So, I’ve already covered 3 of the 5 organizing styles over the past few days. The Butterfly, Lady Bug and the Busy Bee. You may be wondering, what the heck is the point of all this? Well, for one thing, it gives me something to do after my kids go to bed. Secondly, it’s important to know your organizing style in order to setup a system that will work long term for you. So, here we go…today’s Clutterbug is the:
Cricket: This Clutterbug is a logical thinker who is very detail oriented. Generally, a Cricket is an audio learner, meaning that they learn best by hearing someone explain how to do something. A Cricket also likes reading and writing as words are very important to them. Almost all Crickets are pilers, especially papers. Stacks and stacks of papers. Usually neat piles, but piles all the same. These piles are not limited to paper though, when a Cricket is done using something, like tools or hobby supplies for example, they will pile them with the intent to put them away later. Unfortunately, this “later” often doesn’t come for a long, long time, causing clutter to build up fast. One of the biggest reasons a Cricket procrastinates the “putting away” process is the fact that they are perfectionists. Crickets want things put away or filed in a certain, very logical, very detailed way. This of course would take quite a bit of time to both setup this system, and to put everything away in this very detailed way.
Therefore, Crickets are excellent organizers…in their minds! Putting that organization into their home and at work however is another story. It comes down to time and prioritizing. Crickets need to either make the time EVERYDAY to setup organizing systems and use them as part of their daily routine, or let go a little bit and do it a little “less perfect”. Here are some quick tips:
Office paper piles can quickly overrun you. This can become especially problematic when stacks of papers are stacked on top of each other and you find yourself misplacing or having to sort to find that certain piece of paper. Solution? Don’t fight the piler in you, it’s you nature. Your best bet is a literature sorter. You can pile ’til your hearts content, but each little cubby should be labeled so you know where to put what pile and you can easily access anything you are looking for.
If a literature sorter isn’t your thing, use a hanging file folder but keep all tabs to one side and always put it in alphabetical order. Resist the urge to over detail your filing system. Example: Say you want to file the hydro bill; it does not need to be in a folder inside folders under Personal/Home/Utilities/Monthly/Hydro. Your paper filing system needs to be simpler than that if you are going to use it often and quickly. Having one section for home, say with file folders in certain colour and labeling one folder Hydro is sufficient.
If you find you are not using file folders either, large envelopes stacked in banker boxes works too. Just put your files in a labeled envelope and stack in a box. Easy, done and organized enough. Be sure to label the outside of the box as to what is inside and go through boxes regularly to purge stuff you no longer need.Music is a big motivator for you. When sorting, purging or even just working you should try listening to music to keep you on track.
Crickets are one of the two Clutterbugs I actually recommend using totes or storage boxes for many of their items. Totes are a fast and easy way to help prevent the need to over organize. Simply make a tote or basket for similar items and throw the item in the tote when you are done using it. Be sure to label the totes, boxes or baskets and if you have a lot of them say, on a shelf, arrange them in alphabetical order. By forcing yourself to put the item in the appropriate tote when you are done using it, you are preventing the build up of piles by piling it in a container. You can micro organize inside the tote when you have free time, but for now you just need a quick method for putting things in their homes. Examples of uses for totes or boxes would be: One for cords, adhesives, magazines, craft supplies, car care, painting supplies, candles, photo’s that need to be put into books etc… Keep phone logs. This is an important tool for Crickets. Use a notebook by your phone and write down important messages and the date as apposed to just saving them. Also write down notes from phone conversations that may be important. Just the act of writing it down will help you remember details and you will always have the phone log for reference.
Using alarms and timers will help you better prioritize your time. Write out what you want to accomplish and how much time it should take you for each task. When starting a task, set the timer and when it goes off, move on the next task. You will find you are more likely to stay focused if you know you have a time limit. Timers and alarms are a great way to help a Cricket stay focused and be more productive.
Master lists are a Crickets best organizing tool. Though they take quite a bit of time to setup, they can save you a lot of time in the long run and you will find them easy to maintain. Master address lists, contact numbers, account information, recipes, filing systems, projects both ongoing and upcoming, to-do lists, etc. When a Cricket puts their logical thinking to paper it keeps them motivated and organized.
Not a Cricket, visit me tomorrow to see if you are a Dragonfly.
