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

Organizing With Your Pails

Yep, I'm talking about your pails! Or your buckets, whichever you prefer, but pails all the same! This absolutely stunning pail is from Good Pails to Have and I am LOVING it! Elexis sent this over to me and I have had a ball playing with it and I have finally decided on a use for my new found friend!

I originally was going to use it at the office since it has purple in it, but my new plan to take over the world requires that I have it at home. Although, since it's a carrying type pail I suppose I can take it with me! Oh, how exciting! But on to the purpose!

As you will notice in my new found friend is two catalogs. One is Levenger, my favorite office supply catalog, and the other for Snapfish. If you look closely you will also notice Post It flags on the pages. I have placed the flags on the pages I am thinking of for Christmas presents and then put the person's name on the flag. There is one for my Dad and another for ME! (I always buy myself a gift and put it under the tree. This way I know I always have something that I want and I damn well deserve it!) ;o)

I am not a magazine freak, but I do LOVE catalogs. They are just so much fun to peruse through and I do end up buying some things from a catalog versus the store, because I really hate to shop. So my new fabric covered galvanized pail is going to be my gift bucket! Now I don't have to worry about finding the right catalog for the presents for my pops and I'll always know where to find them.

As I was having fun with my new pail, I realized that I use pails for all sorts of things around my house!

Candy Anyone?

Aren't these just yummy? These are the new binder clips Staples came out with for the Back to School season! Aren't the just wonderful? The smaller ones have polka dots and the larger ones have stripes and they just remind me of those yummy dessert mints you find around the holidays!

So, since they looked so yummy I put them into my glass candy dish and placed it on my desk and voila instant binder clip holder! I must admit, when it comes to office supplies, I have a terrible weakness. Mike, the manager at Staples, smiles brightly and welcomes me into the store with his cute Welsh accent! "Hallo, Suzanne! Here to make sure I get a paycheck this week?" I can't help but smile and cringe at the same time, because he isn't far off! I bought up all they had of the binder clips, plus when they bring in my project folders I snag all of those, too. It is quite a crazy habit of mine. I am not a shoe girl, I have my favorite purse and not much more than that, but when it comes to office supplies...oh Lordie, look out!

I also love using "pretty" thing around the house to put my treasures in. My sloopies aka paper clips live in a crystal candle votive holder, my binder clips in the crystal candy dish, my pens are in a very cool coffee mug, and my dry erase markers are in a cute tin can, and I have another metal tub that I use to my Logitech headset in for my podcasts and for talking online.

So, next time you are setting up your desk, think twice about some of the tools you use and think outside the box!

Happy Organizing!

The Handy Dandy Organizing Tool Kit

This past week has been absolutely insane for me! With 4 offices to organize amd 7 My Girl Friday clients to assist I am thanking God above for my handy dandy Organizing Tool Kit. It goes absolutely everywhere with me! It tends to be a bit bulky and with the Kit, my tool box, red bag and my purse I definitely look like a pack mule! However, I am very well prepared Pack Mule! I even keep snackies and a water bottle with me. (I get VERY cranky if I don't eat regularly, trust me, it's nasty!)

So, what is my Handy Dandy Organizing Tool Kit?

This is my baby! I picked it up at Office Max for $12 and it has a slew of little divided compartments that hold my label cartridges, crappy camera, Post It's, zip ties, white out, pens, pencils, highlighter, Sharpie, baggies, little Post It's, flags, twist ties, mini baggies, binder clips, Sloopies, rubber bands and batteries. And that is only on the TOP!

You can actually lock the top and then open the bottom for a lot more storage space! The bottom is not compartmentalized, but is wide open! I keep the latest big book from Staples, my label maker, electric screwdriver, handy wipes for cleaning down surfaces, and my Organizing Ideas Binder, which my Sr. Consultant aka Mom lovingly put together for me.

What is the Organizing Ideas Binder?

My Organizing Ideas Binder is what I give to my clients so they can do a bit of brainstorming themselves. They flip through the pages, they get an idea of what they like, what they don't like, what is appealing and what is just absolutely horrifying. I also have clippings of some of my favorite office products. Not only does it help get their creative juices flowing, it also allows me to see what sort of organizing style they like. It may not always be what they get or what they need, but it still offers me some great insight!

Plus, it keeps my mom happy and busy finding new magazines to purchase and cut up!

I can't tell you what a life saver this kit has been for me! There is nothing more frustrating than not having the tools you need on hand. Although I know I can't have EVERYTHING I need with me, I do try and have the little things. It just makes me so much happier that way!

What do you take with you to work every day and how does it make your life easier?

As always,

HAPPY ORGANIZING!

Suzanne McLoone