My Quest for Organization!

I'm reading/rereading a couple of books this week in my seemingly endless quest to better organize my home and my life!

Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
Organizing Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin

Currently there is far too much stuff in my home that does not have an "address" ~ that is, a place where it permanently resides and can be returned to after use. Big problem with 7 people living in 2000 sq. ft. I don't have a natural affinity for organization, but I do have a very strong desire to BE organized. I get very cranky when things are too cluttered and untidy. I spend hours trying to come up with a better system!
One tip that I read today is to look at whatever room you are trying to organize and think of it in zones, based on the activities that take place there. This is like a Kindergarten Classroom, which has the Book Corner, Painting Center, Block Center, Housekeeping Corner, etc. So my bedroom has a Sleeping Zone, Dressing Zone, Reading/Rest Zone, Home Office Zone, etc. The things I need for each of these activities should be stored and arranged close to the area where that activity takes place. In other words, don't store linens/ blankets for the bed in another part of the house. Or have everything needed for dressing in the morning conveniently located close together in or near the closet. This also made me think of some of the things I currently have in my bedroom that really shouldn't be there. For instance, I have a table full of photos and scrapbooking materials, which is a jumbled mess and which I haven't touched in months ( okay, years?) I also have my sewing machine and sewing kit in my bedroom, but fabric and boxes of other sewing supplies ( buttons, thread, etc ) in the closet in the family room. hmmmm
I don't do those activities in my bedroom because I'm away from the family, and because my husband tends to go to bed early, which is the time when I'm most likely to scrapbook or sew anyway!!! SO, I need to rethink the location of those items! I'm learning some useful things that I just need to APPLY!

I recently learned that there are quite a few others like me ~ those who make detailed plans and schedules and lists and systems.... but can't quite implement them. Part of the problem is that we are always looking for something better. We are great at coming up with ideas, but not so great at utilizing those ideas. Anyway, somebody started a Yahoogroups called "Schedulizers" just for people like that, and within 2 days there were over 100 people signed up.

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