Creating my own systems

I recently started reading Get It Together Girl!: A 28-Day Guide to Practical NOT Perfect Home Organization, and was terribly disappointed.  It is another book with specific steps to home organization, which is fine, but either I'm more organized than i think i am (a realistic possibility) or the exercises were a poor fit for me.  I do a fridge purge weekly, and already group like with like in my pantry.  Under the sink is for dish towels and cleaning supplies, over the fridge is for emergency supplies.

And i thought about why i'm not doing the Kelly's Missions or monthly habits as part of FlyLady, and again, they just didn't fit for my life.

One of the reasons I think i've struggled with these sorts of things before is i was trying to follow the systems too closely, but until someone comes up with an organizational system for geeky girls who have a full time job, a role in an activist organization, live with their spouse part time, own a cat, and have an active social life there will never be a perfect fit!  And trying to adapt a life to a system is a recipe for frustration and even failure.

So what elements are working for me?

• Write things down - This is something i learned through Getting Things Done by David Allen, and is admittedly a skill i need to keep improving.  Jotting down ideas takes minutes at the most, and prevents them from being lost in the shuffle of daily life.  
• Create a manual - Many organizational systems encourage a journal or manual of some sort, to serve as a reference for yourself, but also anyone else should they need to step into your shoes.  I am still in the process of creating mine, but hope to share it as it grows.
• Break things down - Many projects can seem daunting initially, but if you set reasonable time limits and work on the tasks that make up a project, anything is possible.  This method lets you tackle big projects over time, rather than exhausting yourself trying to get everything done at once.  This is where that 15 minute thing comes from, as well as the idea of breaking your home into zones.  
• Dedicate time - When you are doing something, try to remove distractions like TV or internet chats. I like to keep music on to keep me motivated, but try not to change the station once i'm going.  If your family all working together is beneficial, do that, but if not, try to make time when you can work alone (which is usually my preference).  I make sure i build time into my weekly plans to work on the most relevant projects.
• Follow routines - Routines mean you can rely on yourself to get certain things done.  I have a morning routine, an after work routine and a before bed routine.  They are all short, simple tasks than ensure i'm ready for the day, and can rest easy or focus on more critical things.  The scale and scope of your routines is up to you and your needs.
• Be flexible - For me this is critical.  My schedule changes often, and my work hours are not always consistent.  I need weekday routines that are short in time span and can be done before work, after work or before bed.  I also don't follow a days of the week plan except for calendar activities (Monday yoga class for example).  Having every Wednesday be grocery day would be way too challenging!  I try to keep a few projects ready to go for when i have time, and schedule things early enough that there is a little wiggle room should something come up.  
• Experiment - There is no one-size fits all for organization.  Be open to new ideas, and give experiments enough time to see if they work.  If they don't, try something else, if they do and it makes you happy, stick with it.  
• Let go - Sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day.  Don't hold onto guilt or shame about not getting everything done, just be OK with what you did do and move on to tomorrow.  Let go of stuff you're not using, is bad, broken, or you just don't like.  Its not as simple as it sounds, but really, give yourself some compassion and create space for the things that make your life better.  

RTM and conference planning

I am a member of an organization which runs an annual conference.  This year I was conference chair, so I had a lot of different components to manage.  Given the size of the conference (this year about 315 registrants), we have a small organizing team (less than 10).  This means there are a lot of tasks that don't have an obvious person responsible, particularly the last month when things are coming together fast & furious.  After the conference we get a ton of feedback (solicited and not) and of course, it all needs to be followed up on, and remembered for the next year.

This is where Remember The Milk comes into play.  RTM fits nicely in a Getting Things Done sort of system, but it doesn't have to be used only in that fashion.

First off, I have two lists - TBC 2011 and TBC 2012.  This lets me keep track if something is associated with this year or next year's conference, an important distinction!  (Shortly before the conference I also made a separate list - TBC Packing, this was meant more as a classic checklist so I didn't forget my toothbrush or socks.)

I don't use the Priority feature in RTM much, however, one cool thing is items with the highest priorities (those marked 1) live at the top of your list all the time, so I use that to have my goal(s) there, happily reminding me of what I want to accomplish.  Sometimes I will use lower priorities (2 or 3) to define smaller goals or more specific targets.  An example for this would be:

Main Goal: To throw an incredible conference that changes lives, welcomes everyone and still manages to financially break even.
Sub Goal: Continue improving our accessibility efforts
Sub Goal: Reach attendance of 350 people.
Sub Goal: Get 20 vendors


No, they're not really S.M.A.R.T. goals, but they work for my standards and keep me motivated when i see them.  It also helps steer me when i have a decision to make.  You could replace goals with a mission statement or whatever drives you.

Next up are specific tasks.  These are individual items that need to happen, and in keeping with GTD, are single step processes.  For example, Update bio page for Roscoe's edits, or Email organizers about art space.  I also use tasks as a way of tracking ideas, which may otherwise fall on a Someday/Maybe list (ex. Get an organization debit/credit card?).

RTM lets you associate all kinds of useful stuff with a task.  The first is a date.  Some i use as hard deadlines, for example, getting an ad to another group before their event.  Others help me create my plan for my weekly work sessions or what needs to go on that month's meeting agenda.  Ideas that are far our i may just date with the first day of the month they are relevant, so i can later refine when they actually need to happen.

Another helpful data piece is location.  This saves me a lot of stress because of smart lists, something i'll talk about more in another post.  Anything i need to buy is associated with the store i need to get it at.  Next time I'm at that store, i check my phone, see the list and get what i need.  It also helps me remember what items we have in storage, saving us from buying something twice, critical on a limited budget!  There are also things we can't do until we're at the venue, and those are tagged as such, so i can immediately set people to go do when we're setting up.

Although there are not a lot of repeating tasks with conference organizing, there are some, and RTM allows you to schedule them with various frequencies.  Since those are sometimes the things that fall off the radar, it's pretty helpful.

I don't always use the time estimate feature, but particularly when i'm deciding if i can do something that day or if it should wait until my weekly work session or the weekend, it's a helpful measure.  It also helps me decide if i need to delegate to someone else.

The most helpful feature are tags.  Here is where the brilliance of RTM really shows.  Say i've delegated a task to someone.  I tag it with their name and waiting.  When i'm adding my agenda items, i look for items tagged waiting, and can ask next time we meet for a status update.  I tag updates to the site with website so i can make multiple edits in one sitting, rather than in bits and pieces, wasting time.  Same with calls or emails, doing like with like tasks helps me be more efficient.  In classic GTD, i also use NA for Next Action for items i can do as soon as i have the time/resource needed.

There is also a notes feature, which i use sparingly.  When we get an idea, or have a concrete step such as "invite presenters we really want" i will use the notes to keep a list of the specific people we have in mind.  Likewise for "determine panels to include".  This keeps my list cleaner and lets me brainstorm a little clearer.

In-Boxes

"First, if it's on your mind, your mind isn't clear. Anything you consider unfinished in any way must be captured in a trusted system outside of your mind, or what I call a collection bucket, that you know you'll come back to regularly and sort through."

David Allen, "Getting Things Done and the Art of Stress-free Productivity"

One of the reasons that the GTD (Getting Things Done) system works for me is that I have a lot of ideas and information coming at me.  My brain was always full with my to-do lists and ideas, but I often was forgetting things.  I didn't have a go to place for recording things, so sometimes they'd be in my personal email, sometimes in my work email, sometimes on a scrap of paper, but often just lost in my mind.  Later I'd be frustrated trying to remember that thing I was supposed to do, or feel stressed at 10PM, hoping to remember about the thing at work the next day.

In GTD, you create collection buckets.  These are physical or electronic in-boxes that allow you to place all your Stuff.  You can (and should) have more than one collection bucket, but not so many that things get lost.  My collection buckets are:

• My personal email
• My work email
• My 43 folder/tickler system at home
• My physical inbox at work
• My Remember The Milk inbox
• A bin we keep in the dining room

I purposely mixed up home & work items because they do blend.  In theory, every idea and to-do goes in one of these, sometimes moving from one to another.  

Although I own a smart phone, I try not to be entirely dependent upon it for recording things.  At my workdesk I ensure there is scrap paper & sticky notes for me to quickly jot down information.  Throughout my house in locations I frequent are pens and sticky notes.  I also carry a small Moleskin in my purse, so when I am out & about I don't lose something.  The reality is not everything is electronic - incoming mail, receipts, broken doo-hickeys, keys, whatnots all can be put into this system.  

There is a LOT more to GTD than simply collecting everything into a few easily accessed locations, but it is a first step.  Forcing myself to collect ideas, has helped me dramatically, both as far as my stress level and productivity.

Project List

Part of Getting Things Done is maintaining project lists with next actions.  I keep my lists in Remember the Milk, but I thought I'd also keep a public list here for curious readers.  I'll try and keep this relatively up to date.


Current Projects

• Garage reorganization
• Stack Repair
• Butler Book
• MsC 2012 (attendee)
• Half Marathon Training
• Transcending Boundaries Conference 2012 (staff)
• Arisia 2013 (staff/attendee)

Future Projects

• Guest Room Refinishing
• Laundry Room Vent
• Window Repair (Attic)

Archived Projects

• Williamstown Trip
• Bootblack Intensive (Attendee)
• Cousin's Baby Shower
• LLC (Applicant)
• Leprechaun's Boots
• Remediation Cost Estimate
• Transcending Boundaries Conference 2011 (Chair)
• Arisia 2012 (Panelist/Attendee)
• CAD Workgroup
• Christmas Eve Party
• Christmas Gifts
• Genealogy Research

Launch Pad

My Launch Pad

One idea that FlyLady, and many other people recommend for helping make your day to day life easier is creating a launch pad.  A launch pad is a designated spot where you keep the things you need every day, so you're not looking for your keys or phone.  A launch pad also helps you remember to bring that report or change of clothes when your schedule is a little different.  This is something you sort of have to teach yourself to create as a habit.  If you don't make it a routine things won't always be in the same place.

My launch pad is the top of my radiator in the kitchen (see the picture).  It's above my cat's food, so I see it every morning and night when I feed him, and it is close to the back door, which is how I normally come and go.

In the morning, when I make my breakfast, I also place my lunchbox there, so it's with my purse.  I haven't forgotten my lunch yet!  I try to put anything I'll need to bring with my when I go out at my launch pad.  Still, I haven't made this habit 100% yet, but that's OK.  I just need to keep trying!