I’m one of the most disorganized people I know. Lost items around the house, missed deadlines, forgotten tasks – these have been all too common throughout my life.
For a long time, I assumed this was just how I was, that I was too disorganized by nature to change. But as I started my career and organization became a requirement, I needed a system I could rely on.
Here’s the 3-part organization method that has kept me sane these last few years.
How I Built My System
The core rule of habit change that I learned through much trial and error is to build habits and systems designed for your worst day – not your best. Motivation runs out quickly and habits built around staying motivated will fail just as quickly.
That’s the idea behind making my system “foolproof” – on days when I don’t feel motivated or on top of my game, the system is so easy to use and the habit so ingrained into my routine that I don’t fall out of practice.
To design my organization system, I looked at when I failed, why I failed, and how I could build a safety net that would keep me from losing track of anything ever again.
Part 1: The Planner
I’ve tested tons of ways to keep tasks organized throughout the years. Bullet journaling, online tools like Teuxdeux and Notion, and sticky notes attached to my desk, but have found a physical planner to work best.
Bullet journaling and Notion were just too much work for a disorganized person. A store-bought planner does all the work for me – with weekly and daily breakdowns to hold tasks combined with a calendar, all I have to do is follow along.
The planner is my catch-all for stuff that needs to get done. On the weekly view, I keep an ongoing to-do list – blog articles I need to write, videos that need editing, places around the house that need fixing. Anytime a task enters my brain, it gets written down in the list.
At the start of each week, I prioritize this big list and assign tasks to each day. For example, if I need to get a YouTube video out, I’ll have “publish a YT video” in my weekly tasks, then add subtasks to each day – “film a-roll” on Monday, “film b-roll” on Tuesday, and so on.
The great part about this system is that I never have to think about what to do next. If a task is assigned to that day, I do it, no questions asked.
The other foolproof part of the planner is that it’s always visible when I’m working. I leave the planner open to this week on my desk, right next to the computer where I spend 8 hours a day working. I can’t miss a task if it’s always in my peripheral vision.
If you’re looking to get a planner for yourself, you can find plenty that will do the job at Target, Amazon, or just about any store that sells stationary. Just make sure it has space to right down daily and weekly tasks.
Part 2: The Calendar
If the planner is the catch-all for my to-do list, the calendar is my way to make sure I never miss a deadline again.
I use a simple Google Calendar that I can sync between my phone and laptop. This is where anything with a specific time or deadline goes – mostly tasks for work.
Meetings go into the calendar and between meetings, I time block the breaks so that I can get the rest of my work tasks done. From about 8:30-5 every day, my calendar is full with the tasks I need to do.
Whenever a new meeting is scheduled, it immediately goes on the calendar. Then, when I get assigned a new task, I estimate how long it’ll take and slot in time to work on it well before the deadline.
Just like with my planner, the system is foolproof. I never have to wonder about what I’m doing next – it’s all predetermined for me, by me.
You can use any calendar - physical or digital - to time block. I appreciate Google Calendar’s integrations with work tools like Zoom that save me the time of physically inputting each event, but use whatever best, as long as you can plan out how you’ll spend your time with the least amount of effort possible.
Part 3: The Environment
Thanks to the planner and calendar, I rarely miss a deadline or skip an important task. The physical organization, however – making sure I never lose my passport or papers for my next doctor appointment – has always been much more difficult.
I’ve moved several times over the last few years and each one has provided an opportunity to get more organized, to build better systems to ensure things don’t get lost.
The most important rule is that everything has a place, and that place should be logical. No matter how much of a minimalist you are, you likely have hundreds to thousands of items in your home, and your brain physically cannot remember the location of each one.
Everything should have a place that it goes back to, and that place needs to make sense to your brain. Keys should go in a drawer or hanger by the door. Phone chargers should go by your desk or nightstand. Pens should go in a drawer or holder on your desk. That way, if your memory fails, you’ll know roughly where to look for the item. Once you find it, make sure to put it back in that place as soon as you’re done with it.
This system takes a lot of work upfront; it’s hard to be thoughtful about each and every item you own, and may require some re-working until you find the perfect place for everything.
But once you have a spot for everything, it’s foolproof; you never need to wonder where your social security number or that card you bought six months ago that you keep forgetting to send are. Because they’re right where they should be.
Take the Time to Build the System
A lesson I’ve learned moving three times over the past five years - you will stick to the system you set up first. Wherever I put things when I’m unpacking is where they stay until the next move.
Take the time to build a system that works, that’s repeatable, and that fits your lifestyle. Because once you’ve built it, it’ll be hard to change again.
