's doctor's appointments, where I hope to take the kids (i.e the library, botanical gardens, park), or his occasional day-long work meetings that I write in. On the next page, I write a "To Do" list of things I want to accomplish that week and I write it in small steps (i.e. my laundry, kids' laundry, write a thank you note to Deana, call Amy, meal plan, etc.). Then I look over the week and put in a few of those where it looks feasible. If it doesn't work out that I can fit it a particular task that day, I use an arrow to move it elsewhere that week, or push it to the next week if it's not a priority.

Here's my favorite and probably best recommendation: My husband and I take about 20 minutes every Sunday evening to sit down and talk about the week ahead, and then we pray about it, asking for God to help us to be open to our plans changing, to help us follow through with what is most important, and to be of one heart together as we parent and live each day. We also pray about the areas of parenting that have been most challenging for us and our kids.
There have been some weeks that we have missed doing this, and we both significantly feel the difference in terms of feeling less grounded and less connected with one another.

Hope that's helpful! I am so often blessed and challenged by what you write, I'm happy to have a chance to give some input!

I spend all day at my computer so I love my Outlook calendar. It "dings" me with reminders until I complete the task and "dismiss" the dinging. It's like a very gentle nag.

That said, I usually feel overwhlemed and like I'm missing something anyway.

Oh, me too, me too! I joke that I was totally behind the door when God handed out the organization talent. I was off somewhere, kissing a cute baby or something very worthwhile, but oh how I wish I could be organized-ish. My friends say I am pretty much all right-brained.

I'm loving the comments. I do know I need structure, almost a routine. And you are right in that hiding from your money numbers adds to your stress. There are times where I just feel like I can't LOOK at the bank balance, but I always feel better if I do.

i have a theory that the most organized people are actually the most cluttered. i have always been pretty much a disorganized mess but people think i am super organized because everything has its place and i have excel spreadsheets on my computer that budget each month, three years in advance. i reorganize on a regular basis when i have chunks of time ~ am in the process of doing it now while on vacation. everything has to have a place or it gets purged. i usually have a really good go through everything and purge at least once every two years.

but. if i let it go like i did when my babies died, it all topples down around me because i am so incredibly disorganized and flitting from one thing to the next. have been working on getting myself organized again and it feels really good :)

i think the biggest key is to simplify, we need far less than we think we do ...

have fun with getting your business organized, how exciting!! xo

structure=freedom
super organized=OCD
doing less=doing more
surrendering to it all=enlightenment

Oh, my goodness...can you send that wonderful lady my way, please?

Write the really urgent stuff on your bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker.

I have been laughed at for doing this and yet my friends have tried it and now they have done it too. I typed up a master list of all of the items we tend to buy at the grocery store. The list is separated into categories – meats, dairy, dry goods, toiletries… Then when I need a grocery list, I can circle what I need. Seeing the list triggers my memory of things we may need without having to start from scratch each time. Even easier is to hang the list on the fridge and circle as you see that you need things (although I rarely do this because I am not THAT organized). But one thing I did do, at one point after going to the same store regularly, I set up the list so that it created a path based on the store’s floorplan making my trip even quicker. ( For instance, I entered where the produce was and then went to dairy and then meats…) Ok, that idea is a little neurotic sounding but it worked.

I used to take pieces of scratch paper and write a to-do list only to lose it or not finish and lose it. Now my latest thing is that I buy basic composition books and I fill them up with to-do lists so that I can have everything in one place plus see where I left off with regard to things that need to be done. This book ends up being a messy book full of ideas, lists, notes, etc. I let go of the pressure for it to look beautiful simply so that I could have the freedom to use it however I needed…

Like Jennifer mentioned in your comments, dishes get done right after a meal and I clean up as I cook. There is nothing worse than cleaning up a huge mess after getting a full stomach!

If you have a washer and dryer in your home, I suggest you do a load a day. You don’t even need to fold and put it away necessarily, but at least you will know that you have clean clothes…

Oh yeah – Abby (in your comments) mentioned the 15 minute rule. I have a few wind-up kitchen timers. I set it for 15 minutes and then clean as much as I can with that amount of time. I usually do this with chores I hate, like I will clean the toilet and tub in the bathroom with the timer or if I am not in the mood to clean the kitchen I’ll give myself 15 minutes to make a difference. Even if it all does not get done, at least you have made some progress.

In my experience, organization is tricky ... the more I try to be organized the less it works. When I honor the internal organization -- what feels intuitively right, the more successful I am.

So, I am not sure that any tips that work for me, would work for you. I know that when I have tried to impose a structure to my organization that seems reasonable by outside standards, that it rarely works.

The kinds of things that work for me: writing down is a memory tool in and of itself, so I may not need to take the list with me. Having a booklet that is small enough to go everywhere with me is useful so that I can write down all the lists there. I only enjoy lists when I can cross things off -- but generally the lists get so long that I just feel overburdened and don't get much done or forget to celebrate what I do get done.

Whenever I feel the need to get organized, I try to step back and see what one thing is really irking me and test out some organizing on that problem. Whichever feels right and happens most easily is the winner -- and then I move on to the next project, or wait until there is something else bugging me.

It is true that I feel more comfortable when everything is in its place and tidy -- but since I cannot seem to figure out where each thing goes so easily, I have learned to deal with the uneasiness that sometimes goes with untidy...

I relate to this. I write on one pad for a while, then I use a calendar for a while, then I try something else, never finding the exact "method" that suits me. I could probably get hours of my life back if I stopped spending time looking for things or staring off into space wondering what I am supposed to do next and then finding that I've run out of time to do it.

The Soap! My sister gave me two bars for my birthday: I am using rose now and next will come jasmine...

To be organized ~ each night I make a to-do list for the next day or couple days...I put every little thing I can think of down...at the end of the day I transfer what's left and throw/recycle that paper away! If I don't have anything written down, it's hard for me to remember.

Good luck!

1) I had a dream two nights ago that I was speeding in the wrong lane, swerving to avoid crashing into all the oncoming cars.

2) This post reminds me of how I have heard some observant Jews describe their lives. One woman I know once said, "To me, what other people think of as restrictions actually give me a lot of freedom, because I know what the boundaries are."

I am a Virgo and we are known for being well organized all the time. I am so organized that I have to stop myself from organizing friends houses when I go over there LOL. I'm not kidding if I see something that looks out of place I will move it to where I think it should be.
Best advice I can offer is this...... start small and organize one little part of your life at a time. Once you get a handle on that add another thing. No system works for everyone and you need to find one that works for you & your family. You may have to try different way until you find one that just fits you and your needs. Once you find it trust me you will know.

Good luck

daytimer, baby. a brown leather, wornout daytimer :)

not that I am a beacon of organization, but I like big whiteboards and blackboards in my house with bright colored pens. When I try to keep paper lists and the such, I lose them or forget about them. I also like to use post-its stuck on my car dashboard!

not that I am a beacon of organization, but I like big whiteboards and blackboards in my house with bright colored pens. When I try to keep paper lists and the such, I lose them or forget about them. I also like to use post-its stuck on my car dashboard!

My husband is crazily-organized, so although I'm naturally a bit scattered, he's taught me a few things. Two years ago he made me read "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. It's written more for a corporate audience, but I learned so much that I can apply to my creative, crazy life. Like, having an in-basket. I have one basket at home that holds everything I need to do. If the camera is out of batteries, I put it in the basket. If there's something I need to remember I put a post-it note in the basket. If I get an idea for a painting, or if I want to give a magazine to a friend, I put it in the basket-- you get the idea. Then I check the basket before I leave in the morning and before I go to bed at night. Once a week, I clean the basket out completely-- no matter what. It keeps me from putting things off and forgetting about them.

Mostly importantly, I try not to waste energy beating myself up for being disorganized.

i'm currently addicted to mini-journals. it hsa to be something tiny enough to go in a back pocket or the smallest purse, and thin enough to fill up on a regular basis. (target has some adorable eco-friendly ones)
here's my "system," for the true artist-but-organized kinda brain:
the mini journal catches all--lists, creative ideas, etc. it's not the organizer, but it's the thing that actually goes along to the grocery store and is always at the ready when i remember what i forgot. i should scan in a few pages and post them to my blog so you can see what i mean. when i am getting close to filling one up, i grab a fresh one, thumb through the present one, and transfer any info i need to still have at hand, usually just a couple pages of things like measurements for that shelving system i've been trying to find for under the sink, and the size of my windows so i can get window treatments when i happen to be somewhere and find them on sale.

as for being able to reference your schedule anywhere, i use google calendars-which i can access from any computer-and if i can't look it up online at the moment i say "let me get back to you," while jotting it down in the mini journal.

the keys are:
-go through and transfer still-needed info when you switch journals
-make a habit of thumbing through while waiting-in checkout lines, at coffeeshops waiting for friends, for the tea to boil.
-always have it with you. consider it like a wallet or keys, a necessary item to be with you.

No tips from me, sorry.
Just wanted to say that when I saw the picture for this post, I said to myself,"Yum, I want to eat whatever is in those packages."
Then i realized it was soap.

:)

I have to recommend FlyLady.net as well. When you first sign up, you may feel overwhelmed by the email flood --don't! just delete anything you can't process--flylady tells you to do it, too. it's ok. start with the baby steps and follow along and you will be amazed.

i have tried a billion calendars and list applications and basecamp and RTM and chandler and google and blah blah blah. I've finally acknowledged that I need to be paper based and I have the FlyLady calendar and a text file (in Word) where I keep my master to do list. there are categories in the to do list (calls, emails, errands, to buy, money, work, home, etc.) but seriously, all the "noise" of the software was not helping me.

i can print my to do list or just print the shopping/errand list and it is part of the flylady routine that i check the calendar every night before bed when i'm planning the next day. also, i can see the whole month at a glance so i always know what is coming up. no online app or tiny purse calendar compares.

hang in there!!

(ps the timer is also essential. you actually do move faster when you are being timed!)

I keep two lists, and I separate them. One is for work stuff, and one is for personal stuff. When I am on personal time, I don't look at the work list. And when I am at work, I don't look at the personal one. This sounds really simple, but has actually saved me a lot of stress.

I started a new system recently -- a moleskine notebook where I keep weekly to-do lists, shopping lists, ideas that come to me. And then I use Jott.com (to phone myself email or text msgs. when something occurs to me when driving or out and about) and Rememberthemilk.com for lists. I also love Evernote.com for keeping track of the stuff I come across on the web. I find that I expend less energy trying to remember things if I write everything down! I actually feel freer knowing that I'm keeping track of stuff...

i don't have it all together - not even close! and, like you, i often compare myself to people who do. (or maybe they just seem to?) and then i just end up feeling guilty. guilty for not being better. in my heart, i know that it's the guilt that paralyzes me. it's the guilt that prevents me from making any progress. but once in a while, i am able to cultivate some compassion for myself. and it's in those tender moments that i feel most empowered.

wishing you tender moments...
xo emily

OMG.

I never thought there'd be two of us who didn't ever balance our checkbooks! You're my new (super)hero for admitting it in public. ;-)

Truly, I've had to get in touch with what it is that I crave on the other side of my oh-so-enviable loose schedule OR the other side of my please-make-sense-out-of-my-life structured time. For me, it's ease, progress, flexibility, challenge, joy, peace inside.

Once I tap into that stuff, and ask myself what needs to happen today to create it, the answers come. It's a day-to-day dance with how much looseness, how much structure. Day to day seems really important, because as soon as I try to assign one "way," it feels either too loose or too structured. And going the day-to-day route helps me be more present, anyway.

You're going to get LOTS of great advice here. I can't wait to read everyone's tips! Mostly, stay the course of your heart.

xoxo!
L.

Ah. I feel for you. I have tornado dreams and ocean dreams (with big scary waves) when I'm worried. Your dreams really tugged at my heart.

I just want to say thank you for sharing your checkbook story. I have never been able to balance a checkbook. This year, because money is a huge stressor for me, I decided to think about me and money. First, in an attempt to organize, I wrote down everything I spend to have a better idea of how much I actually use. I determined which bills must be paid during the first, middle or end of the month and how they are paid (online,in person, etc.). I created index cards and wrote the bill, amount, and due date. It helped to end up with a hadnful of simple index cards vs online bills - I guess I needed something visual that I could hold. Then I decided how much cash I would take out each month for food, gas, and misc. items. I made an index card for that too. It is my goal not to use a check or debit card, simply because it is too easy for me to lose track of my spending habits and how much I actually have in the bank. So - I know I have x amount coming in, I know I need x amount to pay bills online, and I know I have x amount for the cash stuff. Anything left over goes into my savings account. Each time I get a paycheck, I look at my index cards, divide the money up, and am done.

As for home, it has taken some effort but there are certain things I just don't put off that make a big difference. Dishes get done right after a meal and I clean up as I cook. Everything gets picked up at the end of the evening (like my son's toys, art supplies, books). Bathroom and laundry(husband is in charge of the laundry) are done on the weekend when we feel like doing it. I'm a neat freak but my husband isn't, so this schedule is a compromise. I have a plan. It makes me feel better. There is some flexibility, which I like. When company is coming it's different but most of the time this works the best.

As for my general freaking out moments, or those times I have the weather dreams - I've been telling myself "The universe is friendly." I read two quotes recently that made me think of this:

Joan Borysenka - Einstein was asked what he thought the most important question was that a human being needed to answer. His reply was "is the universe friendly or not?"

From M.J. Ryan's book about gratitude - "The inhabitant or soul of the universe is never seen; its voice alone is heard. All we know is that it has a gentle voice, like a woman a voice so fine...that even children cannot become afraid. And what it says is 'Sila ersinarsinivdludge,'Be not afraid of the universe.'" (an Inuit teaching). Ryan goes on to say that this saying reminds her that if she puts her trust in the beneficence of the universe things tend to work out and if they don't, at least in the meantime she enjoys herself more and is more fun to be around.

Good luck! xo Jennifer

i am one of those super organizers, and even the best of us get disorganized and cluttered when we let our systems fall apart.

three suggestions:
1) don't make multiple lists and scatter stuff everywhere, all over the internet and whatnot. if you're not an organized person, that's just going to stress you out. pick one tool and one tool only--one you like, love, covet, are proud to show off. the tool is irrelevant--a binder with printed calendar pages, a filofax, a PDA with a calendar and to do list--whatever works for you. but just one!

2) Read up on FlyLady! http://www.flylady.net/ Her suggestion is to start small with one concrete thing that makes you feel like you have it together and make it a habit. it should take no more than 15 minutes. If it's 15 minutes every week to sit down with your tool from 1) and add whatever you can remember or 15 minutes to declutter your desk, then that's what you do. She also has a ton of systems, checklists, and tools, but it can be overwhelming if you're just getting off the ground. start small, 15 minutes, build habits.

3) There are personal organization consultants--people who do this kind of thing professionally! You might want to see if there's someone who can help you get going. Recruit friends and family who can help you, as well!

Last, since you're a coach--coach yourself and ask what you get out of being spinny and worried and cluttered. You get something out of it, or you would have done something different by now. What is it?

Hope that helps!

Less Stuff, simplify, simplify, simplify.....

I know, sounds silly but when you are feeling like your mind is cluttered it often may be that your life is a little cluttered too. It takes some time an a lot of meditation to realize what you really need but it's worth the effort.

After resisting structure for most of my 38 years, I'm finally starting to realize that structure helps me create the life I want. I know other folks have always known this, but I didn't grow up with good role models in this regard and it has just taken me a long time to get it (a process that remains ongoing). I really like David Allen's book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity. And I have specific days of the week that I take care of certain tasks (though they flex when needed). I used to be a money avoider and now I embrace spending time on my finances, as I do it once per week and then I can forget about it. It takes thinking about it away, since I know it is going to get done. So much of the overwhelm comes from trying to remember everything, so if you have systems for recording what needs to be done, and systems for actually getting it done, all that brain space gets freed up. It's a work in progress, but it is progressing!

"No is the new yes!"
A simple, gracious, "no" can truly be,
the sweetest YES...
to your dreams.
xxo