More Than A New Year!
January 2, 2008 by Kelly
The new year often brings lots of changes. Here, at myorganizedbiz.com, we sadly had to say goodbye to Julie. Her plate is full of lots of new and exciting ventures and we wish her well.
As the Channel Editor of the Business Channel here at b5media, I immediately went into “fix it” mode. I sent out my emails, started to post an announcement to look for a new writer, pulled up my new iGTD (thanks, Shai) and thought, “let’s get organized!” And then it hit me: I am.
Let me clarify. I am not Martha Stewart. I have neither her money, her flair for style nor her prison record.
I do not own doilies. I do not have all of my business receipts laminated and filed in decoupaged photo bins. I do not own a paper calendar with stickers earmarking the wonderful moments in my business life. So, if you’re looking for a power organizer replete with pearls, move along.
That said, let me tell you what I am, and why I think who I am is a good fit for you. I own my own law business (with my hubby, but that’s another post for another time). I’m a mother of three small children who demand lots and lots of my time. I am involved in lots of volunteer organizations. And yeah, I like to garden and travel and do fun stuff for me, too. I can’t not be organized (yes, double negatives, get used to it) or I’d lose my mind.
I have learned that the key to being organized is finding your niche and making it work for you. Nothing works the same for everyone. My husband and I are prime examples of this – he has a Blackberry, I don’t. He has a Franklin, I don’t. I like Post-it notes and yellow pads. I color code my iCal. And yet, it works for both of us.
So, I’m going to hang out for awhile and give you my perspective on organizing your business life – and making a little time for yourself, too. My goal is to create a fun, energetic, spirited blog about business and organization. That’s right, I said fun. Don’t believe it? Watch me.
Hi Kelly
Congratulations for taking this on (you obviously needed to fill the spare time left over after you work on your own business, your taxgirl blog, your position as channel editor, your other blogs, your three children, your volunteer work, and your hobbies)….
Some people would just take a nap!
Anyway, you’ve made me feel better already. I always thought being organized meant having everything in neatly-labeled folders that color- coordinated with my outfit…but you’re making me feel like if my system is working for me, and I’m handling my own version of career, family, blogs, volunteering, hobbies, etc. then maybe I am more organized than I think!
Can’t wait to read more – you have the kind of multi-faceted real life and down to earth organization skills that I can relate to!
Being organized doesn’t always mean everything in its place, squared away, and in straight lines. My desk is my state of mind: full of folders & reports & references & what-have-you –placed every which way. Everytime somebody tries to make it look neat and organized, I get lost. Even in its disarray, I know exactly where everything I need is. When it gets to look neat, it means I am finished with a project because I have put away everything –and I have emptied my mind in preparation for the next project.
Perfect! I love it and there is no one better to fill this position. I’ll be back often because I know for a fact you can teach me a thing or two.
Thanks Julie!
Ren, I agree. My husband refers to my system as “organized chaos.” But I think that’s an important point. There’s not ONE method to being organized, despite what the folks selling programs think!