To-Do’s – Technology and Traditional

My adamant approach to all things we do – whether organizing, managing time, cleaning, or working on our goals – is to find our own, individual way. There is no one right way to do anything. Take what works from each approach and combine it into something that works for you, even using any of your own unique ideas no one’s ever mentioned. And no matter how good or logical something sounds – follow your own needs. Additionally change or adapt it when it makes sense. When it comes to to-do lists, it can be completely personalized, where only you matter.

Recently I talked about my to-do program on my iPad – Appigo’s Todo. Yet, as much as I use it and wouldn’t give it up, it’s only part of how I handle my to-dos. I do rely on it and is the place where I try to capture all the tasks I need to do – eventually. This is often called a “brain dump” where you get all your tasks – regardless of priority, relevance, timeline, limitations, and etcetera – out of your head. It’s not important how you capture them outside your head as long as they’re saved somewhere besides your brain. This is one of the important aspects my technology to-do list serves for me.

This complete collection of all your to-dos can be utterly overwhelming. I’ll confess that quite often looking at my whole to-do list can paralyze me. It’s not that I don’t recognize what needs to be done or that many items are for the future – it’s just that there’s so many – ugh. A pro for a digital collection of your tasks is that it stays neat and never requires you to rewrite it since you can move, rearrange, and modify any and all tasks easily. I’m pretty confident that I am saving significant time simply by not rewriting and reorganizing my lists!

For exactly this reason as well as some other reasons, I sit down once a week with this master to-do list, my calendar, and my ARC notebook. I review most of the tasks on my list considering the time and energy I’ll likely have to dedicate to working on these items. Then I date the page in my ARC notebook, “June 3-9, 2013” and proceed to list typically 7-14 tasks, the goals of what I want to accomplish during that week. The process of writing them down serves me in a couple of way – it forces me to be mindful of how many tasks I’ve set out to do since I find that just a digital list can too easily grow unrealistically. Also, writing them down seems to help my memory of them without the list in front of me – there’s research that supports the process of writing connects our brains with it more than just reading it.

A couple of notes:

– generally I recommend not setting more than 3 goals/tasks per day as a common struggle is to overestimate how much we can do which can then lead us to feeling unsuccessful and more overwhelmed though of course varies according to your own life

– some people find it helpful to add their tasks directly into their calendar which is great if it works (my inner child rebels against that vehemently! lol)

Even with this process, it doesn’t mean that I don’t look at my master to-do list during the week. First, my master list has regular daily or weekly tasks that aren’t included on my weekly handwritten to-dos. Second, as much as we might try to plan our weeks (or days) things can arise that require we adapt or change our focus.

This is when I find the digital to-do list additionally helpful. Most (maybe all?) digital to-do programs come with multiple features for organizing your to-dos. How you set those up and how you use them is quite personal. I’ve designated areas or “roles” of my life (which I talked some about in, Tasks – Big Picture View): Routines (this is new for me), Business, Household, Health, Personal, Volunteering. Ideally I spend some time each week in each of these areas and if I need to shift my goals for the week, I can consider if I want to focus on a particular area and use the program to only look at those tasks. I have some tasks set with an alarm, which helps make sure they’re dealt with.

Another way the digital to-do list helps me is that I set up contexts (only 1 per task) and tags (no limit per task), both of which I can sort with and see only those tasks that relate to what I’ve specified. There are times when I put off certain types of tasks and then find myself motivated to tackle them. Let me give you an example – what I consider “technical” phone calls are disturbingly problematic, those phone calls where

there’s a strong probability that it will either be phone tag and I’d ideally be around to limit the phone tag or
require being on hold indefinitely

Chances are that only those types of phone calls are even on my master to-do list and by setting the context as “@Phone calls” I can pull all them up regardless of what category they fit into and burn through them when I have the time and feel up to it. Similarly one way I use tags is for identifying types of tasks that match my current capabilities – my physical and mental state like I talked about in Your Tasks have Needs.

I’ve combined my to-do list into using both technology and more traditional methods. Some might find my way to be slightly redundant. Yet it’s my way, not anyone else’s – it’s been changed and modified over the years according to what does and doesn’t work as well as working through how to make it more successful. I doubt I will ever be done tweaking it – like the written list that sometimes has a specific day written by the tasks and sometimes time estimates while most of the time it’s just the task. It’s most important that you find ways that work for you – a system for handling your tasks that supports you in making progress through them – whatever that ends up looking like for you.

Listen to Understand

My husband was sharing how he overheard some coworkers talking – Dave was asking about the family situation of John. Then Dave began to tell John just what he needed to do. Meanwhile my husband knew a bit about John’s situation and saw how Dave wanted to give advice more than understand the choices John and his family had consciously made.

Families can be notorious for having the answers for each other. The mom/dad/sibling who knows just what you need to do, and it would solve all your difficulties. Except they really don’t. This doesn’t just happen in families, it happens with coworkers and friends, almost anywhere. We all like to think we understand what the other person is dealing with and how to help them.

We share a common bond – we’re human and have similar life experiences. We went to school. We have a family. We’ve felt unwell. We’ve loved; we’ve lost. We want to connect. Yet with all our shared, similar experiences, the way we think and feel about those things can be dramatically different for each of us. Our perspective about these events is based on more than the actual event – it’s colored by our prior life experiences, our own personality, the effect of that experience, and the list can go on and on.

Some people think that as a professional organizer I will come on in and know just what to do to fix their struggles. I could try to do that – although I won’t. It wouldn’t be sustainable that way, since it doesn’t take into account the individual and their situation. The cause of their struggles could be any number of things and without understanding that – how much of a true solution could there possibly be? All those variations based on their life need to be considered.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t present lots of ideas and share stories. I will even discourage someone from tackling things in a certain way. Yet, each person is truly an individual so that means they need to learn and experience things their way. How many of us touching a hot stove at some point in life, despite being told not to? Sometimes we need to learn things for ourselves, through direct experience.

What I try to do most is to listen. Then I ask questions to follow up on what they’ve shared. I listen to the language they use – are there lots of “shoulds” in what they are choosing? What are those “shoulds” about? How did this or that experience effect them? My answers are not their answers, just as my experience is not their experience – the perspective we take away can be strictly our own.

This was illustrated a while back for me as I was working with one of my clients. I wish I remembered the specific details more, though she was sharing an experience with me. She and I have several things in common – I can relate to many things in her experience, and I almost jumped in with a comment about “yeah, I know how you feel…” Then I caught myself (it does take practice to counter the familiar response of jumping in with both answers and relating) and instead asked her how that felt. Her response was not what I’d expected – despite our similarities. That is exactly what stuck with me – by listening and asking more, I heard her and learned more about her experience.

One of the greatest gifts we can offer people is to listen to them. Really listen to them. Get curious – about yourself and others – and ask follow-up questions. How did you decide on that? What influenced this choice? Deep down what we all want is to be heard – hoping to be understood. Everyone could be understood – their choices came from their life and experiences. Practice listening – it’s harder than you might think!

Your Tasks have Needs

Endless to-do lists exist everywhere. Even when you get caught up on your current tasks, more to-dos are bound to come your way. There’s no escaping them, whether you write them down or keep them in your head. Living our life, there is always more to do. Finding a way to organize your to-do list can be just as individual as anything else – discovering how to make it work for you is most important. Part of making things work for you is to make the most of your current state.

It’s not uncommon that some of us are most successful with completing certain types of tasks. What do those tasks have in common? What makes them easier to handle? What’s similar between tasks you tend to avoid? What leads you to feeling successful with your to-do list? What’s the biggest challenge with your list?

Our current state can have a dramatic impact on how we move through or avoid our tasks. Too often we wait until our feelings to lead us to our to-do list, “Now I feel ready to work on my list.” Yet what happens when you are always too tired, too sick, too overwhelmed?

I challenge you to consider your tasks in a different way – match the tasks with what you are capable of right now. Although there any number of ways to break tasks into categories, for this particular approach consider these two factors – the physical and mental requirements – for each task on your list.

It’s more likely that you get the physical tasks accomplished when you feel like you have enough energy to tackle it. Yet, when you are struggling with consistent fatigue or pain issues, those active tasks might be put off. This makes sense. Although if you begin to consider your tasks according to how physical they are, you can also begin to figure out how to make the most of your energy when it’s available – you’ll know which tasks to make a priority.

Likewise when you have little to no energy, you probably have tasks that are less physically strenuous. If you’ve identified which tasks those are, you can tackle those. And be sure to consider if there are ways to make some tasks less physically demanding – like the drawer you can pull out completely and put it next to you on the couch.

The second category can be just as important as the physical requirements per task. Our mental state and completing tasks has the potential to backfire – think about organizing something when you are practically brain-dead with exhaustion (which hopefully you wouldn’t do anyway). There are tasks that we can complete almost automatically – you don’t need to be completely focused to get your dishes done. Other tasks need more attention – we have to think and make decisions.

Both of these 2 categories are both really a spectrum – it’s generally not as simple as sedentary versus active – it’s a scale where you move between the two extremes. I generally think of tasks as falling on one side or the other though – for simplicities sake. I apply the same rules to the mental category too – complex versus simple (often thinking of them as intellectual vs. mindless). Yet, even by putting tasks into these extremes brings awareness about what each task will need of my attention whether they easily fit into those extremes. Then you also can alternate among the different categories to maintain or even increase your progress through your to-do list.

Therefore if you can match up the tasks on your list to your current state, mentally and physically, you can probably get a lot more crossed off your list. By pairing up your tasks with your current abilities, you will also prevent the need for a long recovery – physically or emotionally – from accidentally overextending yourself. Considering your to-do list with these factors in mind offers you the opportunity to make the most of your time and energy to get things accomplished in a sensible way.

Brief Overview of Some Organizing Products

The NAPO conference each year is such an experience of learning – both from the presentations about various topics and the expo hall where vendors display and sometimes share samples of their products. I’ve started sharing products that I want to review, yet there are plenty of products that I’m not inclined to review. That doesn’t mean they are uninteresting or wouldn’t be useful – it’s more about seeing those products as fairly self-explanatory, obviously useful or not depending on your individual needs. Then it occurred to me that you all might know these things even exist, therefore I’m here to share several products shared at the NAPO conference expo this year.

1. Bankers Box – We’re probably all familiar with these, they hold file folders perfectly with lids and handles. What you might not know is that they are offering more specialized boxes for home storage (Fellowes Bankers Box Home Organization) – they have a prettier design than the straight cardboard as well as this line of products provides windows on the side of the box in order to see some of the contents. This line also includes an ornament storage box in red and green (including the window and handles).

A banker’s box from Fellowes Home Organization line

2. EZ Flag Writing Pad – This is a traditional notepad with the perforated edge on top, with a couple of additional features – repositionable stick-on flags for labeling and highlighting on the bottom of the pad. It means you can leave your highlighter and flags at home and still have them with you.

EZ Flag Writing Pad with flag and highlighting stickies on pad itself

3. Vertical Reinforced Expanding Wallet – There seems to be a movement toward shifting the orientation for paper organization and this is one example. We know about expanding wallets with (then called accordion folders) or without dividers – now when you look in, the top of the papers are easier to read and find – if you don’t mind the necessary depth.

Vertical Expanding Wallet (sorry for the blurriness -it’s hard to hold steady while snapping a picture)

4. Privacy CopySafe File Jacket – These are just like all the 2-sided poly sleeves (or jackets) except this one has a privacy pattern on it. That means any potentially prying eyes won’t be able to tell what your papers are while still providing you with some visibility.

Privacy CopySafe File Jacket with a paper partway in to see the effect

5. What’s That Paint – Here’s something new – labels made specifically for your paint cans. It has space for you to put information about the paint and your use of it: area/room, color, finish & base, brand/store, date, other, and a place to dab the color on the label. You’ll never have to wonder when or where you applied what can of paint again.

Labels for your paint cans from What’s That Paint

These are a handful of products that have been displayed and shared at the NAPO conference expo. They certainly fill the needs for some people and are straightforward in their capabilities. And just as much, not everyone will have a need for them. Yet, I believe it’s always great to know what is out there and possible for filling a need – whether now or down the road.

My Top Paid App Picks (plus one free app)

Continuing with the theme of technology and productivity, it’s time to talk about apps that might be worth paying for. Remember the most important aspect to any technology is what your personal needs are – how do you use or want to use your tools. Using our technology tools, we all vary in what we need and how we use them.

The chances are that there are some free apps that could help you avoid spending money. Yet even then there are times when it makes more sense to purchase something that will meet your needs. As I’ve said more than once, I tend to be frugal and especially dislike spending money on something that may or may not meet my needs. I have more than 100 apps, yet have spent money on only a few. Apps tend to be significantly less expensive than your traditional computer programs, and I appreciate that.

So, moving on, these are the apps I purchased and why.

1. Todo ($4.99)

This is exactly what it sounds like – a to-do program. In many ways it functions like many of the other to-do programs available. It allows you to create projects and checklists as well as a simple to-do item. You can create multiple categories – like home, work, personal, etc. as well as repeating tasks, start date, priority, alarms, etc. It also offers you the option of setting tags and contexts – so you can sort by these and see all your tasks that fall under one of these – like all your phone calls or those tasks that require your spouse’s help. One of the reasons I like it is that my past do items (yes, I do have past due to-do tasks!) are listed yet aren’t quite as annoying as with some other apps. This program is my brain dump for all tasks, it’s where I collect all those tasks that I need to remember and accomplish.

One image from Todo app (this view from phone, not tablet)

2. Pages ($9.99)

It’s a word processing app, the equivalent of Word for Mac, and it does allow you to save your files as a Word file (DOC) as well as a PDF. This is certainly an app that is useful only if you want and have a need for doing a fair amount of typing on your iPad. Not everyone adjusts to the keyboard or even needs to do much typing; I have written more than one blog on my iPad using this app. The iPad version is friendlier than the computer version of Pages. It is very straight forward and easy to use – not much of a learning curve.

One image from Pages app

3. Notability ($1.99 “on sale 60% now”)

A month ago I said I’d only purchased 5 apps, this one was my 6^th purchase as I was looking for another program that would allow easier note taking at the NAPO conference. It offers you the option of audio recording while you take notes, linking the place in the audio to your place in the notes. You can use the keyboard or writing (finger or stylus) as well as import PDF files to take notes on. You can export all of these out of the app if you want them elsewhere later. Since I’ve only just begun using the app, I can only comment on my usage so far, and I really like it and it’s versatility.

One image from Notability app

4. iAnnotate ($9.99)

This is an app for taking notes and annotating PDF files (though they’re now offering Word and PowerPoint annotation with a free account). It offers a number of options for how to mark-up the PDF’s and how to export them. I’ve found it a little cumbersome for note taking during conference sessions, though some of that depends on the format of what I’m annotating. When there’s not such a time constraint as being in a session, I prefer this app for annotating for it’s cleanliness and versatility in how I save and export it. Recently I had a PDF I needed to scan and get back to someone, I opened it in iAnnotate, signed and dated it, and emailed it back to her – all within the app. It was wonderful and saved the hassle (and needless paper) of printing it, signing in, scanning it, and attaching and emailing it back to them.

One image from iAnnotate app

5. Numbers ($9.99)

I use this one the least and primarily for a few business needs – it’s a spreadsheet app. Like Pages above, it’s the Mac equivalent for Excel, and allows you to open and send files as XLS (Excel) files. It has many features to offer the user the versatility to do what they need with their spreadsheet. This is a good example of an app that some will need, while it would be unnecessary for many people.

One image from Numbers app

Last month I said that I’d share the 5 apps I paid for and that 4 of them are indispensable to me. You might notice that there’s only 5 apps listed and one of them is quite new for me. The ones I’ve found to be indispensable are ToDo, Pages, and iAnnotate. There’s an app that I thought I’d paid for, and yet as I look at it now, it’s free!

That’s Penultimate. This is a great handwriting app. You can create multiple notebooks and sync them with Evernote – an apparently new feature that I’ve not used. This year I created a notebook for phone calls – a place to take notes on both the messages I collect from voicemail and while talking to someone. They’re all in one place and there’s a way to view all the pages within a notebook, so when I need to find my notes on a specific phone call it’s easy to do. It’s also the place I can quickly write something down, even with my finger (though it’s messier than with the stylus) and when I want to “throw” away the note, there’s an option to clear or delete the page. You can also send a whole notebook or even just a page within a notebook with email.

One image from Penultimate app

One of the things I’m realizing is how this tool – the iPad with associated apps – are moving me naturally toward being more paperless. This didn’t happen overnight – it’s actually taken me years of using it and adapting to using the technology. Yet, with my growing comfort and considering things in different lights I’m realizing how to utilize the various features more fully.

Some people believe tablets will replace computers before long, there’s nothing I can think of that you can’t do on a tablet. I still find my computer to be quite useful and in some ways easier to use – though we all know how fast technology changes. Now I’m going to feel like a broken record – find and use the tools that will assist you in making your life easier. 🙂

4 Products from the NAPO Conference 2013

I think it’s my curiosity, but I really look forward to seeing what products are being offered. The NAPO conference expo is a great place to discover new products. It’s a convenient way to learn about the variations that can be hard to be aware of without doing research – like with my recent post about Hanging Folders. And it’s already been another year and last week was our 2013 NAPO conference. Here are 4 products that I found interesting – though stay tuned to see more details about their actual performance.

1. Staples Better Binder with Removable FileRings

These are reinforced 3 ring binders that have pull-tabs to remove it from the binder. Once it has been removed from the binder, you can hang the 3-ring part in a filing cabinet. It even comes with a label on the back of the 3-rings for labeling. Other interesting aspects are that with the binder itself there is a convenient way to label the spine and for a page to be inserted on the front of the binder without traditional challenges. Also, the pockets that are included in binders with this particular one appear to be much more user friendly.

Binder with removable rings

2. Ampad Versa Crossover Notebook (from Pendaflex)

This is quite similar to the Arc Notebook from Staples that I reviewed from last year’s NAPO conference. I’m intrigued with the smaller page dividers and looking into other features this specific notebook offers.

Versa Crossover Notebook

3. Erasable Hanging Folder Tabs, Hanging Folders, and File Folders (from Smead)

These have a surface that allows you to use a white eraser to remove your prior label and then re-label them. The first thing I did when I saw these was to try to use my finger to smudge or erase the words – it had no impact. If you like to hand-write your labels, this could be a great way to keep your files and hanging folders useful for much longer.

Erasable hanging folder tab and file folder

4. Ampad Shot Note

This is something that received a fair amount of attention from all the organizer’s attending the expo. It’s a system for taking your notes and drawings from handwriting to handheld. There is special paper with four corners that connect with their app and converts it into digital files for you. I joked with the guy that you could avoid using their paper up by placing papers on top so that the 4 corners were still visible – as this is the most critical part for their system.

Ampad ShotNote

There were other products that were introduced which I might briefly share later. These were the ones that I found to be the most different that could also offer more features for the users. I’m intrigued with these and look forward to using them – seeing if I find more aspects to them as I implement using them.

My Top Free App Picks

Recently I talked about Technology Tools – To Get or Not to Get, as well as how well the iPad serves my needs. This lead me to think about what apps are virtually indispensable to me, as well as how extremely overwhelmed I can become even looking at all the possible apps.

It’s not surprising to be overwhelmed by the number of apps – since it’s reported that there are more than 1 million in iTunes. And it’s a personal peeve of mine that they don’t offer free trials – to see if the app will meet my needs before I spend money on it – even if it’s only $1.99 or some other “minor” amount. Those small purchases can add up. Yet, there are many free apps and I’ve only paid for 5 of the 100+ apps I have. I’ve been grateful for the input of friends on what is worth getting.

Therefore, without further ado, here are my top free apps and why.

1. Evernote

I’ve talked about Evernote before, in Note Taking for Virtually Everything, and need to revisit this incredible cloud program again in my blog. Since it’s a cloud program, it can be on most any device and offer you access to your account. Evernote is amazing in how it can collect all the things you want to remember and be functional. It can also serve as a place to back-up things from your iPad.

One view of Evernote

2. Dropbox

Here’s another cloud program that I talked about in my cloud computing entries, in Drop Files You Use – Here, which works with many devices to provide access to your account. It also offers the option to back-up data from your iPad into it, like photos, and can be easier than Evernote to access any pdf files.

One view of Dropbox

3. Alarmed

You probably know that I am a fan of timers – it’s a good tool to help keep you on track and to get a sense of the time things take you. I have 11 free timer apps on my iPad from my exploration of timer options. Alarmed is the one I use the most – it has both a reminder and a timer section and both allow you to create several alarms and choose from multiple alarm sounds. I use the reminders as a repeating system to remind me to relax before bed and similar things when I might lose track of time. The timer area has alarms for the washer and dryer as well as the “You can do 15 minutes” alarm when I’m struggling to get moving.

View of Alarmed timer

4. 30/30

I hope to use this one more, especially since they’ve recently resolved some issues. It’s similar to a timer app as it’s a self-proclaimed “task manager.” It offers a visual display of what’s on your list, the time remaining on the task and what’s up next. I’ve been using it to help me create new routines – many of us are familiar with how challenging it can be to get in new habits – and this gives me a framework for remembering and doing it. I also use it for times when I might have a tendency to get off track – a system for keeping me focused on one area for a period of time before moving to the next area. I really appreciate the visual aspects of this app – from choosing a color and an icon for each task as well as the ring with time elapsed moving along.

One view of 30/30

5. Dragon Dictation

This is another app that I don’t use all the time, yet when I use it, I really appreciate it. It does require an internet connection and you have a limited amount of time to speak, yet it does a pretty good job in transcribing your speech into text. From there you can send it or paste it into the app of your choice. Considering this is a $200- computer program that is free for the i-devices – it’s great!

One view of Dragon Dictation

There are more apps that I use and appreciate. These 5 free apps are the ones that help me most – with simplifying, with organization, with productivity, with supporting me in my life. Although these cannot help anyone if they sit unused on your device – you have to use it to make it helpful. Next month I’ll share the 5 apps that I did actually pay for – and 4 of them made it to my indispensable list along with these 5 I talked about today. Remember what matters most is finding and using the tools that will help you make the most out of your life.

Review: Accordion Folders

Pros:

Here’s an accordion folder I used for our wedding!

portable
one system, one piece
contains papers together yet separately

Cons:

limited number of papers within
doesn’t expand with need
isn’t conducive to flipping through the papers

Review:

One of the things I’ve found in working with people is that they haven’t always thought through the pros and cons of the “typical” organizing options. Accordion folders have been around a long time and can be quite useful. Let me say up front that I am not a fan of them personally. Yet, as I practically preach about – we each have to find our own ways, the products that work for each individual.

Accordion folders of various types are portable. If you need to move a collection of papers around or carry them somewhere, these folders can simplify that easily. The papers stay organized and can go with the person wherever they need them – even if it’s from room to room.

Here are 2 (of many) styles for accordion folders

Due to the design and function of accordion folders, there’s little to decide about – mostly a hard or soft cover. You don’t need to decide if you want to have hanging folders with file folders or just file folders (which lean without the framework of the hanging folders). Color options are fewer, though everything’s contained and you won’t be thinking about what color signifies what. The accordion folder offers you one system – all together, in one unit.

Since part of the design is the divided sections, you have a way to organize your papers together yet separately. You can use the accordion folder for one category of papers – like financial or medical – and each section holds some distinct type of paper related to that category. Or you can make it more broad where it’s all your recurring bills – credit cards, car payments, mortgage, medical expenses, etcetera.

Depending on how it’s used, this is where its limitations can become an issue. Since it is a self-contained system, it can only contain so much. The pockets are designed for a certain amount of papers before it the folder itself gets misshapen. Although file folders also have a limit on how many papers they can hold, the accordion folders pockets can hold significantly less. (Those creases at the bottom of file folders make their expansion possible and much easier.) Once you’ve maxed out the amount of papers in the accordion folder, you have to make adjustments.

Check out the bottom of an accordion folder – the frame has creased paper going up into each section – limiting how it holds your papers. This design is part of how paper is restricted within each section. Although you can expand the sections, that creased paper goes up into the section regardless of how much paper is stored in there. This also means that papers are more prone to getting bent, if that matters to you.

Here’s the side and bottom of an accordion folder which shows the creases

If you need to peruse a section of papers, looking for a specific one that isn’t in the front or back of the pocket, the design of the accordion folder makes that more challenging. The section dividers only move so far, which means seeing inside the pocket to the words on the paper isn’t much of an option – so you’ll probably pull all the papers out of that section to find the paper you need. In my mind that means more work for the user – and papers don’t always go (back) in neatly.

It’s probably pretty clear that the limitations of accordion folders have created a bias for me. I’m not much of a fan. Yet that doesn’t mean that I haven’t used them – there is something wonderful about their portability. As well as how useful they can be – depending on how you will use them. Just like with every product and tool out there, if a product meets your needs with its limitations (and every product has drawbacks) then use it.

The Experience – That’s What Matters

I’ve talked before the idea of gifting experiences instead of stuff. As well as talked about how the containers and tools we use for organizing need to fit our needs – their purpose is to make our life easier. Earlier this year I talked about Technology Tools and how these too need to be evaluated on how they could help us. Therefore, let’s move into media – my beloved books and music!

You might be getting sick of hearing how I hold onto books and CD’s, yet these too are about the experience. When I read, I’m learning or exploring – it’s information that I delve into and appreciate greatly. When I listen to music, whether it’s on in the background or I’m soaking it in – it’s part of my experience. These mediums are essentially about the experience of them. If they’re not used, they become either décor or clutter.

Since their purpose is to be used – are you using them as effectively as you can and want? For me, I knew I was missing much of our music. I simply forgot what we had, even with as organized as the CD’s are, and so they would stay in their drawers. And I was resisting the idea of digitizing our music. Yet as I thought about all the lovely music we have – about 800 albums of a wide variety of genres, and the ensuing guilt over owning yet not appreciating them – I agreed to move them into digital form.

We used an external hard drive to store the digitized music, purchased the Sonos system to have access to our music wirelessly, and presto we have digital access to our entire music library. Now we can listen and appreciate the music we love, which is what matters most. In addition, we used the process of digitizing our music to purge – was there any reason to keep those albums we ended up not loving?

I’ve not jumped into an e-reader yet – and am not sure if I will. I read daily and our books are organized so I can find what I want or need. Yet, as I’ve talked about with all these other things – what are your personal needs? This isn’t about following the crowd, but rather about whether an e-reader would facilitate your needs and values.

Remember, this is about the experience – and whether you hold a book in your hands or an e-reader, you can jump into the words, knowledge, and world either way. If I was traveling more I don’t think I could resist getting an e-reader – having any number of books available in one convenient place (without any additional weight). I’m impressed with the ease it can offer for people to read – in the waiting rooms, lunch breaks, wherever there’s some available time.

As with virtually everything I talk about – I am not advocating one thing or another. It’s about your life and what can help you in living it they way you want – to make the most of the experiences you want. And, I’m not saying that you need to get rid of the physical items even if they’re digital. We kept most of our CD’s, only parting with about 70 of them. Similarly, I couldn’t imagine parting with many of our books.

It’s all about experiencing the content. If you’re not accessing them, is there a better way? What’s getting in the way of using them? The digital possibilities offer us options in order for us to have the experience of them regardless of the medium. If you consider yourself a book or music lover, does your life reflect those values? If not, it might be time to consider alternatives that can help you in living your values.

Productive Spending

Just by my title you might be cringing, or rolling your eyes, or something. And if you’ve been following me a while, you hopefully will realize that I’m not here to tell you what to do – I do aim to challenge the way you think about things. It’s your life after all and no one but you is living it. Similarly with organizing principles, it’s about finding what works for you – taking the pieces and creating your own version.

Therefore, here’s one of the things I’ve learned for myself – there are times and places to spend more money. We hopefully all know that it’s wise to watch what and how we spend our money (though some statistics show few of us keep a budget). Yet, as with so much of what I talk about – I encourage you to be mindful.

Coming from parents who have tendencies toward being frugal, I can struggle to spend a couple of dollars for a treat. Once a year, chocolate oranges are available – around Christmas and I patiently wait for opening the stocking since my husband knows how much I love them. This year he wasn’t home and I walked into a store and happened to see them. I almost walked away, yet this is a treat I enjoy once a year, so why not? I bought myself two and savored every bite – those few dollars were well spent.

From an organizing perspective, I probably make my strongest suggestion during the whole process for their waiting to purchase supplies – those desirable containers and tools for helping with organization. This doesn’t come from a frugal point of view; it’s purely practical though it most often saves time and money in the long run too. If you buy a neat organizing tool before you’re ready to use it, let alone know if it’s going to meet your specific needs – it often becomes clutter. If you wait until you know what you need and can use it – you can bring it home and put it to use immediately.

When my husband and I moved into our new home, our first house, we bought a stud finder. We knew nothing about our walls or what kind of stud finder would be best for us and we went with a fairly inexpensive one. It turned out to be useless. Yet, this doesn’t mean the highest end product is the answer either. It does mean that it’s worth considering what your needs are – both for yourself and future.

It’s not always easy to know what is the worth spending the money on – when I first got my iPad, I picked up a stylus to use with a handwriting program. It worked, though too often it was frustrating and inconsistent. After talking with my husband, I purchased a different model that works really well. I appreciate its quality and have begun eliminating paper clutter from phone messages by using my stylus and iPad.

As you can see, this isn’t about a suggestion that will fit all of you – it’s about your life and stuff. Yet, it is about thinking about the things that have value and use in your life – and not scrimping on spending the money that will help support you. Living on either extreme rarely serves anyone. Therefore, when and where does it make sense to spend some more money for your needs?