Organizing (from the Inside Out)

I have decided to return to the book on "organizing from the inside out," (Morgenstern, 2004), because I believe that my efforts to use time effectively have been hindered by my inability to use space effectively. Morgenstern likens our attempts to organize to ineffective dieting--i.e., "the Yo-yo Organizing syndrome" (p. 1). Is that ever the truth! Ultimately, it seems that organizing is an impossible task, and yet, I know from firsthand experience that one of the most frustrating things about not being organized is not being able to find items that I need in order to write (or do whatever else I would like to do). Morgenstern's goal is "to radically change your thinking and approach to the organizing process" (p. 2). I say: bring it on!!! The most amazing thing that Morgenstern says in the Introduction is that I might actually come to ENJOY the organizing process. I can see where that might happen, but now I want to SEE it happen!

Next: A new way of looking at organizing.

This is Morgenstern's definition of organization: "Organizing is the process by which we create environments that enable us to live, work, and relax exactly as we want to. When we are organized, our homes, offices, and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going" (p. 7).

Some misconceptions about organizing:
1. That it is a mysterious talent that some are born with... In fact, it is a skill that can be learned. 2. That it can be overwhelming to try to get organized... In fact, it can be liberating.
3. It may be impossible to stay organized... In fact, you need an adaptable system that becomes "satisfyingly ingrained" (p. 10).
4. It is "nonproductive use of time" (p. 10)... In fact, it is an investment that pays off in the end.

What Morgenstern means by "organizing from the inside out" is that we create a system that reflects our unique "personality, needs, and goals" (p. 11). That means I need to look at the "big picture!"

Finally, Morgenstern suggests the following three steps:
1. Analyze: take stock, define what you want to accomplish and what's holding you back.
2. Strategize: create a plan of action with a realistic schedule.
3. Attack: address clutter methodically, so as to be able to see visible results.

Tomorrow I will consider what's holding me back!

New edition

As mentioned previously, I have decided to get the new edition of Morgenstern's book(s) so will probably look at some of the updated chapters to consider next. I definitely want to get through both of her books this summer and find a way to plan effectively before the school year starts. I also want to figure out how to bring balance to my life so any suggestions for how to do that would be appreciated. In the meantime, I hope everyone is having a good week and I will be in touch soon.

Goal Updates

Last week I set some specific goals so wanted to update you on how they went. This will be a real brief entry since I need to get to bed. I did finish the chapter I was writing on Women and Sport in the 2004 Olympics, but unfortunately it is about 3 or 4 times longer than it needs to be. It may be that I can use some of what I found for another chapter I will be writing later this summer, but at least I am no longer stuck with writing. It took a few days longer than I had hoped to finish it, but perhaps that was why it turned out to be so long. It will now take a few days to revise and bring it into line with the length it needs to be.

As for writing, I next want to focus on the biking paper I started to write after my cross country bike trip. The irony of that paper is that while it took 51 or 52 days to travel cross country (over 3000 mis.), it has been 10 years and I still have not finished writing and submitting the paper.

The goals related to organization did not go so well, although I have done a bit of organizing each day. I just realize that it will take a committed effort and a bit more time to tackle the things I would like to get done. In the past few days, I have done the following:

1. Organized videos (and labeled as I taped:-) from 2007 French Open.
2. Sorted through mail and paid bills (a bigger job than you might imagine:-(
3. Took boxes from garage down to basement.

I did not do my office, so that will probably wait until next week at least. In the meantime, I will reset goals for this week and let you know what they are.

Since I did not hear back from anyone about the book, I will probably get a copy of the new edition for myself so I can post info from that on the blog. More later...

Setting goals for today

Jenny asked about how to get back to the blog itself, and I think there are a couple ways that you can do that, but you can also publish a new post by clicking "New post." You can navigate from there by going to "View blog" on the left side of your tabs or by going to "Dashboard" on the right side.

For today, I would like to set my goals for this week and ask that you help to hold me accountable. Here are mine for time and organizational management:

1. From a time management perspective, I would like to do the following:
a. Tuesday (today)--finish revising the Results section, and write rough draft of Discussion for chapter on 2004 Olympics and women.
b. Wednesday--revise Discussion and write rough draft of conclusion.
c. Thursday--revise Conclusion and double-check references.
d. Friday--final edit. Send to co-editors (Pirkko and Toni). Start revision of biking paper, which I would like to submit by next Friday.

It would be awesome if I could stick to these deadlines!

2. From a space and organizational perspective, here is what I would like to do this week:
a. Tuesday (today)--someone is coming to help with my flowerbed (weeding), and I would also like to fix sliding door (it sticks) and carry stuff from garage down to basement.
b. Thursday--Trudy will be coming to work on my office (get stuff off the floor and go through storage stuff, to make papers, journals and books more accessible).
c. Saturday--Clean out front hall closet and list items that are stored there, post inside door using velcro (I saw it on one of the shows I watched:-).

It would be great if I couldaccomplish these goals as well.

Creating a permanent feel

On one of the shows I watched yesterday, someone made the point that people can tell when you have created a space that is temporary. That is what I realize about my home. Even though I have been here for two years, I still have not fully created a sense of home--in part, because I have not finished unpacking. Maybe this is because I moved around so much since being in college. The changes MJ made in the living room make it feel more like home, and perhaps that is why I want to spend most of my time there. But I would like to be able to create a sense of "home" in other parts, not to mention that I would like to finish unpacking:-) Any ideas?

Moving beyond the clutter!

Did you ever notice how many television shows on cable deal with organizing spaces and/or doing away with clutter? I have watched some of the following: "neat," "While you were out," "Trading places," and "Clean sweep." I am sure there are many more. It makes me realize that I am not alone in needing to figure out how to deal with clutter and organize my space. Of course, I already knew it was a "family affair" (at least with Mom, Jenny, and I). Still, I am convinced that MJ could go into business right now doing this kind of thing. For the time being, I just hope we can give each other ideas to motivate and move beyond the clutter!

Introduction: The power of time management

Notes on Introduction:

1. I remember reading the story of Morgenstern's realization that she was not organized and if she didn't get it together, her child would never see the light of day. She also talks about how organization helps someone be prepared. That's what I really want to be able to do.
2. Another powerful statement is that "organizing is not a mysterious talent but rather a completely learnable skill...I'd been diving into the piles instead of starting with a plan" (p. 2). That is what I want to formulate--a PLAN!
3. Morgenstern talks about having organized files and database--that would be heaven...to be able to go to my file of videos and pull out the video for a day (instead of reading the nearly illegible, fading titles on every single video), or to be able to pull out the resources needed to work on a paper without having to search for the last draft I was working on... that would be awesome!
4. Here is the key: "Being organized, whether with your space or time, is all about being ready. It's about feeling in command so that you are prepared to handle all of the opportunities, distractions, and surprises life throws your way" (p. 3). This is (sadly) part of the reason I did not go to France and England--because I was not prepared to go.
5. Morgenstern encourages reading the organization of space before organizing time. What do you think? I can definitely relate to studies that show "we lose an average of one to two hours per day searching for missing items..." (p. 4). Amen to that (unfortunately)!
6. I especially appreciate the statement that this program honors who we are, and provides flexibility. That is what I need!

Questions:

• What is included in Part Two of the new edition?
• What do you relate to in the Introduction?
• What do you think about starting with the organizing of space before we read about time? Personally, I need to do both!