organized

In theory, I am organized. But the same hypothesis suggests I am a perfectionist.  Ergo, I should be organized and perfect. And I am anything but.

I am, however. a control freak. Therefore, I tend to lean towards organization to declare dominion over my surroundings, activities and output.

The Truth Behind My Organization Skills

• As a family, we are early for most everything. But getting out the door is not always pretty.
• My children are trained to organize themselves. They are responsible for getting their homework done, packing their lunches and getting their handouts returned.
• I alphabetize my spice rack and organize my books by topic. Both just save time.
• I have everything written down in a calendar. And I never throw my calendars away. I have 20 years worth stacked in chronological order. Ask me when our garage door was replaced or when the neighbor got a new dog and I can find the date.
• All my photos are filed and scrapbooked and I am completely up to date. I’m not bragging–I just have a system. I print photos 4x a year, I scrapbook one long weekend a year and I have a Best of album that is widely shared (instead of subjecting everyone to ALL my kid’s scrapbooks.)
• I retain massive quantities of semi-useless information: author’s names, passwords for defunct bank accounts, Target layouts for cities we used to live in… But I can not memorize the multiplication table beyond 7s.
• I have systems. When going on long vacation, I have an itemized list of clothing choices for all four family members assigned to the proper day. I sometimes even bag and label the day’s clothing choices (with jewelry and accessories.)
• Each book I write has a “bible.” This is a three ring binder of character sketches, plot lines, diagrams and editing notes. Each book also has its own file box which holds my workshop notes and past drafts.
• I write by egg timer. I am nearly incapable of writing without a timer ticking away.

Being organized and creative is an odd talent combination. It is as common as being creative and a perfectionist. But if give the choice, I’d rather be creative than perfect or organized.

What is your best organization tip?