How Do You Stay Organized? (Pictures Welcome!)

[seoulsearch]

Hey Singles,

One of the biggest challenges I've found as a single is that I have to remember everything for myself, by myself!

* What are some of your best tips for keeping track of things and staying organized?

* How do you remember your appointments, homework assignments, etc.?

* How do you keep things neat, clean, and clutter-free?

* What are your biggest challenges when it comes to organizing your living space... and your life?

All are welcome to post, whether married or single. Paperwork and clutter are a constant battle for me, so I'm always looking for good tips.

RATS. I couldn't get the picture to load correctly (I've been having problems viewing and loading pictures ever since CC was recently down ), but let me tell you how a 99-cent hinged, plastic pencil box (the kind that kids carry for school) saved my life.

In one half of the pencil box, there is ample space for my watch (it gets beaten up quite a lot!), keys, and phone. I have this box in a place I pass by every day as I come and go, so all my necessities always get thrown in this box.

No more hunting for my car keys or phone for 15 minutes!!!

And the other half of the box holds pens and notes about what I have going on each day (appointments, grocery list, coupons, etc.) I prefer the old-fashioned method of writing things down rather than reminders on a phone or computer. For some reason, it helps me to remember things better if I'm able to see it in my own writing. I also have a pair of scissors in this box (and almost every room) because I am lost without them!!!

Whether opening mail, cutting open food packages, or chopping off stray threads on a piece of clothing, scissors are one of my basic necessities.

How about you?

Everyone has their own style, and I would love to hear about how you keep up with your own daily routines.

Please include pictures if possible!

 

[zeroturbulence]

I always make sure my car is parked straight and centered in its space and I keep my stash of donuts and diet sodas neatly hidden under the stairs...

 

[Yahweh_is_gracious]

I keep a minimal lifestyle so I don't have to deal with clutter. I regularly sort through my things and if it has't been used in months, it gets sold or donated. Every single one of my possessions could easily fit in a few boxes in the back set of a sedan. I like to be able to move at a moment's notice if I need to or on a whim if I want to.

That's all the help I can provide. I have no social life whatsoever so I don't need to worry about appointments and meetings and whatnot.

 

[jennymae]

If you are married you have to remember your significant others stuff as well.

 

[Yahweh_is_gracious]

If you are married you have to remember your significant others stuff as well.

Another good reason to not get married. I'll add that to my ever-growing list. Thanks!

 

[Lynx]

wots organized?

 

[Lynx]

Oh, about your stash-all box Kim - I have mentioned this before on the forum, but I do the same thing. My mother is always running around looking for her keys so I decided early on I'm not going to do that. I have a designated place for all my pocket stuff. If my wallet is not in my pocket, it's in the designated place. If my multi-tool knife is not in that place, it's in my pocket... unless it's in my hand while I'm turning a screw or pulling something with the pliers.

But yeah, aside from the designated place for my pocket stuff... wots organized?

 

[AbigailZeke]

I live for organizing lives. Hence, my post would be very long. I'll get back to this when I wake up.

 

[Tinkerbell725]

I don't make a mess so there's nothing to organize. No time to make a mess at home actually. I just go home to feed the dogs and rest.

 

[Grace-Like-Rain]

I keep an actual monthly desk calendar that is big enough to write down all of my daily commitments, and I check it daily to make sure I've got a good handle on what I need to do the next day. I make lots and lots of sticky notes and have them stuck to my computer monitor reminding me to do important things. I write down anything I feel stressed about, just to get it out of my head and onto paper. Always helps me feel better.

I run a business as well, and I keep all of my booking slips for appointments and events on the wall right in front of my desk, so that I can glance up and immediately see the details of each one, in chronological order. Helps TONS. I keep a file cabinet full of documents and anything that I need to save for future reference, both business and personal.

As for the house, I try to keep my possessions down to a minimum. I don't have extra clutter in most of the house. It's definitely much easier as a single person!

 

[torus]

It helps to keep things as simple as possible. minimalist seems best.

 

[torus]

Well said! I so need to retrain myself to do the same!

 

[MollyConnor]

Life Hack: Get rid of as much as possible.

It works well for me. I know I collect toys, but I'm actually thinking about donating some of them. I'm also going the ebook route. Something I thought I would never do!

 

[Grace-Like-Rain]

Life Hack: Get rid of as much as possible.

It works well for me. I know I collect toys, but I'm actually thinking about donating some of them. I'm also going the ebook route. Something I thought I would never do!

ebooks nooooooooooooooo!!

(The rest I'm with you on.)

 

[InHisHands]

Sticky notes are so helpful

 

[shineyourlight]

I'm kind of a nerd and love to organize....and if I'm bored, I go on a organization frenzy. Lol.

* What are some of your best tips for keeping track of things and staying organized?
Have a place for everything! Nothing that I have goes missing because I have a place and once I use it, I put it right back.

* How do you remember your appointments, homework assignments, etc.?
I use Google calendar religiously. I put everything in that bad boy. I get notifications on my phone as well as on my desktop. For my homework assignments, I have a homework calendar....PLUS I make a to-do list every week on Sunday for the upcoming week of things I need to do for my classes.

* How do you keep things neat, clean, and clutter-free?
I do a bit of cleaning in the mornings before work and put things back any time I use them. I do dishes, clean up a bit of my room Due to life being crazy, I don't have time in the evenings to do much with my place.

* What are your biggest challenges when it comes to organizing your living space... and your life?
Probably the lack of space. I've had to give some stuff to my parents. Even though my place is spacious, I do not have a living room nor storage areas.

 

[Lynx]

I am reminded of a quote from a book I once read:

"Yeah, I'm single again because my husband was a neat freak and I was a slob. 'A place for everything and everything in its place' you know, and I swore if he said that one more time I would kill him, and I didn't want to go to jail for murder so I got a divorce instead."

 

[AbigailZeke]

Before I get lost in my own babbling here, I'll just answer the questions you posted, Kim (easier for my thoughts to process correctly lol):

* What are some of your best tips for keeping track of things and staying organized?
Yes, everything has a place. If I can't think of anything to do with something, it goes to the trash bin. I'm sharing a flat with other people so I don't worry about organizing anything else but my bedroom. I have those DIY storage boxes from Japan Home. I clean my room and re-arrange furniture like once or twice a month. Fortunately I took a picture of my recent room arrangement from 2 weeks ago:



The orange and fuchsia boxes are the ones I was talking about. They're like $7 each. So yeah, I try to arrange my stuff depending on how often I need to access them. Like, right next to my mirror, I should be able to reach my makeup kit, hair accessories, and jewelries. The other side of the room, which I didn't take a photo of, is where I place my school materials. They're next to my laptop and speakers and water bottle.

So basically, I organize my stuff based on accessibility and how often I need to use them.

* How do you remember your appointments, homework assignments, etc.?
I use iCalendar. I have 4 calendars synced in iCloud and I have it on my laptop and my phone. I have a reminder to update my calendar every last week of the month, before the next month begins. The four calendars I use:

Home - this is where I categorize everything else that's not work and school. So my church ministry schedule is here, and my other events like concerts are here.
Work - work schedule.
School - Yeah, school schedule and exams.
Temp (placeholder) - whenever I get my schedule from church and from school, I have to apply for a change of shift at work to accommodate the Sundays and school nights I need. (I have a rotating shift, so I have to swap some days with other people). When these requests get approved, then I move them to my work calendar. I have to put them in temp, because I have to wait for other people to agree and for my supervisor to approve. It's a hassle to do it every month, but no pain no gain.

They're all color-coded. I can't live with post-its, my reminders and calendars have to be with me every where I go.

I also keep a to do list. And a list of activities I have to repeat, daily, weekly and monthly like: budgeting, updating my calendar, submitting monthly reports. Lastly, I keep a list of my dreams so I don't forget what I'm living for. It's very easy to get lost in the sea of things-to-do and lose sight of the objective.

* How do you keep things neat, clean, and clutter-free?
I clean once or twice a month. When my things start to accumulate, I only choose the ones that I really need and sell the rest at an online listing (it's something like craigslist), they usually get sold the same day.

I accumulate clothes as well, so I pack those that I don't use anymore and wait for a donation letter in my mail (these are letters inviting people to donate stuff to charity and leave them at the door and they'll pick it up at a scheduled date). When I get this letter, I just leave the packed clothes outside the house, by the time I get back from work, they're already gone.

* What are your biggest challenges when it comes to organizing your living space... and your life?
Unpredictable schedule. Ugh. I've been praying for a regular schedule. Last week alone, I worked Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for 12 hours each day, and Sunday I worked graveyard shift. Sometimes I find it hard to keep up with the crazy work schedule.

I have no problem with my living space because, as I mention, I can easily get rid of stuff I don't use anymore. I'd like to think I live a minimalist life, but I'm not really sure. My calendar is always packed and I don't even have a social life. Actually, maybe that's why I don't have a social life. Lol.

 

[Hellooo]

Car keys - I keep on a hook by my door with my dog's leash

Closet - Black hangers for shirts and blouses, pink hangers for dresses and skirts, gray hangers for cardigans, raincoats, and outerwear. Baskets for socks, hosiery, and underthings, coat rack for purses/bags/backpack, gym clothes get folded and placed on a shelf, shoes go in plastic shoe boxes





Cabinets- I have a lot of over-the-top shelves to maximize space in my tiny apartment ..have them in the kitchen and bathroom. I also have plastic crates in the cabinets to hold things like cleaning supplies, tp, razors, etc.



Pictures - this one I'm terrible at. My family uses a group online photo account to dump pictures so we can all see what we're up to, and have an inventory of pictures if we need to print, create slideshows, or whatever.
I have pictures stored on my phone and computer for way too long that I need to sit down and organize. That's a project for later, I might be in the midst of a move soon, so that's my focus right now.


Dog - My dog's toys and bully sticks are all in a little plastic bin next to her crate so she can access whatever she wants. Occasionally she'll even put her things away if she doesn't hide them under my bed. Her shampoo/conditioner/food/treats go in one of the cabinets in the kitchen

Travel - if I'm flying somewhere, I use a manila folder to hold boarding passes, itineraries, contact info, excursion/class confirmations, brochures, whatever is related to the trip. I pack pretty light, and only check a suitcase if it's out of country. I could write a whole essay at this point on travel organization and what I consider my packing essentials.

Appointments, bills - I have a 2016 calendar that I take everywhere...I use it to keep tabs on my bills, any appointments, car maintenance schedule, upcoming expenses, when my netflix/hulu/spotify is expiring, if I cut any coupons I tuck them in there as well.

Lists...I keep a running "book to read" list and "things to watch" list. For groceries and other items, I keep a running shopping list in the margins of my planner.

Documents
I put everything important in file folders and store in a little filing cabinet. I shred most of my mail and try to go paperless as much as possible





My biggest challenge right now is just managing my time.

 

[Hellooo]

Man my pics are jacked up. Oh well. You get the point.