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...