Custom Planning for Your Day

Several months ago I went back to work full time, although it broke my heart to put "Organizing" on the back burner sometimes we have to do things for the greater good. Of course, it doesn't mean I have to give it up completely. If anything it has been a great experience at finding new and fun organizing solutions for my current role of Account Manager.

Feeling the pain of not having an office and living out of the car has given me tremendous insight and some fabulous ideas for those of you who are in similar situations. Finding my "groove" has been a painstaking effort, but I finally have it all down pat! THANK HEAVENS!

Over the next few weeks, I am going to sharing some of the organizing solutions I have come up with and the tools that have helped me along the way.

The first one is my customized system for planning my little day.

I thought I would enjoy going back to the days of Day Planners, but I was sadly disappointed when I realized that my current job didn't really fit into the parameters of a Day Planner system. I was even more devastated to learn that I did not have a laptop, computer or Outlook to help me in my position. (Ya, can you believe THAT CRAP?)

Instead, I was given a Blackberry Pearl and sent along my merry little way. For the first couple of weeks, I was pissy, peevish, and down right indignant over the lack of tools to do my job. Ok, maybe a little bit more than pissy and peevish, I was beyond annoyed. I felt like I was being set up to fail and that there was no possible way to succeed in the position if I didn't even have what I needed to do the actual tasks assigned. I was not a happy camper.

Now I had the Blackberry and it has a little calendar in it and a task list, but for the love of Pete, typing with my thumbs all of the things I needed to accomplish in a day was out of the question. The bulk of a big planner was just ridiculous to even contemplate and since I spent 95% of my time in a car I needed to be able to write down notes while driving 70mph on the freeway. (Scary, I know!)

My organizing epiphany arrived the day I received my box of goodies from uCreate. Abundant in color and my extreme desire to use all of it to brighten my day, brought me back to the basics.

1 - uCreate Simply Silhouette Notebook
1 - Matching uCreate pen
1 - uCreate Post It Notes
1 - uCreate Post It Flag
1 - Pink Highlighter


I took the pink notebook that had the elastic band and I started labeling each page with the Day of the Week, the actual Date, made a section for To Do's, and a little section for Appointments. Toward the end of the notebook I sectioned off two chunks of the notebook for Notes and for Voicemails and labeled them with my Post It flags.

Then I got busy with writing down everything that I needed to do. The main reason for the bigger section for my To Do List versus appointments is because I have more action items than I have appointments. I don't necessarily HAVE to be anywhere at a specific time. It's mostly "popping in", which is why a Day Planner system didn't make sense. I do, however, have to put together marketing materials, pick up supplies, check in with graphics, create pricing, update promotions, etc.



Here is what my typical Day Page looks like. I have all of my To Do's listed and as I finish them I strike them through with a highlighter. Same goes with the little appointments at the bottom. As soon as I am done, I mark it through. You will also notice that I have a note on a Post It off to the side. This is because I was driving down the freeway at 75mph and I had to make a quick note to follow up on a client. I quickly wrote it down and when I stopped I just slapped it on the page. Why duplicate my efforts?

You will also notice a nifty little flag at the top of the page. This is a visual reminder that I have things that I did not accomplish from the day before. This way I don't have to rewrite my To Do's on the next day and I can just flip through and see what I didn't get a chance to finish. As soon as I have finished with everything on that page, I will remove the flag.

The Notes section in my notebook is for meetings I have with clients or my boss. I like having everything in one notebook because I just don't want to carry a ton of crap with me and if we are reviewing a meeting I had with a client I can just flip to it without having to worry about it. It's all contained in one book.

Of course, I can't do anything without having my Voicemail Log. I originally started out with just using a separate Composition Book, but this is working out quite nicely. Although I do prefer the separation, this just makes a ton of sense at the moment.

I have only been using it for two weeks and I am sure that I will run into some snags when the notebook gets full and I have to switch to another, but I can always label the notebook by the dates in the planner section and tuck it away at my home office. But for right now, this little system is saving my life and I am loving it! Blackberry be damned!

If you have created a customized system for yourself, please share!!! I would love to hear about some other ideas and what you use!

Happy Organizing!
Suzanne Babb

Quite Remiss But Busy Busy Busy

I have been absolutely horrible at blogging over the last several months and I am quite sorry for ignoring all of you! Well, almost all of you!

A couple of weeks ago a blogging buddy of mine came all of the way from New Jersey to Arizona to meet with me...ok, not JUST to meet me. Her sister lives here....AND she had work in San Diego...AND a cool scrapping store to check out...not to mention that her sisters favorite sandwich place was a few miles from my home, but we did get to meet up! :o)

Krys was one of my first little blog readers, she gets my newsletters, she won my Let's Talk Organizing give-a-way back in October when I opened my new office, and she is the FIRST blog reader I have met. We had such a wonderful time chit chatting, laughing, getting in a few moments of organizing talk, and just enjoying the company.

Next month, I am meeting up with another one of my blogging friends, Marcia, in Stirling. We are both going over to Scotland for vacation in May so we are going to spend a couple of days tootling around Stirling and enjoying the time together. Of course, I am not sure that I warned her that I am totally laid back and relaxed when I travel to Scotland. She is bringing her list of things to find on our walk and I'm just bringing my camera. :o) Of course, Dion and I may drag her into a few churches and abbey's along the way.

The crazy part about me is before I travel I am an organizational freak. I make lists, I schedule when to pack, when to shop, when to get my hair done, I have this huge notebook of maps, train times, things I want to see, plan out every minute of every day. However, as soon as I get there, I shove into the bottom of my suitcase and I don't take it out again. It's CRAZY! I think it's just the action of controlling the trip that makes me feel more comfortable traveling alone.

Of course, today I DID find out the B&B I was staying at in another small town in the Borders cancelled my reservation due to a wedding...NOT HAPPY! So, the southern portion of my trip has been completely erased from my little book and I am now having to figure out Plan B for last 4 days of my trip.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them! Plus, I need to find some place else to stay whereever I am going.

Until next post,

Happy Organizing!

Suzanne Babb

Organizing Goodness

Look at some of the beautiful goodies I got in the mail today from uCreate! You can see what else I am doing with all of this fun stuff over at my other blog! Marcia, the little books on the right with the purple and blue spines are COMPOSITION BOOKS!!! Yippee!

The Things You Hate Most

There have been a slew of changes in my little life in the past 6 months and with change comes new routines, new organizing styles, and new garbage that I HATE to do. Some of the things I abhor doing have been easy to eliminate from my life, but others are a necessary evil.

Let's look at the items that I banished from my very vocabulary. Yard Work. Ya, hate it. Don't do it. Not going to start now. When the kids and I moved earlier this year, I had the choice of renting a home or renting an apartment. Although my son would have loved a backyard to play in, I opted for the "Mom isn't going to mow the yard and neither will the kids" option. So, we moved into an apartment. Not only do I NOT have to do yard work, I don't have to change the A/C filter either! SCORE!

Of course, the same can not be said about my other little "chore" that I hate doing. Not that I was doing it before, but it was something that I needed to start doing. Working Out. YUCK!

I have been trying everything in the world possible to get myself motivated to work out and some of the solutions have been a bit excessive but the end result is quite impressive.

The basic recipe and ingredients of my little weight loss goal can be transformed into any organizational project or personal goal you may have.

1. First, I needed a motivator to work out. SCOTLAND
2. Second, I needed an accompaniment to get me into the habit of doing something religiously like working out, but something that would be completely easy. TANNING (I am just so pale and I rationalized that I would "look" thinner if I had a tan. I know, I need therapy!)
3. I got myself into a ROUTINE of going to the "Fake and Bake"
4. The instant RESULTS were encouraging and I was starting to feel better about myself.
5. I decided that I was too self-conscience to go to the gym so I borrowed my parents treadmill and I put it on the patio so I was overlooking the park and I started walking on the treadmill for a mile every morning while the weather was still cool. COMPROMISE
6. I GAVE UP Coca-Cola. (Ok fine, not if there is rum in it!!)
7. I have saved up money and scheduled a shopping date with my girlfriend for the weekend before I go to Scotland. REWARD

So far, I had a week of being cranky, depressed, and a full blown headache. BUT I have the beginnings of a great tan, I have lost 12 pounds, I am going to Scotland, and for the first time in 8 years I own a sundress!

How can this be transformed into turning a nightmare into organizational bliss? EASY!

Let's take laundry as an example of something you want to put into a routine and organize a bit better. You are tired of staying up until midnight on Sunday to make sure your clothes are dry for work/school on Monday morning. You would also like to actually have a Saturday that you can spend doing the things you WANT to do versus being up to your eyeballs in dirty underwear!

1. Find your motivator. Let's throw spending Saturday mornings at the park as your motivator.
2. Let's find a quick and easy accompaniment. Clean sheet Sunday! (Can you tell this is my favorite?) Start washing your bedding on Sunday's the habit will be easy and it doesn't take a lot of time.
3. Your routine is the Clean Sheet Sunday. Every Sunday morning, take off the sheets instead of making the bed. Throw them into the washer first thing and enjoy your morning.
4. The instant results will be the way your bed feels and smells on Sunday night when you crawl into your nice clean bed!
5. Instead of doing all of your laundry on Saturday morning, make specific times throughout the week to do it. Tuesday wash towels and fold them during Boston Legal. Wednesday do Whites. Thursday is Colors.
6. Your reward is going to the park on Saturday and not having a single article of clothing to wash, switch, or fold!

Finding YOUR perfect combination, solution, and reward will help you combat your organizational frustration and transform it into organizational perfection!

Happy Organizing!

Suzanne Babb

12 Steps to Better Team Organization with Ron Holohan

Several weeks ago, I was approached by Ron Holohan from pm411.org to do an interview for his Project Management podcast. I was quite giddy by the request and as I read the email I couldn't help but smile ear to ear over the possibility of doing the podcast interview. Then in the third paragraph of the email he said something that just made me say an instant "yes!"

"I think the episode would provide some good insight for my listeners and I am sure that your humor and sassiness (yes, I said sassiness!) would be welcomed by my listeners."

He he he, he said sassisness! How can I refuse an offer from someone who so pinpoints the fact that I am sassy?

Last Thursday, Ron gave me a buzz, I laughed my fanny off, and we recorded the podcast. Tonight, after a Sunday of busting his butt to edit all of the laughter from our call, Ron has posted the podcast.

The podcast reviews different suggestions and techniques for Project Managers and their teams to become more organized and efficient. If you would like to take a listen at some of my quirky sassy antics, be sure to check out Ron's podcast and listen to 12 Steps to Better Team Organization!

Thanks, Ron, for the interview! I had an absolute blast and good luck with Guitar Hero! Oh, and say hi to your mom for me! ;o)

Happy Organizing Everyone!

Suzanne Babb

From Old and Ugly to New and Beautiful

The transformation of my bedroom office continues! Now that I am absolutely ecstatic with the layout of my bedroom and not minding the intrusion of my desk in the room, I figured a little updating was in order.

I have been using a little tiny 4'ft table as my desk. It's short enough to fit inbetween my bed and the window seat, but it is hideously ugly! It had that faux wood finish and it was peeling off everywhere and I just couldn't handle it any more. So today, I ran out to Target and found a beautiful wrapping paper that would look nice with my bed. Then I hopped on over to Staples and grabbed a clear desk protector to place over the wrapping paper. This way it wouldn't get all nasty when I worked at the desk.

A simple cut, some double sided sticky tape and a pretty hat box later I have a beautiful new desk that makes my room look stunning!

Inside of the hat box, which I also picked up at Target, I have my headset for my podcasts, the cord for my camera and iPod and an extra headset for my phone. :o) It is PERFECT! Plus, it is a fantastic extension of my gorgeous bed!

With Organization Comes Reward

Yesterday, I bought myself flowers! Yep, a full dozen of golden roses just for little ol' me! Other than the fact that I deserve to have fresh flowers, the reason behind the glorious beauty is none other than I earned those babies!

This past week and a half has been a busy one! I went out of town with a couple of girlfriends, I bought a new car, I rearranged my bedroom, I organized my new little office space, I cleaned the apartment, the kids had spring break, my son turned 10, we went bowling and to the movies, finalized my trip to Scotland, spoke to an old friend and I still had to find time to help a client out with her Outlook calendar and work! All of that in the last 10 days! I sure as hell deserved the roses!

The main obstacle I set out to complete and one that has been driving me insane, kept me from getting a GREAT nights sleep, and one that nearly disabled my poor organizational empowered brain was my bedroom and the make shift office that has violated my space.

Talk about disabling! My room was no longer a sanctuary instead it was turned into a living nightmare and one that kept me from feeling at peace when I went to bed. I couldn't work at my desk, I couldn't sleep peacefully in my bed, and it was driving me nuts!

So I decided to take a bit of my own advice and reorganize my space. (Hmm, an organizer who organizes? Who would have thunk?) Sunday, the kids were off at their Dad's for Easter and I stayed at home and dug into the mess of my desk.

One of the things that was driving me insane about my bedroom was the fact that instead of looking at the gorgeous bed I have, you saw the nasty desk and computer monitor. Not that it was right in front, it was just dark and depressing and it drew your eye.

I also had an issue with space...I had very little! My bed is ginormous (a word I love to make up and use) and it leaves little for anything else. However, there was a 4 and a half foot space and a window seat that was on the side of the bed in the corner. I decided to squash my desk up against my bed, put the end table lamp on my desk and use the window seat as extra space for my printer.

On the wall that used to house my nightmare of destruction, I put a tall skinny table with my beautiful roses on it!

Sunday night I slept like a dream!

The best part is, now when you walk into my room, my desk is hidden behind all of the big poofy pillows that are on my bed and you don't even notice the computer monitor because your eye is following the nose and the warm scent of roses in bloom!

If you are finding that you are completely overwhelmed, unmotivated, not sleeping, not wanting to even look into the laundry room, take a few hours to yourself and really clean out, rearrange and organize your space. It is amazing what a few hours can do for your emotional well being. Besides, it's a great excuse to buy yourself something nice!

Happy Organizing!

Suzanne Babb