Organizing using Microsoft OneNote

I have found my new favorite computer program. Microsoft OneNote. Have you heard of OneNote? No, you say? You’re in luck: if you have Microsoft Office 2003 or later, I believe you will have OneNote.

What in the world is OneNote, you ask?



It is like having a notebook on your computer that you can do anything you would do with a regular old notebook or piece of paper.

Here are some things I have come up with where you could use OneNote:

*Taking notes in class
*Writing notes from a meeting at work
*Making a to-do list
*Creating a shopping list
*Managing a project
*Minimizing paperwork/messy buildup
*Maximizing productivity for work and school by connecting OneNote projects with Outlook (!!!!)

What makes OneNote so special?

If you're familiar with Microsoft Word, you'll probably find a lot of similarities to OneNote; however, there are a lot of things that you can do on OneNote that you can't do on Word. The most important being linking your OneNote notes or lists to your Outlook. If you create a to-do list on OneNote you can link it to your task list on Outlook with the click of a button. Better yet, you can pin a "side note" to your desktop to remind you of something that needs doing.

For those of you who are doodlers, getting bored in class can now be spent doodling in the margins of your electronic notebook just as you would if you were using a piece of paper. Drawings or mathematical formulas can be turned into text or a computer generated symbol.

Best of all: OneNote reduces clutter and saves time by eliminating the use of paper. I don't know about you, but I would much rather sort through a well-organized folder on my desktop than page through a spiral-bound notebook trying to find a to-do list or my notes from Biology 101. You can use OneNote on your PC or on your smartphone. I have not downloaded the app yet, but plan to do so!

My Current OneNote Project:



I am preparing to embark on some new housing projects, mostly filling my house with furniture, adding some organizational features to a couple closets and work on making our outdoor space amazing so we can enjoy every moment of the sunny Seattle summers (I think we’re on day 143 of rain right now). I decided to use OneNote to help organize some of my thoughts and ideas.

By using OneNote I was able to create a page for each room or space that we’re looking at making changes to. Each page lists the items we are planning to purchase or the projects that need to be done. Because of how OneNote allows you to make notes like it’s a piece of paper I can copy and paste pictures, images or swatches to help me keep track of different options. With things like our “Major Projects” I can keep track of bids and estimates we get, as well as the contractors and their contact information. I can highlight different items to note their priority status. I can check things off when I purchase them or complete a task (or I can cross it off).

So far I am really enjoying OneNote. I plan to utilize this program to be more organized at work by linking notes/to-do lists to my Outlook. I haven’t gotten this far yet, but I can tell you I am really looking forward to it. I think that OneNote and Outlook are the two best organizational features you can have on your computer.

For more information about OneNote, check out these websites:

Demo of OneNote

Download a trial

More to come next time: Windows Live SkyDrive and why it deserves a gold star.

Microsoft Corporation has no idea who I am. I am only writing about their products because I use them and love them. Microsoft is no way a sponsor of this blog.


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Inbox Reduction

A little while back I read a fantastic book that was recommended to me called “Organize Yourself with Office 2007.” One of the focal points of this great text was about how many “inboxes” we have. Thinking about all of the places where we store new information is outrageous. One personal goal I have, since reading this book, is to limit all of the inboxes I have, specifically in my office.

To give you a better idea of what I mean when I say “inbox” here is a short list of inboxes that I have at work:

• E-mail inbox
• Mailbox
• Voicemail box on office phone
• Voicemail box on cell phone
• Paper messages to return a phone call
• Text messages from employees on cell phone
• Six stackable baskets for things that are coming in that I need to deal with, categorized of course
• To-do list on paper to add all of the items coming in that I need to deal with

That’s a lot! And that was just a quick 60 second brainstorm that didn’t even go into personal inboxes.

Honestly, inside that list of work-related inboxes there aren’t many spots where I can trim down and reduce incoming information overload. I can’t just cut out my voicemail on my office phone or cell, nor can I stop receiving e-mail (though I often wish I didn’t get so many e-mails!). But what I can do is manage how I store all of the information in my inboxes.
Six stackable baskets for things that are coming in that I need to deal with is a bit much, eh. I have reduced this substantially. Now, I really have one basket with things that I need to deal with, and the remaining five baskets are for filing things that I’m either working on or need to refer back to. I even turned one of those baskets into an outbox (things I need to mail).

One thing that I used to rely on heavily was little notes ALL OVER MY DESK. Those started cluttering everything and becoming a nuisance and getting lost among each other, so I have discontinued that habit. Instead – I create fewer notes but have a category for the notes. For example, I run an educational program where one of my responsibilities is to put together materials for my staff. Instead of having 17 notes all over my desk saying that Joe needs x, y, z and Jenna needs a, d, t and Hannah needs t, u, v, I have a list of who needs what materials. This sounds so trivial and obvious, but it has made such a big difference in my sanity. Oh, and I got some super cute Anne Taintor sticky notes that say “I dreamed my whole desk was clean.” They make me smile.

It’s the little things that you can do during your workday to make the 8-12 hours you spend there more organized and entertaining. Reducing my inboxes and information intake has been a minor adjustment to a major change.

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Anne Taintor and all her wit

By now, you have to know of my love for sticky notes, notepads, notebooks and anything related to writing a note. I prefer handwritten notes in any capacity, than those written electronically. I have a moderate obsession with notes; however, after a recent discovery of a new notepad designer, that obsession has reached a new level.



After 3M, my favorite note designer is Anne Taintor. Her products are absolutely hysterical. My good friend turned me on to her when she sent me postcards that were designed by Anne Taintor, then she started sending me notepads and my life had taken a turn for the best.
This is the first notepad I received, so eloquently stating “Just file it under “who cares?””:



Some more of my favorites from my good friend, Anne Taintor and her collection titled “Modern Office Revisited”:



The simple pleasures, like witty notepads, that give me a smile on the toughest days are worth every penny.
Anne Taintor’s products can be found on her website: www.annetaintor.com and in specialty stores or boutiques across the country.




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Your Biggest Organization Dilemma

I'm always curious to learn what people's greatest organizational dilemma is. Please comment here with the answer or send me an e-mail at: acomb@live.com with what your biggest organizational dilemma is.

1. Time Management

2. Home Organization

3. Office Organization

4. Planning Ahead/Being Prepared

5. Clutter Management

6. I'm a Hoarder

7. Need Motivation


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Checklists/Notepads

Checklists, in my opinion, are different from to-do lists. To-do lists, to me, are all-encompassing, but checklists can be for many things like preparing for a babysitter, packing for a vacation, writing out a grocery list, making a list for what goes in your child's diaper bag or creating a specific task list for a gardening project. www.knockknock.biz has great notepads for sale. Check out these great checklists that I found: (click on the image to enlarge it)


All Out Of pad: my absolute favorite notepad! This hangs on my fridge and I can check items off as they're depleted from my kitchen. It seriously doesn't get easier than this!



Menu Planning pad: I LOVE this one! I'm a big time meal planner and this can stick to the fridge for easy planning and memory refreshing. Plus, I can hang it right next to the grocery list for convenience.



Pack This pad: great for packing help. Somehow there's always something as necessary as a toothbrush that seems to escape my mind when I'm packing for a trip.



Don't Kill the Kids pad: helpful handout for the babysitter.



Errand Manager pad: I like this because I seem to always leave my house with the intention of accomplishing my tasks but end up forgetting to go to half of my destinations!



Endless Voicemail pad: this voicemail message pad is superior to its predecessors because of its size. You can see 12 messages without flipping the page! How convenient is that?



Do your Chores pad: this is great for everyone in the house, not just the kiddos.
These are from: www.allbuttonedup.com



Babypack/Kidpack pad: super convenient to have when you've got munchkins and you need to pack their necessities for every little day trip you take. Even just a walk...


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Get Motivated!

The hardest part of getting organized, especially if you have a long ways to go, is becoming motivated to get started. I completely understand why people procrastinate and keep putting off their organizational overhaul. Sometimes the best motivation is reaching out to family and friends and asking them if they can help you get started so you don't feel so overwhelmed. Even positive encouragement from friends can make all the difference in the world. Get your kids and spouse involved and delegate responsibilities to them and any other helpful helpers you are lucky to have.

If there is something that I am dreading doing, this can be anything, I like to create a list of what needs to be accomplished. This helps me see an outline of what I have to do, then I can make notes about when I will get it done and what needs to be done first. A list like this can be anything from organizing the junk drawer to a complete home organization kick. I like to plan ahead for these kinds of things so I have at least a day or two to get in the right frame of mind about what I am about to conquer. Consider even putting this on your calendar. I marked March 20th for my spring cleaning start date.

If you can afford to, think about going to an organizational store and purchasing some fun new storage containers, file storage items, or a new set of shelves to give you a fresh new look in the space you are organizing. If that is not in your budget consider moving some things in your house around (or look at my post about free & inexpensive organization). Look at your various storage units and shelves and see what you can switch around to create a new change. Or, if you have lots of scrap wood or other materials that you can use to construct a storage container - have at it!

Instead of dwelling about how much darn work it's going to be, consider what the new change will be and how that will positively impact your life.

Here's a story that will hopefully provide some inspiration. I have a hoarder in my family. Her home was in such bad shape that it was to be condemned. My family stepped in to go help her clean it out and remove her messy buildup and dangerous clutter. It took seven to ten of us a full day - at least 12 hours - to remove half of the piles. But, the point is that she could have never done that herself in even a week's time, so we had to get over there and help her. Sometime's that's what it takes. If you have a friend or family member like this, he will probably not reach out to you for help. It's likely that this person doesn't even see this as a problem. So, take the initiative and go over there armed with a box of trash bags and a mask and a really good attitude.

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Organizing Yourself as a Parent

One of my favorite excuses of people who constantly run late is to blame their tardiness on their kids (I hope you picked up on the sarcasm). Sorry! That doesn't cut it with me. Just because you have kids doesn't make it more acceptable to be disorganized. It means that you have to organize yourself differently because you're not only responsible for yourself but you're responsible for those munchkins too. There are tons of images of "planner pads" in this post that will give you some tips.


Just as I said in my last note, organizing yourself starts with motivation. You need to want to be organized. Talk to your spouse, if you have one, and figure out how to organize your family's day-to-day activities. This requires basic planning and communication. Then, if your kids are old enough, involve them in the conversation about how you are going to organize your family. Once your family begins its organized life you must hold yourself, your spouse and your children accountable for sticking with it. If you don't, the whole concept could crumble.

I don't have kids myself, but if I were to inherit one today here's what I would do: make a schedule and stick to it! I do know that kids love boundaries and love to know what to expect. The basis of your schedule totally depends on your family, the ages of your kids, the season and a whole lot more.

For those of you parents who have overachieving kids who are signed up for tons of extracurricular activities, my advice to you is to make a separate schedule with the kids' after school activities. Here's how: print off a blank month-long calendar and assign a different color marker to each child, then color code each activity on the calendar throughout the month. To further organize yourselves as parents, make a symbol by the activity to denote which parent is in charge of transportation - better yet, assign a symbol for carpooling, too. I think that communicating with your spouse about potential conflicts as well as who is responsible for being the taxi is very essential to being an organized family. Other alternatives are to get a weekly or monthly dry erase calendar, find a notepad with a weeklong schedule layout, get a family tracker notepad or have the kids help you by decorating a large calendar that you can hang on the wall.

As for running late... I understand that there are days when little Benny just does not want to cooperate, but for the most part your kids should be ready to head out the door with you each morning. On time. Help them to set out their clothes the night before, pack their backpack or their diaper bag before bed, get their lunch and snack together ahead of time, set their shoes and coat out by the door. If your kids are old enough to do these things themselves I hope you will hold them responsible for planning ahead - this will only help them in the long run. Also, if it helps, create a morning schedule for the kids outlining what needs to happen in order to get out the door at x O'clock and hang the schedule to where they can follow it. Do the same for preparing ahead for the day to come.


Things to factor in when planning family activities (of course depending on the age of your kids): are you interrupting nap time?, will this overlap with a meal?, what snacks and drinks do I need to bring?, is it going to rain or snow?, do I need to bring sunscreen?, will the kids get dirty?, is it a long drive - what will the kids do in the car?, are there scheduling conflicts?, do I need to bring a change of clothes?, do I know how to get there? Figure out the answers to these questions and plan ahead to make a seamless day for your family.

Some other helpful resources: www.theorganizedparent.com, www.supernanny.com, www.familieswithpurpose.com, Parent magazine, Child magazine, watch Jon & Kate Plus Eight on TLC or keep reading this blog. I'm sure I'll come up with more ideas to help you and your family stay organized.

The planner pads featured in this post were used from www.familieswithpurpose.com, where you can purchase these fantastic organizational helpers.)

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Organize Yourself

While most of my suggestions come in the form of physical organization, I feel that my strongest area of organizational ability is with "life organization." What I mean by this is living a fully organized life - being on time, being prepared for the unexpected and the expected, accomplishing necessary tasks, planning ahead and having a schedule. The ability to organize yourself in these respects really sets you apart from the average person.

I could tell you everything I do that helps me to be completely organized, but that's not going to matter if you lack motivation and desire to stick with it and organize yourself. So, first thing first, it is vital that you create a positive mindset that allows you to focus on being organized in your day-to-day functions.



Generally speaking, I am rarely late. This is because of my meticulous daily planning. If I have to be somewhere really early I adapt my schedule so that I can get ready and be out the door with more than enough time to get to wherever I need to be. I also plan ahead the night before by setting out what I am going to wear, packing a lunch, checking the weather and writing down directions so that I am not scrambling to get everything done that morning. Think about all of the elements it takes to be on time (better yet, be 5 minutes early) and work backwards to determine what time you need to run out the door, not to mention what time you need to wake up. Factor in things like getting gas, dropping the kids off at daycare and, of course, traffic. Also, if it does help, set your clocks at least 5 minutes fast. I must note that my dad sets his clocks 10 minutes fast and that doesn't seem to solve the problem.

I think that I am very well prepared for the unexpected each day. In a regular purse I always carry things that I may need, like hair binders, bandages and lip balm, but I also carry items like a spare feminine hygiene product, tissues or a safety pin. I like to think ahead to what I may need at any given time. Otherwise, it's great to store extras or an emergency kit in your car, desk or backpack for when you need them. Other suggestions for your emergency kit are: ibuprofen, breath mints, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, a lint roller, an umbrella and stain remover. Having a good stock of "just in case supplies" really helps me to prepare for just about everything.

Some of my favorite and most useful tools of keeping me on schedule are my handy dandy planner and post-it notes. I use my planner to keep track of scheduled meetings or appointments, but I use a piece of paper or a fun sticky note to outline what I need to accomplish in a day. When I create a to-do list it helps me to write out each task and prioritize the items or schedule a time to get everything done. Take advantage of various schedulers like planners, your Outlook or Google calendar, Lotus Notes, sticky notes, desk calendars, wall calendars, a small notebook or even just a sheet of paper.



Another note about planning ahead and being prepared for the unexpected is to prepare yourself in advance to ensure you never run out of something. I can't imagine running out of toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo or dog food and realizing it at the last minute when I'm in a hurry to get out the door and don't have time to go stock up. So, plan ahead. Take note on when things are getting low and add them to your list then instead of after you've already run out. Before I make my regular run to Target I always do a quick check of everything to make sure that I have enough to last me a few weeks until at least the next trip. This goes for food also. Plan ahead for when you're about to use the last of the coffee cream, milk, eggs and bread so that you don't ever run completely dry.

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Planning a Vacation

Planning a vacation is one thing I just love to do! There are tons of different elements involved, like finding a great deal on a hotel, nailing down plane tickets, arranging for a rental car, planning activities for your trip, plus getting things at home ready for your absence. The more planning and lists, the better, if you ask me.

When I am planning a trip I start by making a list of what I need to do. Usually that list includes:

• Compare locations to determine best price
• Reserve a hotel room
• Buy airline tickets
• Get a rental car
• Plan activities and research local restaurants
• Write a packing list
• Secure airport transportation
• Ask a friend to water the plants and feed the cat
• Hold the mail and the newspapers or ask a friend to collect it
• Search the area for good deals, reviews on restaurants and things to do

I generally find that making a list really helps me to see the big picture and understand what needs to be done. From there, I can break down the tasks and accomplish a few at a time instead of being overwhelmed by doing everything at once. And the best part: crossing things off when I'm done.



One of my favorite parts of planning a trip is writing out my packing list. As I have mentioned at least 17 times, I love lists. This is one list I have an exceptional favor to. I have a generic list on my computer that has basic toiletries and necessities, but it seems that wherever I go and whatever season it is I always need different things. I would suggest that you make up a list of things to take with you, this way you will be certain to remember everything you need. Consider the outfits you will have to bring and double, triple check the weather before you go. Generally when I travel I plan around black or brown/navy and try to bring one pair of shoes that goes with all of the outfits I bring. That goes for purses and jackets, too.

Don't forget about what you're leaving at home while you're on vacation! Ask a friend to take care of your home, pets, mail and plants while you're away (don't forget to reciprocate when she goes out of town next!). Clean out the refrigerator of any perishables, take out the garbage before you depart, leave a clean house to come back to and turn off the coffee pot (toss out the filter, too!). Most people can't just up and leave, so be prepared.

For you parents, one thing not to forget is to plan things to do for your kids in the airport, on the airplane, in the car from the airport to the hotel, in the hotel, during the day, etc. Bring food. Lots of food. I suggest bringing a big backpack for each child with snacks, games, books, things to color on, and maybe even a portable DVD player to keep the kids busy. Keep them occupied and entertained and you will have a much better, stress-free vacation.



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Calendars, Planners, Organizers

The new year has come, and its emergence has dramatically reduced the price of 2009 calendars. This is perfect because now you have fewer excuses to organize your days! There are so many daily organizers out there, like daily planners, a pocket sized calendar, wall calendars, desk-size calendars, cell phones and PDAs, and not to mention your computer and the Internet house several different ways to organize and manage your daily tasks.

Organizing your life and what's going on each day is just as important as organizing your junk drawer. Tardiness, forgetfulness and missed appointments are a product of disorganization.

The overall point is that in order to live an organized life, you have to organize your life, not just your stuff. This starts by keeping track of what needs to be accomplished each day and making sure you are fulfilling your commitments. Whatever method helps you to organize your days is fine by me!

Though my Outlook calendar can be uploaded to my cell phone I prefer to use a day planner to keep track of my appointments. Just as easily I can write in my planner and keep track of my meetings and appointments. This route allows me to put sticky notes on dates with to-do lists or other reminders, which I frequently do. I also like having a day planner because I can stick a map or an invitation in my planner to reference it later on.

I do love the great features that Microsoft Outlook boasts. The program provides an easy way to lay out your tasks in several different views and colors, allows you to create recurring events, and gives you a reminder before you have a meeting or if its someone's birthday. There are several other electronic organizers worth looking into if you're up for trying something new.

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Preparing for a Trip to the Grocery Store

There are many right and wrong ways to tackle your weekly, daily or even bi-weekly trip to the grocery store. I like to think that my way is the right way, but I guess that's up to the judge. Like most things I get myself into I take the time to plan ahead and make sure I am prepared to go to the grocery store so that I don't forget anything or miss out on a great bargain.

I am new to the world of coupons at the grocery store and don't find myself utilizing them too much. I buy a lot of meat, produce and dairy which is hard to find coupons for - I just look for the grocers sale. One of my newest and biggest secrets of grocery store success is to plan out your meals based on what is on sale at your grocery store. Instead of spending extra on chicken during the week it's not on sale, I stock up on it during the week that it does go on sale. Check out the grocer's ad in the paper or mail and search their website too. If you can find a use for coupons definitely check out some coupon websites and buy a Sunday paper. Roughly 80 percent of coupons are found in the Sunday paper.

Since you're planning your meals based on what's on sale, that means you have to plan your meals ahead of time. When I get the grocery store ad I pull out my recipe books to search for some great meals to prepare. I always plan ahead what I am going to cook for the week just because it makes grocery shopping easier since you are bound to have the ingredients the recipe calls for.

Keep a pad of paper on a magnet on your refrigerator or keep a grocery list somewhere that you can access at the blink of an eye in your kitchen to write things that pop into your head when you open the pantry. My refrigerator has a really neat grocery list stuck to it. The note pad already has the foods written on it, I just check it off when I run out or think of something that I need. It's really fast and helpful to have on the fridge. It also makes shopping easier because it is broken down into category based on the layout of the grocery store.



Before you head to the store, do a quick inventory of your refrigerator and pantry. Don't forget about looking in your spice or baking cabinet either. Get in the habit of adding things to the grocery list that you are running out of, but are not quite empty yet. One thing that sets me apart from others is that I foresee running out of something before it happens. Before I use the last of something I almost always have a backup on hand. You don't want to be in the middle of making cookies and run out of butter or flour, just like you don't want to have a full dishwasher in dire need of being run only to find that someone used the last of the dishwasher detergent without letting you know.

So, grab your list and your coupons and head out the door!

As an aside: there's a great cooking show on the Food Network (Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals) that I watch sometimes for tips on how to plan my meals ahead of time by cooking ahead of time. The chef shows you that you can cook say, double chicken to use for two separate meals instead of cooking chicken two separate times in the week. She shows you how to prepare yourself in advance for the busy weeknights.

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Holiday Shopping Made Easier

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is shopping. I love walking around and looking at all of the holiday decorations, seeing the ornaments, and feeling the holiday spirit in the air. While most people put this off until the day after Thanksgiving (or worse, Christmas Eve) I usually start thinking about what to get people for Christmas at the first sign of fall. My holiday stress level is very low because I plan ahead and prepare for the holiday season.

The timesaving tricks I have mastered for holiday shopping are so simple. Usually by September I have created a gift list with the gifts I am giving to my family and friends. After I do some comparison shopping (usually online) I make a note of the store the gift is sold in and how much it costs. Then I use my gift list as my plan of attack for which stores I need to hit. Like I said, this is really easy. Instead of going to the mall empty handed with the intention of "spotting the perfect gift" you go to the mall with a plan and you will leave the madhouse sooner, and probably have more money in your pocket by having prepared your gift list ahead of time.

Many department stores offer complimentary gift wrapping on purchases made in their store. To cut down on your time spent wrapping gifts, consider dropping your gifts off to be wrapped while continuing on with your shopping elsewhere. For stores that don't have gift wrapping services, many do offer free gift boxes with your purchase. Even if you aren't buying a gift, consider taking the box - you never know when it could come in handy down the gift wrapping road.

Grocery shopping is not on my list of favorite things to do. It's time consuming, tedious, expensive and seems to happen too frequently - especially around the holidays. If there is one grocery store trip that you prepare ahead of time and make a list I suggest that you make that trip during the holidays. Generally your list is longer, more encompassing and much more specific than at any other time of the year since many people entertain or bake goodies for friends and loved ones. It is just as necessary to have a game plan to go to the grocery store as it is to go to the mall. Prepare your list (include quantities, of course), get your coupons ready, and plan ahead by creating your meals ahead of time and around what is on sale that week. Need holiday recipes? Look online, ask your family and friends for suggestions, read the paper, check out your grocer's recipe collection, or look on products in your pantry for recipes.

Happy holiday shopping!

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Organize Your Life

One of my favorite things to do, with regards to organization, is to make lists. Post-it notes have been my savior. Recently, I have been attracted to small notebooks that I can throw in my bag with me. Believe it or not, I am a very forgetful person without my notes. I always carry a pack of post-its around in my purse or bag so that I can jot down something to add to my to-do list.

The concept of a to-do list in my opinion is a strategic plan on accomplishing your tasks. Take out a piece of your favorite type of paper, post-it notes, or use your computer to create a task or to-do list, then write out your list of things you need to do. My lists are always very long and overwhelming by the time I am done writing them. In order for me to feel as though I can accomplish everything I prioritize. It is helpful to use different color highlighters to differentiate the things you are going to do based on priority or what day you are going to accomplish the task. Another way you could prioritize is to assign each task a number, then work in a numerical order to complete your list. My favorite part of this is when I get to cross things off the list.

If I have a really busy day, this could apply to a work day or personal day, I like to layout my daily tasks in a timeline. Start with things, like meetings, which have specific times, then fill in the remaining time slots with the various duties you must accomplish that day. The prioritization technique works well in this situation if you don't have enough time in the day to get everything done.

I like to create timelines to help me plan out the stages of a project at work or school, planning a birthday party or event, or even a vacation. Use a paper calendar, your Outlook calendar or a day planner to look ahead to the due date or the date of the event and work backwards by planning when each task needs to be accomplished by. Mark your deadlines directly in your calendar, include them on your to-do list, and DO IT. No procrastinating. You have made yourself a timeline and told yourself that you are going to accomplish a task on a particular day - so get it done.

To play off of the timeline strategy, one hugely helpful suggestion is to plan your big organizational days. For many, doing the organizing is time consuming, tedious and difficult to get motivated to do. Make a plan for how you are going to tackle the space that needs your attention. Use the techniques from today to help you! Prioritize what space needs fixing first, then what is less vital. From there, you can create a schedule and allot time for you to accomplish your tasks. This will hopefully reduce some stress because you can break up your projects into several days or hours. If you can take a few hours each weekend to devote to accomplishing your tasks, by the end of the month you will feel like you have achieved something drastic.


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Plan Ahead

This may sound trivial, but planning ahead is one obvious technique of an organized individual. It is possible to plan ahead and be prepared for just about everything. You'll feel and be more organized if you prepare the night before, make shopping lists, check out sales ahead of time, and plan for any situation.

If you are a working family, especially with children, you know that mornings can be a huge hassle and a rush to get everyone out the door on time. Organizing yourself the night before can be your savior. Make everyone's lunch before bed, get the coffee ready for morning, set out your family's outfits and shoes for the next day, put out your running shoes and apparel if you plan to go for a jog in the morning, and of course pack your bag or your kids backpack the night before. The little things like setting out an umbrella if it is supposed to rain, or packing a sweater in your bag can really help you to be organized because you planned ahead for the rain or the chilly morning walk to the bus. Doing things like this will exponentially ease the stress of the mornings as well as allow you to maximize your time.

Grocery store and shopping trips can not only become easier but also less expensive by planning ahead. I have always been conscious of making a grocery list and planning my meals before doing my weekly shopping, but until recently it never dawned on me to plan my meals around what is on sale at the grocery store. If your grocer doesn't send out an ad in the Sunday paper or the mail, check out their website for the list of their sale items for the week. Plan your meals around the foods that are on sale. Don't forget to clip your coupons before your trip to the supermarket, too. This will save you a small fortune.

Aside from the mundane trips to the grocery store, it is always a smart idea to plan your other shopping trips at the mall, the drug store, or wherever else you need to go. Check for the sales here too to better prepare yourself for what to look for, where to shop and how to save the most. Don't forget to make a list. When I am aimlessly wandering through the mall without a purpose I always end up spending more money than I do when I go shopping for specific things.

Without my random lists I would be very disorganized. It helps me to create lists for things like what to pack for a vacation or weekend trip, a day at the beach, ski trips and tailgate parties. I feel like I am more organized by planning ahead and creating a list, which helps me to not forget things along the way.

The plan ahead technique can really be used in most situations, not just getting ready to get out the door in the morning. One thing that differentiates someone who is very organized from someone who is not is her mindset. Someone who is organized is always aware of the little things and the details, she plans ahead for everything and is focused on leading an organized life. It's all about how you think about it. I believe that if you have a disorganized mindset or lead a disorganized life that you can turn it around.

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