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Your Organizing Schedule
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February 2010
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Aloha,
Getting and staying organized takes time. Sorry, there is no magic wand to wave that will sweep your things into order and there definitely isn't a magic spell to keep them there. It takes your time and your energy to sort through and organize. And it requires you to put time into maintaining what you've created. Have you established an organizing schedule? It can be a daily 15 minutes to clear your desk, pick up toys or put away your project when you're finished. It can be a weekly project of organizing a drawer, shelf, corner or pile. It can be clearing out the closet in August to get ready for school (even if you aren't going) and the pantry in March for spring cleaning. Have you committed to finding the time to organize and maintain it? Is getting and staying organized a priority? Have you put it on your calendar/schedule? Have you put it on your to-do or task list? Make this year is an experiment to find out what might work for you. So
what organizing schedule are you willing to try? Will it be 15 minutes
a day? Schedule it in! Last month I pointed out in Tips & Tricks that 15 minutes a day in 2010 would get you 11 eight-hour days of organizing. Will it be going through a box, a bag or a pile a week? When? Which days and how long? Schedule it in! Will it be clearing out the garage, spare room, or office by June? Schedule it in! If that seems too big of a job and you're overwhelmed before you even begin, sign up for my Clutter Support Group and get ongoing support, motivation and accountability. |
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3 FREE Reminders
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Sometimes you may want a reminder to schedule itIf you would like to get an e-mail reminder from me to clear your closet in August, file your paperwork at the end of each month, go through a box each week or some other organizing project, click here to fill in a request form. |
Organizing Your Recipes -- keep it easy & simple
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If you've been meaning to organize your recipes for the last year (or several years or maybe even 30) then a simpler approach to organizing them may be what's needed. Use a flexible, expanding file folder to organize your recipes by general categories. Get one with at least 8 pockets, though 12 are even better. Before you buy make your category list so that you know how many pockets you really need. You can get these folders at any office supply store though I have included an Amazon link to give you an idea. They come in different colors so choose one that makes you smile and reach for it to slip your new recipes in immediately.
Smead Ultracolor Expanding Files, Letter Size, 12 Pockets, Fuchsia (70877 )
List Price:
$10.43
Our Price:
$8.42
Buy Now
Label (by hand) each section with your categories. Here's a list of categories to start you thinking about your own:
- appetizers/snacks,
- desserts,
- fish/seafood,
- meat/poultry,
- pasta/rice/grain,
- veggies,
- slow cooker (or one-pot
or casseroles), and
- miscellaneous.
- Add other general categories if and only if you have collected a lot of them.
If you need help limiting your categories to the number of pockets you have, email me and I will be happy to brainstorm with you to get the right number. Now for the recipes themselves: Instead of having them uniformly typed up or transferred to a recipe card (or however you were thinking of doing it) keep
them as is -- torn from magazines, scratched on the back of envelopes or
photo copies of photo copies. The lack of uniformity will help you
find the one you're looking for and it saves you time. You can start organizing your recipes now instead of having to find the time to re-write them. The second part of organizing your recipes is maintaining them. So... - When will you try out that new recipe?
- Are there recipes you've collected and never used?
- When will you decide to try it or toss it?
- Does this recipe really fit your current lifestyle? A meal that takes 3 hours to prep doesn't fit if you are having a hard time finding 20 minutes to cook.
- What will you do when a category is full?
- Are the categories working?
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| Whether you schedule 15 minutes a day or a pile a week, take time to enjoy the journey. |
 Sincerely,
Shawndra
808.969.3800
www.dhucks.com
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If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time.
Chinese Proverb
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