Organize Me! And You Too!

A little embarrassed!

2012-02-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a little embarrassed that I have fallen off the map so much! But, the good thing about life, is that rarely do you not have an opportunity to get back on the horse and try try again!

I've been cleaning out tons of stuff lately. Bins full of craft supplies that I have been holding on to. I think it is finally time to admit that I am never going to do anything with this stuff and let it go.

What I am really finding is that ... I don't like most of it! Styles and times change ... and it is time to let this stuff go.

I'll try to post pictures and update you on progress soon. For now it is time to get these little people dressed and off to school!

Know when to fold um

2011-08-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

I know, I know - I am right in the middle of posting how to use this card system! Well ... life has thrown me a busier than busy schedule for the next several days! So, I'll resume posting next week!

I am sure you all understand =)

Maybe you can share with me what you are going to work on while I am gone?!! I'd love to hear from you!

Step Three of the Card File System

2011-08-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

Items you will need:

Index card dividers

Today we need to go ahead and set up your card file. You will need the dividers. In case you haven't gotten them yet, or don't know what I am talking about here is a link: Index Card Dividers

The ones I purchased had numbers on one side, so I just turned them over and placed stickers at the top. You will want to label 7 of them with a day of the week, and 12 of them with each month.

Next I want you to get your list out of each room and for each monthly task write on a card at the top Monthly, and on the first line what the task is. If you have colored index cards you will want to choose one color for your monthly tasks.

Step Two of the Card File System

2011-08-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

Now that you have all of the tasks in each room written down and the frequency of how often you would like to do these tasks, then you need to decide how you like to organize your week best.

You can either designate one day per week to do a massive clean or do a little bit of cleaning each day.

If you choose to do a little bit each day, then you need to decide if you work better focusing on one room each day, or if you would rather do the same task throughout your house each day.

For me, I would rather do a little each day and have it be the same task throughout the house - except for floors - for floors I know that if I pick up a room and don't vacuum it at that time then it will be messy by the time the vacuuming comes around. Same goes with sweeping and mopping.

Also, if you choose to break it up and do a little each day, then you need to complete all of your weekly tasks in 4 days and not assume that you will have 7 days each week. This will allow you to take a day off for yourself, have a play day with family, and have a fall-back day for the days when things come up and you don't finish your items for that day. Be nice to yourself and allow for unexpected items and free time. When the craziness strikes you will feel better.

Tomorrow we will be setting up your cards - so give it some good thought and decide what you are more comfortable with!

Step One of the Card File System

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

For the first step you will need

Paper or Notebook
Pen or Pencil

The first thing you need to do is access your situation. While you complete this task you need to be at home and move through each room of your house. I want you to go into each room and while you are in that room make a list of all the tasks that need to be completed and to the side of each task note how often that task needs to be done.

Here are some of my lists to give you an idea of what I am talking about

Kitchen

Wipe Counters - Daily
Sweep Floor - Daily
Mop Floor - 2x per week
Dishes in Dishwasher - Daily
Put away dishes - daily
Handwash dishes - daily
Vacuum coils under fridge - quarterly
Clean microwave - weekly
Clean Oven - Monthly
Clean window and sill - weekly
Clean out fridge - monthly
Dust - weekly

Bathrooms

Toilet - Weekly
Wipe Sink and Counter - 2x per week
Sweep - Weekly
Mop - Weekly
Clean Shower and Tub - Weekly
Wipe Mirror - Weekly
Clean window and sill - Weekly
Dust - Weekly

Your times should be how often you should be doing the tasks, and not how often you are actually doing them. There are a few things on my lists that I am not sure how often they need to be done so I have erred on the side of doing them more often than necessary rather than less often than needed.

Don't worry - you can add things later. You will forget things, but the main point is to get the major things that you need to do.

You will also need to make a list of the things that you need to do that involve people, pets, and things not directly related to a room in your house. This is your general list

General

Kitty flea treatment - monthly
Dog flea and heartworm - monthly
Change air filter in house - monthly
Change toothbrushes - monthly

Once you get these lists completed you will be ready to move on to the next step.

Gather your materials and get ready!

2011-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Now, if you are anything like me, you are ready to dive in and get your mess cleaned up! It can't be done fast enough, and you have no problem getting down to business when you are fed up and motivated ... For a day ... or maybe two ... and after that you are right back where you started...

This is where my system comes in. This system is great for preventing the mess from creeping back in. It is a system that can be flexible or rigid depending on you. I prefer lots of flexibility since I work for myself. That way I can spend more time when I don't have lots of work, or I can spend less time when I am unmotivated or have lots of work.

I am calling my system the card file system. It is a system that is made of note cards and sorted and file in a card file box by how often you will complete each task. You won't need the cards just yet, but I am listing the items you will need now so you can pick them up on your next outing or pull them out if you have these things at home.

You will need

3x5 note cards - either white or colors
colored dot stickers - these are more important if you use white note cards and may not be needed if you have colored note cards
3x5 card file box or recipe box
3x5 card file dividers - approximately 19-25 - the ones I purchased were alphabetical and I just used the blank sides
paper or notebook
pen or pencil

Please note that the number of cards you will need will vary depending on your style and situation. A pack of 100 will be plenty to get you off to a good start.

The Organizing journey begins!

2011-08-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am not here to tell you that I have all of the answers, or ten most important things that you can do today to be more organized. I am not here to tell you that I am a professional organizer or have a house that runs like a ticking clock because I am neither of those!

What I am here to tell you is that I am a real mom, a busy mom, a self-employed business owner, a wife, and a survivor of my own crazy life and mess! I haven't figured out a way to prevent all disasters. As I write this, I am still recovering from our washing machine flooding our pantry and linen closet and turning the house upside down while cleaning up and getting a new washer and dryer. However, I have managed to come up with a system to get on track, stay on track, and allow myself to handle the disasters of life with more grace and ease.

If you are going to be successful in this endeavor you first must be willing to do the work and make some changes. Changes won't happen overnight and won't happen without your participation. You must be an active player in getting yourself out of your mess ... as active as you have been in getting yourself into your mess!

If you are willing to take action and move forward, then lets get ready and GO!

My Story ... Which may sound a lot like yours!

2011-08-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey! I know you! Looking for your keys and frantically trying to get out the door. You are not alone. There are really thousands, maybe millions of people walking around on this earth who aren't hoarders or slobs or the messiest people. You just want to make things more manageable, get out the door on time and not feel like the only time you get things taken care of is when they are out of control.

You have probably been looking for and buying things to get you organized for a long time. You purchased a new planner, bought a book, started following people on twitter, and reading blogs ... all in hopes of trying to get your time managed and yourself organized. You may be frustrated by these organized people who are giving you tips to tackle your messes, telling you the way to make a fantastic filing system, linking how-to's for command centers and home management books, and number one they are telling you to get rid of your junk!

There just seems to be something missing! Some key piece of information or advice they are leaving out. You have gotten rid of lots of your junk, re-organized closets and drawers, set up a fabulous filing system, but still you just don't seem to be able to get yourself under control. Your to do list is getting longer and longer and you are spinning your wheels because you just can't figure out how to get yourself together!

I understand! This is me! I am a fairly organized person, at least for most things. I don't have piles of junk around me ... at least not most of the time. I manage to get my children to school on time and in clean clothes with their homework finished. I manage to get dinner served at a decent time and we have clean plates and utensils. I don't forget appointments and I seem to function okay. However, I am completely stressed out by my daily routine, my house is never as clean as I would like it to be, and I have this feeling that I am drowning in my to do list! I need help! However, hiring a professional organizer seems to be out of the question financially, and really what are they going to do ... tell me to get my act together!

So, this blog is my journey. My how-to for me, and for you. I'm not here to give you all the answers or to tell you that there is a magic wand that you can buy. I am not here to sell you anything, although I will be making and selling some of the tools that I am using if you decide you don't want to make it yourself. I am taking you on my journey. I have finally begun to discover a system that is actually working for me, keeping me motivated, and doesn't feel like I am eating an elephant.

I hope you will share your journey in your comments along with me, and I hope that I can help just one other overwhelmed person!