A new year, a fresh start! Well, it was a new year a few weeks ago and the fresh start has been somewhat hampered by lots and lots of snow and excited children wanting to build snowmen. Simon has also become pretty busy and as his time requirements in the office increase so mine slowly disappear. It’s a hazard of keeping your child care a family affair.
Still, my first morning in the office since mid-December and I’m going to spend a little time organising myself and reviewing where I’m at with printing and other projects. Doing all this just makes me think about how I go about organising myself though and I’m going to waste just a bit more time writing about it rather than doing it……
I’m pretty new to blogging and all things associated with it but so far it has helped me to really focus my ideas about life and connect with some great people who are interested in the same things. It has also helped me make some really important decisions about what I want and perhaps more crucially what I don’t want (I want more experiences from life and less stuff – sounds so simple and it is). What it hasn’t done is help me find a way to get there. A way to stay organised, focused, move my projects forward, keep my life flowing in the right direction, not get distracted. In fact, the sheer amount of advice and information has been, at times, more baffling than it has been helpful.
Clearly different things work for different people, but I guess I just don’t respond well to being told that this particular way is the way to do something. I imagine I share a preferred way of learning with at least some other people out there, but the direct, “this is the way” one ain’t it. Blogs that present information in this way are so often contradictory, even within themselves on occasion. I’ve learned, for example, to make a list, not to make a list, to prioritise, not to prioritise, to de-clutter, of course not to de-clutter, to organise, and yes, you guessed it, not to organise (the argument here being that if you have stuff to organise, you have too much stuff….). I’ve learned the importance of setting myself goals that I must achieve in order to be productive, and then to forget the rules, not to set goals for fear of failing. To digitise everything but of course not to constantly be at the beck and call of digital devices but to switch off from the world. Blogs that set out bizarre systems seemingly for the sake of having a system.
I don’t ever seem to manage to follow a particular system either. I read a very good book recently which set out a whole approach to life. It works, apparently, and on the face of it it certainly seemed to offer solutions to all the things I want to achieve. A system for keeping notes, having a clear desk, not forgetting stuff, moving forward on projects, being productive, achieving. But it fundamentally goes against my instinctive way of organising myself. It requires constant attention. It’s like a machine that needs to be fed otherwise it goes crazy and sends your world into disarray. I have a more ad-hoc approach. I have limited time in the office and two small children who require my attention (and to whom I’d much rather give it!). I can’t devote enough of my brain capacity to such a system. I’m not organised enough to be organised!
So how do I learn? Well I’ve found out over the years that my learning style is much less direct. I learn from other people’s stories. My favourite blogs are those which offer someone else’s experiences for me to share. No right or wrong implied, no direction given, take from it what you will. I wonder if people are essentially unchangeable. If we can tweek our ways and methods but major change just isn’t possible. Or is it just me? Our mothers advise us girls that we can’t change the men in our lives and to try is just a recipe for heartbreak. Maybe that goes for me too. I can’t seem to adopt another person’s system. Interesting though they are to read, those lists of ten ways to do whatever just don’t work. I have to find my own way. It would be great though, if a list like that did work. So quick, no effort required, just tick them off and away you go.
I agree completely. I have found my best way of learning is by taking in people's stories, not their systems, and a bit of trial & error. The best organizational system is the one that fits your life (and thus, requires the least amount of work). Naomi, I enjoy your writing and your honesty. I look forward to hearing great things from you in the new year. Best of luck to you and yours.
-Kat
theminimallist
Hi Kat Thank you so much! It's so encouraging to get such positive feedback. And to find some friends in the organising jungle....
Chris
Posts like this are why your blog is at the top of my list of minimalist-oriented blogs. You "get" it. Like you, I learn from the experiences of others. In those experiences, I see things that will work for me and I can incorporate those ideas into my own life without having to accept the rest of the stuff that I know won't do it for me. I am sick of blogs that tout "22 ways to X" or "14 things that will help you Y". Thank you for being a voice in the wilderness.
theminimallist
Hi Chris Thank you for such encouraging words. We got a bit tired of the lists too and have been looking for more personal blogs. Do recommend any you think might be up our street.
My preferred style of learning is similar to yours. When I read Total Money Makeover I would skip around to the stories. Right now, I'm working thru the revised 4 Hour Work Week and am hitting the stories at the end of each chapter first.
A decade ago I heard a lecture by Zig Ziglar where he mentioned that everyone should write a book called, "Everything I Think You Need to do to Be Successful," even if they never intend to publish it.
Maybe laying out your own book on the blog in a series of bite-size posts would help you and your readers? It's something I am considering on my own blog. It would be cool to get a bunch of simple living bloggers together to do the same.
Just brainstorming here...
Glad Yer Back - Charley
theminimallist
Hi Charley Thanks so much for your comments and for the welcome back! I like the book idea. Our blog kind of happens as and when we have a minute and topics jump around a bit depending on what's going on in life and what we've been talking about. Just the word Book is a bit scary! Your blog is looking good by the way. I can't believe you manage to write anything with triplets! I found it hard enough having one at a time!
Fresh
A new year, a fresh start! Well, it was a new year a few weeks ago and the fresh start has been somewhat hampered by lots and lots of snow and excited children wanting to build snowmen. Simon has also become pretty busy and as his time requirements in the office increase so mine slowly disappear. It’s a hazard of keeping your child care a family affair.
Still, my first morning in the office since mid-December and I’m going to spend a little time organising myself and reviewing where I’m at with printing and other projects. Doing all this just makes me think about how I go about organising myself though and I’m going to waste just a bit more time writing about it rather than doing it……
I’m pretty new to blogging and all things associated with it but so far it has helped me to really focus my ideas about life and connect with some great people who are interested in the same things. It has also helped me make some really important decisions about what I want and perhaps more crucially what I don’t want (I want more experiences from life and less stuff – sounds so simple and it is). What it hasn’t done is help me find a way to get there. A way to stay organised, focused, move my projects forward, keep my life flowing in the right direction, not get distracted. In fact, the sheer amount of advice and information has been, at times, more baffling than it has been helpful.
Clearly different things work for different people, but I guess I just don’t respond well to being told that this particular way is the way to do something. I imagine I share a preferred way of learning with at least some other people out there, but the direct, “this is the way” one ain’t it. Blogs that present information in this way are so often contradictory, even within themselves on occasion. I’ve learned, for example, to make a list, not to make a list, to prioritise, not to prioritise, to de-clutter, of course not to de-clutter, to organise, and yes, you guessed it, not to organise (the argument here being that if you have stuff to organise, you have too much stuff….). I’ve learned the importance of setting myself goals that I must achieve in order to be productive, and then to forget the rules, not to set goals for fear of failing. To digitise everything but of course not to constantly be at the beck and call of digital devices but to switch off from the world. Blogs that set out bizarre systems seemingly for the sake of having a system.
I don’t ever seem to manage to follow a particular system either. I read a very good book recently which set out a whole approach to life. It works, apparently, and on the face of it it certainly seemed to offer solutions to all the things I want to achieve. A system for keeping notes, having a clear desk, not forgetting stuff, moving forward on projects, being productive, achieving. But it fundamentally goes against my instinctive way of organising myself. It requires constant attention. It’s like a machine that needs to be fed otherwise it goes crazy and sends your world into disarray. I have a more ad-hoc approach. I have limited time in the office and two small children who require my attention (and to whom I’d much rather give it!). I can’t devote enough of my brain capacity to such a system. I’m not organised enough to be organised!
So how do I learn? Well I’ve found out over the years that my learning style is much less direct. I learn from other people’s stories. My favourite blogs are those which offer someone else’s experiences for me to share. No right or wrong implied, no direction given, take from it what you will. I wonder if people are essentially unchangeable. If we can tweek our ways and methods but major change just isn’t possible. Or is it just me? Our mothers advise us girls that we can’t change the men in our lives and to try is just a recipe for heartbreak. Maybe that goes for me too. I can’t seem to adopt another person’s system. Interesting though they are to read, those lists of ten ways to do whatever just don’t work. I have to find my own way. It would be great though, if a list like that did work. So quick, no effort required, just tick them off and away you go.
Right then, where’s that piece of paper….
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