become more organized at work, home, etc

I found a rather old binder at work, to put my staff meeting minutes, hard copy of emails (especially work procedures), and other stuff. I notice a couple of staff members do this and take the binder with them to the info desk. Just a handy manual, to lessen some of the nerves.

Being a reference desk worker is just like being on stage, ya either make it or ya don’t!

It takes many years of practice to become good, let alone excellent, like all other worthwhile endeavours.

B.

I’ve decided to write all dates on my calendar, such as birthdays, when to wash my bed clothes, target dates for hair appointments, garbage p/up, pay days, appointments, all non-work tasks, etc. etc. My mother even writes down when to change the filter on the water pitcher!

I’ve also started doing “projects” that run for several days: right now I’m scanning family documents, which was a huge job. Next will be to close my 2011 books to do my taxes.

The next project is to set up my business, put a running inventory to a spreadsheet program, speak to the business specialist in a town 30 ks. south of here. Set up my business online, as well as my business plan.

Anything that is indepth or difficult to do (such as reading pension plan stuff) do over a few days.

I’m finding this the best way to do things that are maybe a one-off project, or something monthly.

That’s where I am right now.

Just keeping you posted about how organized I’m getting. I’m now habitually putting delivery dates on my invoices at work, and checking them off.

I'm also searching the Globe & Mail bestsellers list to check to see that any of those titles are on the invoice and if so putting an asterisk beside it. Also I'm becoming more aware of the number of requests on a title.

Clipping the new invoices together when they come in and keeping them clipped together until done, keeps them from getting mixed up with other paperwork.

There will always be a backlog on my cart and desk, but it needs to be a “churning” backlog – that is nothing is stuck there for more than 2 weeks – which can be harder than it sounds.

My job is growing and becoming more complex as time goes on – which is a very very good thing.

Watching the hoarder programs on TV makes me feel as if I could become a hoarder very easily, too. What I’ve gleaned from reading on the subject, hoarders make very complex attachments to items that mostly everyone else would see as worthless.

I found myself admiring a pottery shard the other day, admiring the texture and shape. Maybe that’s what hoarders do, everything is important and everything is beautiful or useful, including garbage.

There’s so much stuff available, maybe it’s hard for them to choose what’s truly important. Everything they see is exciting in some way. Or it’s a way to narcotize painful feelings. Or to keep the past alive with all it’s unresolved issues. The stuff gives their lives shape, substance, and a wall of protection from everything that hurts.

Possibly, they can “see” what their lives “look like” when they look at their stuff; it’s solid proof that they truly lived their lives, all thrown together in layers and piles.

My goal is to be happy with much less material items and to divest myself of everything that isn’t important to me. This is ongoing, which is the way it should be. I want a simple organized life with tons of breathing room. Just the things that are truly important and useful should remain, probably very few items. Without stuff maybe I can see what I look like.

Divest myself of things, of clutter, both mental and physical. Not to fill my life full of “busy-ness”, particularly other people’s “busy-ness”. I want my organizational skills to focus on the simplest methods, not “organize my organizing to show how organized I am”.

Organization supports life, streamlines procedures, so less effort is needed to achieve what’s necessary, not to create more work, but less work. To be able to put my hand on something ASAP, to know without hesitation where everything is.

I don’t want to be known as an organized person, but a person who gets things done, and gets them done well. I don’t want organization to be obvious. Organization is just another way to deal with stuff.

I’ve also started writing down delivery dates on the invoices, in case of returns and also put a check mark to indicate whether the records loaded or not, or any brief note if there’s a problem. I feel good about this.

Went through all my old school notes and reduced 8 boxes into 2, keeping mostly manuals, charts, and anything pertinent to my job, the rest, I chucked. Some of these items I hadn’t looked at in more than 4 years so bye, bye.

Finally, figured out a system for the invoices, clip invoices to be recorded by number together by number and keep the group together until all are done and then interfile with others in the same group. This is better than completing one and then filing it, goes faster.

Organizing myself to show the circulation desk staff how to photocopy different items with their labels.