How I Stay Organized (and how you can too!)

In my Special Education class we took a quick test to see which side of our brains we use more, in order to see what are the best ways that we learn. We did this so we can administer this test to our future students so we’ll be able to adapt the lesson plans to our students when we have a classroom. Though I’m not sure how valid the test really is since it’s a quick quiz, my results seemed very true. I scored a “2″ which is extremely left brain and my traits were as follows: “Analytical, Logical, Sequential. We appear to be more organized, and like to do things in a specific order. We tend to do well in reading, writing, speech, and math.” While I can’t say I’m good at math at ALL, all of the rest of the traits seemed to ring true. Most of all? ORGANIZATION! I love to be organized, I love making lists (online lists did NOT work for me, but paper? Love it!), I have a sick attachment to my planner, and I have folders for each class…all of them separate, labeled, and a different color. A while back, my friend asked me how I stay so organized. Well aside from freaking out when something is amiss and smoking too many cigarettes when the going gets tough, it’s not too hard once you know what is going to keep YOU organized, and how WELL it’s going to work for you. That being said, here are some ways that I stay organized, and some tips for the struggling right brainer (I kid!), to get your stuff straight.

Have a planner! You’re not going to get things done if you don’t know what you have to do. I personally love the yearlong planners so I can flip through and mark due dates and deadlines. I love my Staples brand yearly planner which is priced reasonably, or you can go fancy and go for the Moleskine above. That might be my Christmas present to myself this year.

Separate what needs to be separated. By this I mean for school, or even work. If you have nowhere to put your things, you’re going to misplace them. No one likes to find out that they lost their dissertation, or their resume, right? Have folders (color code them if you’d like), or invest in a notebook WITH folders.

Make a list! If you have a lot of things to do, make a list. For my degree applications and Student Teaching paper work, I have to hand in many different parts to two different people. It sounded very overwhelming at first, but I made one big list just for that project. For this I love the super sticky post-it notes that are larger. Stick it on your folder (see how everything is fitting together?!), and you’ll have one big list at hand.

Those are the three main things I like to do, and it truly helps. Call me old fashioned, but there’s nothing better to me then WRITING things down, and getting to cross things off of your planner or list (preferably until it’s no longer visible, haha). But, if you’re more of the technology type, and you know that this works for you, I’ve made a list (see! lists rock!), if some of the more well known programs and websites that can help keep you on target.

Listography.com - you can publish your own lists, share them, and favorite other user’s lists. I used this for a while, but have since deleted it. Like I said before the online list is not for me. (But do check out their BOOKS!)

Marsadie twittered about a service called Gubb which also publishes lists, and you can access it from your phone and e-mail. Sharing is available, and you’ll always know where your list is.

Google…need I say more? With Google Calendars, E-mail, Reminders and Readers do you really need to go anywhere else on the web? Their calendar offers event scheduling and the ability to share with others.

Post-it Digital Notes is a product by 3M, the makers of my beloved post-it notes which litter my deskspace, haha. I recently downloaded this program and have been sampling it. It allows you to create digital post it notes on your desktop. You can add photos, date and time, and alarms for those of us who need a LOUD reminder when something needs to get done. So far, I’m loving it. Maybe I’m not old fashioned after all?

So, go out and get organized! If you already have an organizational strategy share it with me. How do you keep everything organized? How do you manage your projects and work? Maybe you can give me, the queen of anal retentiveness some pointers!

Great blog post! I would love to take one of those tests, it would be interesting to see what the results would be. I’m really organised too, I don’t understand how people can not be organised and still be calm - I would be a mess! It makes life so much easier knowing where everything is, and having ‘to do lists’ to ensure that everything is done correctly and on time.

The main way I keep organised is my by setting reminders on my mobile phones calender, even for simple things like ‘Remember to buy bread!’, and I would set this alarm to go off at the time I would be near the shop. It definitely has saved me from forgetting important things more than a few times!
Becky
Yes, there’s books as well. They’re called Sookie Stackhouse novels or something I think.

Great post:) I like things being organized as well. It drives me nuts sometimes how I never get pleased with myself:P
Cecilie
Hey thanks for the comment I’m trying my best to keep up with my site but im falling behind!! Too busy but i’ll be a stay at home mom real soon so hopefully then i’ll have a hang on things. I’m an organized/neat freak too… with everything. My closed has all my clothes color coordinated, along with my jewelry and etc. My desk at my office is really neat too, alot of people laugh because im like the only one with my papers in order soo. I like your little google logo, ha that’s pretty cool. Oh also as you know it’s been years since i’ve done web design, however how the heck do I get the total visitor code thing?? I’ve even googled that and I only came across the image site counter. Well thanks, gotta get my butt to bed soon so I can wake up early!
lindsie
One more thing, was hoping you’d like to exchange links .. your link is already up!
lindsie
I’m not big on making lists. If I have to remember something, I usually write it on my calendar. My dad on the other hand makes lists for himself and he once told me that if he writes it down he feels like he has to do it. So I guess that’s why he makes lists…
Vanessa
My organizational skills are post its. When I am in school though I have a 5 subject notebook that I use, that way I don’t need to keep searching for stuff, it can all be folded up and put in the notebook.
Sean
I’ve got a Moleskine and use Google Calendar to keep organized. I’m going to try out the digital post its as well!
Shauna
I can say i’m quite organized alright.. I keep a planner and I sometimes rely on the to do list on my phone just so I keep this step by step thing as to what I have to do for the day. It feels great that i’m able to scratch out some agenda on my list! Haha. And a really big achievement too if I get to finish EACH TASK by the end of the day
Gel
I’m like you. I make lots of lists. It works especially well when you have lots of deadlines like you do when you are in school. I would write out a new list every week of all the assignments I had due and when I was going to get them done. I would not have been able to get through school without my planner.
Deanna
Ugh, I’m such a chronic listmaker! And I put things that I know I’ll do on those lists just so I can have the pleasure of crossing them off. Like, “take a shower.” Putting a line through those words makes me giddy. And I love paper planners. I break out the stickers and markers and make them pretty to look at. My whole life is in those things!
Jennifer
Great blog post!

The main way I keep organized is using Google, or my the calender on my cell, but I don’t usually forget much, because I’m a pretty organized person.
Bella
I love my moleskine notebooks! I really need to get a new one since the new year is just around the corner. I make lists all the time! Otherwise nothing ever gets done.
Valerie
I wish they had a quiz like that online, that’d be fun to take!
Cookie
Great post!
Marsadie