Getting Organized

I used to be super organized - like really, really organized. Schedules, calendars, home life, work life, school life - all organized and accounted for.

Somewhere along the way in the last several years though, I seem to have lost my penchant for organizing. I'm still somewhat organized, and if you asked anyone at work I'm sure they would probably tell you that I'm the "organized" one, but I can tell I'm not nearly as on top of it as I once was.

I'm not entirely sure why - being organized and having things planned out has always really worked for me and the way I process information. I've always enjoyed the process of planning and mapping out my days, projects and work space, and find it rather cathartic. It also makes life a lot easier and smoother when you have a "plan" - not just for the big stuff but for the little stuff as well. I think for whatever reason I just fell out of the habit of being organized and found it difficult to get started again.

Lately I've been feeling a strong desire to get back into the habit of being highly organized. I'm on Pinterest, and love some of the posts and links I've seen recently about systems other people are using to plan and get some more structure in their lives. I've also started combing the shelves of Staples and Michaels - getting some ideas for organizational tools I can customize in ways that both work for me and where I can add a creative touch.

As I've started to get back into this process, I'm realizing: a) how much I've missed it, b) how precious our time is, and c) how much time I've let get away from me! Time goes by so quickly, and I'm realizing how easily I can waste a lot of time when I let myself become disorganized. I also realize that having unstructured time is important sometimes, especially for us creative types who like to dream and imagine and create. But perhaps plotting out and structuring those times when you can be unstructured (instead of all your time being unstructured) is actually the way to go. I used to actually schedule very specific times in my planner to write and work on music, and at the time it really worked!

We have so many distractions these days. It really can be way too easy and frequent to get to the end of the day and wonder what happened to the hours and how it's time for bed already. Keeping organized - having a plan for your days, mapping out your short and long-term goals - I know it works, and I'm determined to get back into the habit.

So here's to organizing, having a plan, and getting back to what works!