Getting and Staying Organized

10/12/2016

"Spring Sunrise Trio"
18" x 36" x three panels
Click here to purchase.

Ugh. I think one of the most frustrating things we all deal with is trying to stay organized. Specifically I am referring to keeping to-do lists, calendar items, appointments and big picture items organized. And all in one place. And the biggest issue we face? We are all creative people so we like everything to be out in front of us. Because once it's filed away then we suffer from out of site, out of mind.

I have tried binders. I have tried memo books. I have put everything in many different electronic formats. And yet, nothing is working.

I do like having all of my appointments in my phone/desktop calendar. But then I have my daily to-do lists and the long term projects that I also want to have at my fingertips. I think both of these need to be in written form. I just get too much satisfaction crossing things off. And I don't want to give that up!

So I am going to try yet another system (I promise to share after I try it) but I would really like to hear what all of you are doing to keep your life organized. Please help!

12 Comments

Susan Garriques link

10/12/2016 03:30:51 am

A few months ago,I discovered the Bullet Journal. It is a great way to stay organized. I can keep all my ideas and lists in one book. It has an index, so things are easy to find. And it can be as simple or complicated as you like. Love it!

Janet

5/7/2017 04:32:35 pm

Hi, from Australia, yes bullet journaling is sweeping the globe- it's Brilliant. The only thing that's worked for me!

Claudia Hafner link

10/12/2016 05:00:52 am

I use Trello for organizing to dos. My satisfaction is moving a card to the done list. I have 3 major boards that I use for the overall big projects.

I have to track outdoor and indoor shows: dates, what images to submit, fees, etc. each phase of each show has its series of dates, so as I complete one part, I set the date ahead to the next due date. I may have 10 or more shows I'm keeping track of.

I have another business that I keep track of on another board.

The third board is my daily to dos, which I use as a calendar for the little stuff each day. These usually come from the other boards, and my personal life tasks.

I love reviewing my Trello boards each morning and moving things around. All my devices sync, and in the morning with coffee, I review the day on my iPad.

I have other boards where I keep other information for different projects, but above are the main three.

For me, keeping handwritten anything means I can't find it or I'm lugging something around. If I need to take notes in a meeting, I like Evernote for that, usually on my iPad and it syncs (now only with 2 devices...free version).

All this is to say that sometimes I feel like all of it is still spiraling out of control!

Laurel McBrine link

10/12/2016 05:33:59 am

I feel your pain. I really have no business answering this question, especially to someone I see as an icon of productivity, but for me the only way I ever get anything done is compulsive list making, including my morning priority list.

I have "master" lists in Word, in Wunderlist and the "Notes" app on my Apple devices. I am trying to just use "Notes" now and delete the others once I have ensured I am not forgetting something important.

I have a page titled TODAY in "Notes" where I prioritize by moving items to the top. Of course, I have way more stuff in this list than I would ever get done in that day so it also serves a bit as a master list for the immediate future. I use this in conjunction with Google calendar (which our whole family uses). I still sometimes make a paper list (usually if I am going out for the day) just in case my devices don't sync up. I like using "Notes" because I then have the same thing on both my phone and computer if all goes well.

I am also working on cataloguing where things are kept in my house on my computer since I have wasted so much time searching for items (often a particular picture frame) that I had put in a place I thought I would remember. I do not have the luxury of a big studio where I can keep everything, so things tucked away in various storage areas in the house, so this has saved me a few times already. I have also, in the past, sent myself an email about where I have put things, which has saved me on occasion. I was thankfully able to once find my wedding rings (that I had hidden in a weird place when we went on holiday) in this way!

Now, if only I could find time to go through the boxes of papers I have somehow accumulated - they are full of stuff I need to chuck but also some great resources and ideas! I plan to computerize as much as I can and get rid of the rest.

Johnna Schelling link

10/12/2016 02:36:57 pm

Question for Laurel - are you syncing to the cloud? I too use Apple notes but various OS upgrades have deleted them (seriously!). Wondering if a move to the cloud is worth it. thanks ahead of time for your help!

claudia hafner link

10/13/2016 05:00:17 pm

Johnna,
Using iCloud should do the trick. I use it on 2 devices and computer.

Jo Mackenzie link

10/12/2016 06:01:24 am

I have to see a month at a glance. Then I color code and put in the days and times of appointments. I have to be super organized because I need to make sure I have "back up" for almost everything I do. I
I don't do a lot of things but my life is highly strategic and organized. I often say "it takes a village to keep this gal going".

Theresa Grillo Laird link

10/12/2016 07:35:38 am

Like you I've tried everything. Electronic systems are the worst for me- the most out of sight out of mind. I've been limping along with a calendar book and a daily to do book. Still not wirking. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're trying!

CJ Roughton link

10/12/2016 08:27:58 am

The Bullet Journal has really been a God send for me. I think I'll try it with my art!

Leslie link

10/14/2016 10:00:04 am

Leslie,
The best overall comprehensive system I have found is Evernote. It is so versatile, customizable and simple to use. Supports all kinds of documents and is accessible on computer, phones and tablets.

Janet link

10/19/2016 06:38:44 am

Hi Leslie - sorry I am so late on responding to this ... I am not sure if this is what you are looking for, but it is something I am considering to help out with client/collector management - including scheduling and invoicing/signing purchase agreements online (do you do this already through your website?). It is used a lot by photographers, and I think it may help fine artists as well ... they do advertise it for creatives. It is not free, but it could be well worth the monthly/annual fee they charge (21.99 / month for their lowest priced offering, which looks like enough for my purposes). I am not affiliated with this and do not use it yet, but you may want to take a peek: Tave at https://tave.com/ . There are other ones too, such as 17 hats, but I have heard the Tave interface etc is good and those who have compared, or at least the reviews I read months ago, they seemed to prefer Tave - but I think that is mostly because 17 hats was newer and still fine tuning things ...

Jenn Williamson link

10/19/2016 11:33:20 pm

I just discovered the Bullet Journal system and am LOVING it!! It's pen & paper, old fashioned, but very easy to adapt to your specific needs (and goals). I highly recommend this ------ and I've tried EVERYTHING! (Now to go through all my previous methods and make sure I don't miss bringing anything forward!).

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Getting and Staying Organized

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