Maintaining and actually using an organizational system can be even harder than getting organized. However, you can use a variety of techniques to stay deliberate in actions.
Here are six more to keep you on track:
1. Keep a Living System
Though you should not be continuously refining your system, your plan should be a living entity that you revisit as your needs and perspectives change.
2. Let Go of Perfection
No system is perfect. Organization is a process, not an endpoint. Accept that keeping order is ongoing and that good enough will likely lead to more pages than perfect.
3. Be Specific when Labeling
The easiest way to cause disorder is labeling a folder or box “miscellaneous.” Try to be as specific as possible when dividing items into sub-groupings. This doesn’t necessarily require additional complexity, however.
4. Accept that Organization is Memory Keeping
While the routines that help you stay organized don’t result directly in new scrapbooking pages, they are part of the entire process. Learn to embrace the whole journey as part of your memory keeping experience.
5. Consider the Future
As you evaluate your approach for organizing, consider not only how to scrapbook now but how you forsee your habits changing in the short and long term. This line of thinking offers additional perspective for shaping a system that works and will continue to do so.
6. Make Backup a Priority
You cannot be organized if you no longer have any photos or supplies. Anyone with digital files for memory keeping should keep at least one backup copy of files, including the organizational structure (e.g. folders, software profiles). Use these additional six strategies to help you make further progress towards being a mindful, organized memory keeper.
Tell us in the comments, which strategy you will work on first?
Definitely BACKING UP! I’m working on getting a system down. In the mean time, I backed up my laptop to my desktop (yes, I have two computers right now…both are old and neither provide everything I need on it’s own) and started putting all my photos on DVD. I’ll be buying a portable hard drive very soon to back up all photos and scrapbook files.
Great list! Thanks!
Let go of perfection and Consider the future. Both great thoughts.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 5 post on May. 04, 2011. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for this organization series. I will focus on making backing up a priority.
I couldn’t agree more about the living with your system and letting go of perfection. Even if you think something is the perfect solution and you love the idea, if you implement and find that it does not work……you have to change it and keep refining until you find what will work for you.
I’m definitely going to be more specific in labelling to make it easier to find things. In fact, this afternoon I went through my papers – I have some sorted by manufacturers, some sorted into generic kits, and some were page kits I put together for specific projects that I haven’t gotten to. I actually sorted them into each of those categories so now I know exactly where to look when I’m looking for a certain paper!
Thanks for the additional tips. Just this week I was able to do the 2nd one and let go of perfection. While I love the look of minimalist work spaces I decided to finally embrace what comes naturally to me: artful clutter. lol I think I will work on being more specific next, I have ended up with too many miscellaneous boxes and baskets!