Keep organizing supplies available.
The most annoying thing that can happen to you is to (finally) begin the process of working on a project... especially one that you've been putting off, and discover that you don’t have all the tools you need to work on it.
The most common problem I find among people who claim they are “disorganized,” is that “everything is everywhere.” There is no pattern, or logic to where things are placed. Thus, there is no pattern or logic to the process of attempting to find things that are mis-placed. Anything could literally be anywhere.
How does this happen? It happens daily, by just putting things here “just for now.” It happens because no thought was put into deciding where things should go, they just go anywhere. It happens because the original plan gets buried by the moment. How else could papers end up in the linen closet? How else could airline tickets end up lost in the pages of a book? (This really happened!)
The way to make sure supplies are always available when you need them is to think first about where you will be when you need them. For example, do you need a pencil or pen, and paper by each telephone? Do you need a stapler and paper clips by your desk?
Think about where you are when you need something... and think about what you need where you are. Then, make a plan to allow room for what you need where you need it.
I once worked with a woman who had eleven staplers. Why? Because every time she needed a stapler she couldn't find one, so she would go out and buy another one. When we really analyzed where she used a stapler, she ended up needing four of them (but not eleven). Once we placed a stapler in each of these places, there was always one available when she needed it.
Happy and successful organizing!
Marsha Sims
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