Why Don’t Things Stay Organized? - PART I

Organization is relative.  Things that were once organized and stayed organized often become unruly again.   I used to spend time feeling guilty about this but have since come to realize that life changes, I change and my organizing systems need to change.  Although sometimes the organizing system wasn’ t the right one to begin with (more on that tomorrow).

The Bill Box 

I know that some areas of my life and the way I organize them have changed through the years.  When I was single I got myself into some financial trouble that ultimately was solved by becoming organized.  I put together something I called the ‘Bill Box’.  It had a slot in the top where I dropped the bills while I still had them in my hand from opening the mail.  When it was bill paying time I opened the box (which was one of those file cabinet boxes).  Inside were the bills, files for paid invoices, pens, envelopes, and stamps.  Having everything in one place helped and I stopped losing bills in various places in the house.  I carried this ‘Bill Box’ system into my marriage and it continued to work through a move into an apartment while building a home.  After moving into the new house I think the feeling of permanence enabled the ‘Bill Box’ to become a regular file in our new utility room.  Then all of the sudden the system was no longer working.  Bills were getting misplaced and paid late.  What happened? 

Our first baby, that’s what.  Honestly, I think I started losing my bill paying edge while still pregnant.  I must have known the ‘Bill Box’ system was coming to an end because I started putting any bill I could into our automatic payment service with Huntington Bank.  I really had no idea how the baby would rock my organized world!  All of the sudden it was too hard to remember to pay the bills when they were out of sight.  I had to devise a new system. 

A Hard Look 

I took a hard look at what I was doing and what I’d be able to do while managing the new baby.  I did not want to waste time and money trying solutions that went against the habits that were already forming.  I put every single bill I could into the Huntington System then bought one of those on-the-counter filers with a slot for each day of the month.  It has a little drawer to stash stamps and pens and has worked quite well for a little over two years now. 

This is just one example in my life of something that was organized then had to be reassessed due to a life change.  Mine was a baby (then two), but it could have been anything. 

Is there a previously organized area of your life that needs to be reassessed?  Don’t wait - reorganize!