Getting organized

Ever since my semi-trusty Palm went on the fritz last summer, I've been engaged in an on-again, off-again quest for more organization in my life.

I tried FLY-Lady for awhile, but the old apartment had too big a head start on me in terms of mess and general chaos; I just couldn't get hold of it. Now that we've moved into a new place, I feel as if I have a fresh slate, a clean plate, as it were. I'm starting to get back into my "habits of tidiness", although I have yet to get all the way back to FLY-Lady's way.

I'm also getting back into paper-paced systems again. Doug Johnson's DIY Planner site is a wonderful place to start on this. It's got lots of templates to play with, made not only by him, but also a lot made by other users. It's all open source, using Open Office to build everything, so you can build your own if you like. Whatever size planner you may be using or want to use, there are templates that size. I was using the Classic size for awhile (5.5" x 8.5"), but I got tired of lugging the "Book of Doom" everywhere. Now I'm playing with the Hipster size; I can print them on 3" x 5" index cards, so it's a much smaller bundle. I buy lined cards and print the templates on the blank side, leaving the lined side for notes and details. Doug also has lots of links to other useful sites, so check it out.