Blog – Current Project – Getting Organized
2016 New Year’s Resolution – Get Organized
Copyright: iqoncept / 123RF Stock Photo
Since finishing my Bachelor Degree last year, I’ve been living in some weird, blurry funk with no sense of direction. Throughout college, I kept saying that I couldn’t wait to finish because I had a long list of projects that I wanted to work on. But I’ve found that it’s been hard to re-focus myself on the projects. It just feels weird not being in school anymore, not having to stress over homework due dates and such. So my goal for 2016, my resolution, was to get organized and get some sort of new routine established to start working toward getting my projects on track and goals met.
The first project of the year was to set up my daily planner. In doing so, it will allow me to keep track of what I have on the agenda and check things off so as not to get so overwhelmed with the super huge list of things I want to do this year. So I created a set of tracking sheets and calendars that will help me stay on track and I put my planner together. If you’d like to join me this year in getting organized, be sure to subscribe to my blog here and I will send you each of the tracker sheets I created along with some other freebies to help you get and stay organized as well! ===>
Inventory Tracking
Part of getting organized is figuring out what supplies I have on hand so that I can stop going and buying more when I can’t find what I’m looking for. I mean…who really needs 8 bottles of glue? So once I finished my daily planner, I got to work on my Inventory Binder. This one is still a work in progress and is what I am currently working on. I will continue to post updates on this project as I get them done.
Copyright: mayabuns / 123RF Stock Photo
The Messy Desk Crafter
My other resolution for this year was two-fold. The first part was to start building up this website, which I created last year. The purpose of this website is to keep track of where I’m at on projects and to share my ideas and tutorials with others so that they may learn something new. Knowledge is power, right? In the crafting world, I think we all love to learn new techniques. I also wanted to create one single place to keep track of all of my crafty goods where I have full control over where things are kept and how much can be posted, etc.
The second part was to finish writing the book that I started writing for my crafting group last year. See, I posted a question in the group asking what the biggest obstacles are when in comes to crafting. I took the responses to that question and started writing a book on how to overcome those obstacles. Naturally, getting organized takes up a lot of real estate in this book. I have about two chapters left to write in the book before I finish and publish it. Naturally, those that participated in that post and in any of the book activities will get a free copy of the book. My Inventory Binder and my first published book are my current crafty projects so most of my posts will be in regards to those two things for now. Sometimes I may mix in a side project when I get bored with the Inventory Binder and book and take a break to do something else, the joy of being ADHD, right?
Book Cover Contest
While you’re here, I am looking for a little help choosing the cover of my book. I have selected the following three options and wanted to see how many people pick my favorite one as one they would buy if they saw it on a shelf at the bookstore (or craft store). If you’d like to be one of the first people to receive my book when it comes out, please reply to this blog post with the Option that you would be most likely to pick up if you saw it. Once the book is published, I will ensure you each get a free copy.
Well, that’s it for now. Back to trying to finish up my current projects.
Happy crafting!
~Ki
Getting organized is definitely one of my new years resolutions. I just recently purchased a daily planner, which I have yet to use. I really need to push myself to start using it and streamlining everything.
Thankfully, I have started organizing my desk area and have made decent progress with that. I feel like it’s missing something, i’m just not sure what.
Oh, by the way, I like the Option C book cover the best. I think it’s sleek and easily readable. Great job!
Hi Brandy,
Thank you for the feedback. I will ensure it counts for the final decision on the book. It sounds like your desk is missing…your planner maybe? lol My desk often is. I’ve found that keeping my planner on my desk and open to the appropriate page makes me a whole lot more successful at using it. When I close it, I bury it. When I move it, I forget about it. It pretty much has to stay open on my desk right in my face in order for it to work. It’s a lot of discipline to get into the habit of using it and keeping a clean desk. Everybody’s different and it takes a lot of creativity sometimes to figure out what works for you. I wish you the best of luck!
~Ki
I enjoyed reading this. I too have a need for organization. I think it’s important to be organized on the inside as well as on the outside. As far as the choices for the book cover goes. I pick number 2. It was a toss up between one and two though.
Hi Gloria,
Thanks a bunch for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Being organized on the inside is quite a bit harder for me than being organized on the outside. I can’t move as fast as my thoughts sometimes. But being organized on the outside is helping me tremendously in getting things done. Thanks again!
~Ki
Hi Kristina,
You sure seem way more focused than I was when I graduated college. I was terrified to leave school because I was afraid I would fall into a mindless stupor of work for 8 hours and then TV for the rest of the time. Well that did happen because unlike you I lacked direction and focus. I am so happy to see that you have that direction and focus. Your New Year goals are a lot like mine; which is staying on track and staying focused on what you need to achieve. I have also started doing a daily planner where I plan my day down to the hour and I have never been more productive. It is really a great way to feel a sense of accomplishment.
BTW, I like option B for your cover.
Hi Jessica,
Oh don’t give me too much credit, now. I graduated back in August and fell into that TV/Zoning stupor for almost 5 months before I knocked myself out of it and started getting on track and organized. I think a daily planner is a great idea for people like us, it helps us to set smaller, more achievable goals and feel that sense of accomplishment as we mark our list as done at the end of the day. It also helps to motivate us for the next day’s list, doesn’t it? Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate it.
~Ki
I like both Option A and C.
I think in a book store, the cover that would catch my eye is Option C.
Good luck with your projects!!!
Joanie
Hi Joanie,
Thanks for the feedback and the luck!
~Ki
being organized is really important. whenever I want to do something but if things are not organized I can’t even start. It doesn’t matter my thoughts are not organized or my desk is not organized as in physically or mentally. I just cannot focus. You are right people have to be organized to do something properly. I will work on my organization skills more!
Hi Hayden,
My mom is the same way, her desk has to be perfectly neat and orderly in order for her to focus on things. I’m the exact opposite, I find that I hyper-focus more when my desk is in perfect piles of chaos! However, I do need to reset it about once a week. Clean it up and start all over again. I do this just to make sure I’ve handled everything that needed to be handled each week and nothing slipped through the cracks. I think people need some form of structure or organization, but of course it varies from person to person.
Hi. I’d go with Option B, however, Option D might be better. That would be a picture of a messy desk, and a clean desk, in color as a before and after with more contemporary fonts.
Thanks Tina!
Hey Ki:
Ah, the joys of “getting organized.” Every year I make the resolution that once and for all I SHALL have a neatsy-peatsy work-space. By the middle of the first quarter of the year, of course, my desk and work surfaces have disappeared under the load of project-piles yet again.
The projects are in-process, so they are sitting there waiting for the one last thing until they’re done. When they’re done, they get put away and there’s space of one more. Tah-dah!
After about three months I freak out and clear up all the detritus and flotsam and jetsam, and confuse the heck out of myself. So I pull out the stacks I need and then it starts again.
I think the only way I am going to be able to keep an absolutely clean desk all the time is to not run multiple projects, maybe. I have never been able to do that one either. Oh, well….
I like your number 2 cover best. It feels homey….
I like option B for your book cover. I really love to see you getting organized, an issue since you were young and had to clean your room. Lol. Just remember KISS, keep it simple, if too complex to keep up it only makes your issue worse and overwhelming. Love you momma
Thanks for the feedback! It’s a struggle getting and staying organized, but each year seems to get easier. Thanks for checkin in, Ma.