Staying organized through the busy
fall season can keep you on top of things and help you feel prepared and – dare
I say – ahead of the game. To help you
keep things in check, focus on the ways notes, lists, and labels can maintain
your cool as you jot it all down.
Grocery Lists – Streamline your
system for keeping track of the family grocery list by using a custom pad with
tear away sheets or making your own chart on the computer and printing copies
to circle or highlight items. Keep the
list in the same spot, add needed items throughout the week, and shop on a
schedule.
Labels – In the pantry and closets
and on shelves and in cubbies are likely a slew of bins, boxes, canisters, and
other containers holding your life’s contents.
Do a whole-house label makeover to tag and mark what holds everything
from cleaning supplies to office accessories to toys to spices to photo prints
to fashion accessories. Easy find, easy
put away.
The Planner – Actually fill in the
squares that mark each day of the week in a portable planner to keep track of
both the events and the everyday tasks.
Having a big-picture visual of a week at a glance helps you
compartmentalize your time and keep on schedule.
To-Do Lists – Make separate lists for
home projects, things to buy, tasks to complete, and goals to aim for. Write them down, refer back, and mark off
your progress.
Specialty Lists – Whether you’re
taking a trip, heading up a committee, planning date nights, or always digging
for weeknight dinners and school lunch ideas, make lists that help you plan
details in advance, work out steps in a large project, or allow you to
reference information you pre-researched for speed and ease when you need it.
Archives – When you attend a concert,
take a vacation, or host a party in your home, write down quick notes about the
details: dates, times, locations, guests, memories, and funny quotes to go
along with the photos you take. When you
sit down to work on an album down the road, pull out your notebook, and you’ll
be happy to have the specifics in writing that you may or may not recall at the
time.
The Bucket List – Though crass in its
title, a bucket list doesn’t have to be relegated to things you want to
accomplish before you kick the, well, you get it. Start bucket lists for things you want to
accomplish/start/finish/experience in a season, a school year, during the
holidays, in a home renovation, a personal makeover, or any category of your
choice.
Holiday Lists – Start now to pull
together fall and Christmas decorating ideas, plan for gift giving, update your
Christmas card address list, and even look into new menu ideas. Planning can enhance your enthusiasm as you
wait for that special time of the year.
Some spiral notebooks, notepads,
folders, labels, markers, and pens can help you sift, sort, and chronicle your
thoughts and ideas right into a well thought out plan of action for everything
that could possibly come your way.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 8th.
