How do you get organized?

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks Lew, ideally my current method SHOULD work like that, a couple years back when we were trying to sell our house we had a bunch of renos to do, because Mr. R was working long hours it was my task to do it. It was the only time that I was able to list, prioritize and make progress, for whatever reason I can't get it going, I keep getting bogged down by something and nothing seems to be getting done.

perhaps you could mobilize yourself with stick/carrot

for example, I can't have breakfast until I do xxxxxxxxxxxx

or I can have a cup of coffee if I do yyyyy first.

it sounds silly but it works for me.

Thanks all! Some fantastic food for thought to get past this!

Lew, hmmmm.... I think you may have hit on something here. I've wondered why I'm dragging my feet on this, after thinking around your reply I think it might be my payoffs. While I want all of them to happen all of them lead me to a place where there are zero excuses, everything is at my fingertips to make this work and the only thing that can hold me back is .... me. I want my darkroom up and working, I want my website up and working, I want to move forward with all of the pieces necessary to do this "right" and if I don't do them then I do have an "excuse" and my only failure is a familiar one, eternal procrastination.

I KNOW I will be happy when I get there, when it is all set up and I'm moving forward and learning it's just getting there!
So... carrot and a stick....

 

[PixelRabbit]

I also realized I work better with a deadline and accountable to others, for example, if I had an order for a print instead of just interest (because I have no structure in place to fulfill any orders) I would learn it in short order because someone was waiting for it, right now I'm the "client" and apparently I'm a pushover.

 

[IByte]

Ok, so here's the deal, I have about a million things I need to do to get all of these damn ducks that keep mingling about randomly into a row so I'm better organized and actually start working on things instead of tripping over these darn ducks!

Currently I need to do things such as set up the darkroom, get my site done, business cards, printing, learn the darkroom, actively learn more about post work etc etc etc ... and shoot and do my good wifey stuff (I have someone coming next Friday to help clean the house top to bottom so I don't have dusty corners staring at me anymore!)

So, any tips on getting organized? How do you structure all the things that you need to do? I've always been horrid at wrangling ducks and this disorganization has almost always tripped me up in the past and I'm not willing to let it happen this time! I would rather not start shooting the little quackers but ...

Help?

I write aaall the stuff down or make spread sheet. Since my OCD takes over I need to clean as much as I can. After the wifey priorities, sit down order the cards. Then work on your site a bit, and DO NOT half ass it. I would work on your site in chunks.

Take a break, and relax. I'm not sure what needs to be done to your...did you say darkroom? But I would wager at least a half days time to finish that.

 

[ronlane]

I have been using a system called Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen for a few years myself. It is flexible and allows you to use paper based or electronic based or even a combination if you want.

 

[kathyt]

I have OCD about 90% of the things in my life. As soon as I get out of my bed I make it. I will also make my sons bed. I don't go to bed at night until my sons toy room is cleaned up, and the kitchen it clean. Everything I own has a place that it belongs. I love bins, racks, and anything to make my life easier. If my office is clean my day runs smoother. If I get a bill in the mail it goes in one slot to be paid, and then when I pay it goes in the shredder. No extra paper clutter to deal with. For important paperwork I have a filing system for each year. I also use a dry erase board for my to-do list. My big things get tackled a little at a time, and the little things are no big deal. I am a multi-tasker. I am always doing 5 things at once, but I will not half a** them. If I find myself doing so I will stop doing them and step back to re-evaluate my situation. Most of the time I find myself doing things exactly the same way every single time. This is a nursing habit. It helps prevent mistakes, but every once in awhile I have to check things over to see if there is a more efficient way.

 

[IByte]

I have OCD about 90% of the things in my life. As soon as I get out of my bed I make it. I will also make my sons bed. I don't go to bed at night until my sons toy room is cleaned up, and the kitchen it clean. Everything I own has a place that it belongs. I love bins, racks, and anything to make my life easier. If my office is clean my day runs smoother. If I get a bill in the mail it goes in one slot to be paid, and then when I pay it goes in the shredder. No extra paper clutter to deal with. For important paperwork I have a filing system for each year. I also use a dry erase board for my to-do list. My big things get tackled a little at a time, and the little things are no big deal. I am a multi-tasker. I am always doing 5 things at once, but I will not half a** them. If I find myself doing so I will stop doing them and step back to re-evaluate my situation. Most of the time I find myself doing things exactly the same way every single time. This is a nursing habit. It helps prevent mistakes, but every once in awhile I have to check things over to see if there is a more efficient way.

Lol did you just say ...mail your bills Kat?

 

[kathyt]

I have OCD about 90% of the things in my life. As soon as I get out of my bed I make it. I will also make my sons bed. I don't go to bed at night until my sons toy room is cleaned up, and the kitchen it clean. Everything I own has a place that it belongs. I love bins, racks, and anything to make my life easier. If my office is clean my day runs smoother. If I get a bill in the mail it goes in one slot to be paid, and then when I pay it goes in the shredder. No extra paper clutter to deal with. For important paperwork I have a filing system for each year. I also use a dry erase board for my to-do list. My big things get tackled a little at a time, and the little things are no big deal. I am a multi-tasker. I am always doing 5 things at once, but I will not half a** them. If I find myself doing so I will stop doing them and step back to re-evaluate my situation. Most of the time I find myself doing things exactly the same way every single time. This is a nursing habit. It helps prevent mistakes, but every once in awhile I have to check things over to see if there is a more efficient way.

Lol did you just say ...mail your bills Kat?

When I get a bill in the mail? Don't you get bills?

 

[BlackSheep]

Thanks all! Some fantastic food for thought to get past this!

Lew, hmmmm.... I think you may have hit on something here. I've wondered why I'm dragging my feet on this, after thinking around your reply I think it might be my payoffs. While I want all of them to happen all of them lead me to a place where there are zero excuses, everything is at my fingertips to make this work and the only thing that can hold me back is .... me. I want my darkroom up and working, I want my website up and working, I want to move forward with all of the pieces necessary to do this "right" and if I don't do them then I do have an "excuse" and my only failure is a familiar one, eternal procrastination.

I KNOW I will be happy when I get there, when it is all set up and I'm moving forward and learning it's just getting there!
So... carrot and a stick....

Maybe you need to change the way you write your list. Instead of working with a list of "All The Stuff I Have To Do To Have A Successful Photography Business", break it down into smaller lists - have one list for "what I have to do to get the darkroom set up", for example, which includes the smaller bits like put together the enlarger, make sure darkroom is light-tight, set out developing trays, etc., etc. Then have a totally separate list for your website and the rest of the stuff. For me personally, I get intimated by a list full of Big Tasks, because an item like "get website running" doesn't have clear steps. But I can blow through a list of baby steps with no problem at all.

 

[The_Traveler]

While I want all of them to happen all of them lead me to a place where there are zero excuses, everything is at my fingertips to make this work and the only thing that can hold me back is .... me. I want my darkroom up and working, I want my website up and working, I want to move forward with all of the pieces necessary to do this "right" and if I don't do them then I do have an "excuse" and my only failure is a familiar one, eternal procrastination.

I KNOW I will be happy when I get there, when it is all set up and I'm moving forward and learning it's just getting there!
So... carrot and a stick....

The trick for me is not to think about the long term, that always seems far and too many tasks away .
My job today is to do what I decided to do today - and get it over with early so I don't have to think about doing anything until tomorrow.
So if I do two things today, I get lazy time ahead.

One day at a time, one step at a time.
Don't think about the end, think about today's task.

I hate emptying the dishwasher, cleaning up the kitchen and doing any dishes left over from the night before.
Soooooo, that's what I do the very first thing in the morning.
So, before I'm really awake, whoopie, I'm done with a big PITA for today.
Or, if I think about it, at night I leave everything to soak. So I get up in the morning and I've got an easy job.
I trick myself day by day.

 

[minicoop1985]

How do I get organized? This implies that I'm organized in the first place. Normally, I get fed up and actually put things away in an orderly fashion, then as I use them, make sure to leave them in the least likely place that I could possibly come up with so that they will never be found again, and my anxiety issues will kick in once they can't be found. I then tell myself that I will ensure this never, EVER happens again by doing absolutely nothing and repeating the process over and over again.

 

[PixelRabbit]

First, a HUGE thanks to all that replied! All of you helped and I took this week to get to work, the house is clean and more organized, a few things to still deal with but they are more storage solutions, every day stuff is done, WOOT!

We just got back from picking up a work table and desk for the darkroom, now to set it up and we are off to the races there!

Lots of progress makes a bunny happy !!

 

[IByte]

When I get a bill in the mail? Don't you get bills?

Kit Kat my bills are paid online an on auto, only thing I get the mail is computer equipment..saving trees

BTW bunny congrats on the organizing!

 

[kathyt]

When I get a bill in the mail? Don't you get bills?

Kit Kat my bills are paid online an on auto, only thing I get the mail is computer equipment..saving trees

BTW bunny congrats on the organizing!

90% of mine are done the same way except for the local companies that are not up to speed.

 

[IByte]

90% of mine are done the same way except for the local companies that are not up to speed.

What is it 1840 ?? One time I was going to use my card to start a tab. Then the guy said "nope cash only". After a moment of silence and confusion, I left and never returned to that lame ass bar again.

I know Kit Kat uou wanna hang out with the cool kids

 

[runnah]

I have OCD about 90% of the things in my life. As soon as I get out of my bed I make it. I will also make my sons bed. I don't go to bed at night until my sons toy room is cleaned up, and the kitchen it clean. Everything I own has a place that it belongs. I love bins, racks, and anything to make my life easier. If my office is clean my day runs smoother. If I get a bill in the mail it goes in one slot to be paid, and then when I pay it goes in the shredder. No extra paper clutter to deal with. For important paperwork I have a filing system for each year. I also use a dry erase board for my to-do list. My big things get tackled a little at a time, and the little things are no big deal. I am a multi-tasker. I am always doing 5 things at once, but I will not half a** them. If I find myself doing so I will stop doing them and step back to re-evaluate my situation. Most of the time I find myself doing things exactly the same way every single time. This is a nursing habit. It helps prevent mistakes, but every once in awhile I have to check things over to see if there is a more efficient way.

Want to live with me? Rent free, just clean and organize. Oh and other "duties".