Disorder -> Order

 This post is technically for last week. I've been working hard, and the house is looking nice, though still not totally done. It's in decent shape though, so I started working on my office. My desk looked like a recycling bin had been knocked over onto it, and it's now looking mostly crisp and clean. I'm loving it.

Also, I've taken the first steps towards spinning up my organization system again. I spent several hours over a few days, looking for helpful guidance, reflecting on what wasn't working with my previous system, and trying to design things better this time. My working hypothesis is that the organization system should be as lightweight as possible. If it takes too much time to maintain, then it won't happen when things get busy.

At the same time, part of my research gave me some interesting ideas for how to restart my system after it's gotten into disrepair without getting overwhelmed. I think the bottom line is there is no one perfect system, so you've got to have an understanding of the important fundamental principals, and then you can try out some good existing system, modifying it as necessary to fit how you work. And at least as important, modify the system after you start using it and get more information about what works for you and what doesn't.

I'm currently using one of the simplest systems I've come across that still seems useful. I'll try to add elements to it as necessary, but kind of like how I prefer to organize my office, it's nice to have the tools stored somewhere out of sight, and only put things in the drawers next to me when I find myself using them regularly. Then my organization develops organically, around what I actually need and do.

The simplicity allows me to focus, and the list allows me to prioritize and not let things slip through the cracks. And the regular reviews (which are still a work in progress) allow me to trust my system. Meaning, trust that when I write down something important for me to remember, I actually will see it when I need to be reminded of it.

Something I haven't done yet, but want to start (perhaps I'll do that next) is keep some kind of brief record of my attempts to do this. I feel like often people who talk about their wonderful productivity system, neglect to talk about the issues they had implementing it, how they overcame those issues, what it actually looks like after it's adjusted for the reality of day-to-day life, and what it took to go from disorganized to well-organized. I think it might be more useful to see some of the main points of someone's journey from not well organized to really well organized, rather than just the end result.

OK, that's gotta be all for today, though I'm planning on putting another one of these out ASAP so I don't get behind again on these. I don't know if my timeliness on these is a sign of good organization or poor prioritization, or cutting corners on quality :D

May all the beings in all the worlds be happy,

-Isaac