How to Create the Inspiration Binder of Your Dreams

The ball-room at IKEA was for amateurs. Or at least, that’s what my sister and I always used to think. The real thrill of accompanying our parents to the flat-packed, furniture store lay in exploring the faux living spaces that were set up throughout the store. Playing in all of those little apartments and lofts fostered a love of home decor in us at an early age. The smaller and more efficient the space was, the more interesting it became. For me, these spaces represented freedom and independence and I longed to have one of my own. (My parents sometimes joke about how I was ready to leave the nest even before I had reached high school.)

Fast forward years and years later, through dorm rooms and crumbling student housing shared with too many roommates, to a few years ago when I was ready to take the plunge and get my own big-girl apartment. (Which was like, the only thing I had been waiting for my whole life.) Being the organized person I am, however, I needed a place to keep track of all of my projects so I created my very own inspiration binder for the project.

If you’ve never made an inspiration binder, I suggest you take a look at your calendar, make yourself a date, grab yourself a binder, and start planning. It’s never too early to start. I created one of my dream apartment, but you can make one for your dream cottage, your dream vacation, your dream wardrobe- your dream whatever. My personal organizing system relies on a series of binders, but you can use whatever works best for you- whether it be a notebook, a scrapbook, a folder or a duo-tang. Anything goes as long as it can hold all of the information that you need.

However, if you decide to follow my lead and use a binder, I highly recommend making the best of the format and getting creative- use dividers, sticky tabs and folders to organize to track information and keep it separate; and use sticky notes, highlighters and colored pens to highlight important information. I use page protectors to house important documents and flimsy materials like paint chips and magazine tears. Depending on the size of your binder and how organized you are, you may want to invest in binder supplies such as three-hole punches, pencil cases with grommets, and specialized sleeves to house additional material you may to keep close by.

Once the binder itself is assembled, gather all of the necessary materials you might need to include to work on your project. (Click here for more info on how I organize projects.) This list may include things like magazine tears, paint chips, sketches, budgets, spreadsheets, checklists, mind maps, correspondence or legal documents. Similar to the command central binder, your inspiration binder should be a one-stop shop for all of the required resources to make your dream project a reality.

I found assembling an inspiration binder for my dream apartment an incredibly valuable process in organizing the massive project that was moving into my own place, but your inspiration binder definitely doesn’t have to be as technical as mine. In fact, it doesn’t have to be technical at all. Over the years, I’ve had inspiration binders devoted to recipes I wanted to try, gardens I admired, and organized spaces I wanted to emulate. Yes, their practical uses were limited but the enjoyment they provided me was endless and still remains to this day one of my favorite ways that I’ve organized my clippings and tear sheets. It was literally like having my own magazine.

Needless to say, my parents weren’t too surprised when I showed them my inspiration binder, nor were they shocked when I borrowed and subsequently returned their respective copies of the IKEA catalogue with pages missing. I think they knew exactly where those clippings had ended up.

What have you been dreaming lately? Comment below or let’s keep it between us when you write me at keepingbusywithb@gmail.com.

If you liked this article and want to learn more about organizing projects and binders, I highly recommend taking a look at how to assemble your own Command Central binder here, and the best way to define your projects here. For more ideas on getting organized and keeping busy, click here.

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How to Make Up For Lost Time

Life happens. Interruptions occur. Things get in the way. Despite our best intentions, most of us have had to deal with backlog in one way or another, but once you have a case of backlog it can start spreading like the plague. The more time you spend trying to catch up on the work that you’ve missed means you’re missing out on even more new work coming your way or worse; you’re so caught up with tasks that need your constant attention that you let your older projects slide until it becomes a bigger problem- you miss a deadline, you let down a colleague, or even lose a client.

The key to dealing with any kind of back log is to figure out a way to deal with your workload as efficiently as possible without getting overwhelmed.

At the beginning of any project, I recommend writing down all the tasks that are involved. The same can be applied to your backlog. Make a list of all your projects that are on your plate.

Working on a project is fruitless if you do not have all the materials or information needed for its completion. Organize all the necessary paperwork, gather your materials, and contact those involved for any additional information you don’t have. It’s better to know exactly what you’re dealing with then discover you’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle while in the middle of a project. If you’re waiting for other people to get back to you on something, accept that this task is temporarily out of your hands and focus on the things that only you control.

Now that you have a better picture of the things you need to work on, prioritize what you need to work on based on urgency. Is a project or colleague at risk if you don’t deliver something on time? Have you made a commitment to something you cannot back out of? Are you responsible for another person’s health, safety or well-being? All of these tasks need your attention first.

Next, see what you can juggle.  Are there tasks that you can delegate to others, such as personal assistants, subordinates, caregivers or secretaries? Is there a co-worker who can pick up that shift or take on that extra work for you? If there’s anything on your list that no longer holds your interest, has no direct benefit to you personally or professionally, or is a commitment that is bigger than you are willing and/or able to take on, consider deleting it.

Finally, decide what you can put off. This is officially your back-log and can only be processed once your other, more urgent tasks are completed. Even if it still seems enormous, you can forge ahead with the confidence that the most important aspects of your life are under control.

Like any other large project, it’s always best to break it down into small chunks. Try breaking down tasks based on category, or action (like “Meeting Notes to Type” or “Reports to Review”). Make room in your schedule for dedicated back-log processing time, paying attention to energy levels throughout the day. If you find yourself procrastinating, make your processing time a special date with yourself and take your work to a coffee shop, or reward yourself with a small gift or special treat. If you’re having trouble finding the time, try and find hidden chunks of time in your schedule to catch up on reading or other easily portable tasks, such as commuting or waiting for a flight.

Making up for lost time and getting down to dealing with your backlog is a task that’s often overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Remember I did it, and I was the girl who was accused of running a law firm out of her tiny apartment. I shudder to think about the months I spent dealing with all of that backlog, but the sheer amount of space I gained (and the peace of mind it gave me) was well worth the battle.

Want more advice on how to deal with workflow? I make it my life’s work to figure out other people work. I share all my ideas on productivity, scheduling and organizing all in the Busy section of my blog.

Do you need to catch up on your clutter? Find out all about how I purged my apartment here, and all the papers I would not recommend getting rid of here. Cleaning out your closet? I did that too.

Still having trouble breaking down your enormous to-do list? Read my suggestions on how to best tackle it here. Or read this post to find out how I re-organized my to-do lists so I could actually get things done.

 

Book Review: David Allen and the Weekly Review

 

It took me a few years and a couple of re-reads of David Allen’s Getting Things Done before I finally started to appreciate why his “GTD” methodology has become so popular. (If you’re not familiar with it, you can take a gander at it here, but don’t worry- I won’t get into it too much for this post.) As much as I love productivity and organizing, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Sure, it seemed like a great way to get a grip on everything that was going on in your head, but how could tracking all of those tasks possibly help my workflow?

Actually, it helps a lot. I realized the majority of my time was spent in crisis mode, approaching each project with the grace of a bull in a china shop because it needed to get done, like, yesterday. Long-term projects fell by the wayside because they required too many steps, and appeared insurmountable when lumped in with other tasks on my to-do list, like “get milk”.

Other than teaching me that projects like “design client’s blog” do not belong on the same list as “mail birthday card”, adopting (some) aspects of the GTD methodology in my life has allowed me to improve my workflow by breaking down larger tasks into their most basic parts so that I can better prioritize projects and strategically choose how much time I spend working on them.

One of the best things that has helped me is adopting the practice of a “Weekly Review” even though I avoided it for ages. Putting aside a chunk of time every week seemed selfish and unproductive. I convinced myself that planning work wasn’t actually the same as working.

But it kind of is. One day when I felt like I was finally about to lose my mind, I tried a Weekly Review in a last-ditch attempt to control the swirl of thoughts in my head. Taking a moment to take a step back and take inventory of upcoming projects, meetings, and appointments was like a ray on sunshine on a cloudy day. It gave me clarity and focus where I had previously lacked. In fact, it was such a great experience that I did it the next week, and the next week, and the next.

I’m not perfect; I don’t do a Weekly Review religiously (read: weekly). When I do manage to do sit down and do one, I try to make it seem less like a chore by grabbing a great cup of coffee and putting on some of my favorite music. I mute my phone, grab all of my supplies and give myself an hour or two of pure planning bliss. For me this involves updating all of my to-do lists, planning my schedule for the week ahead, syncing my devices and coordinating all of my calendars. Depending on my time commitment and energy level I use the time to brainstorm future projects, or process notes.

Instead of keeping the practice rigid I try to tailor each weekly review to whatever my current needs are, both personally and professionally. In that way I’ve become to think of it more like a date with myself and so far the relationship is going well- I like to think of the Weekly Review as a way to be kind to my future self so she has some direction to her days and is better equipped to deal with real-life interruptions and crises as they come up.

If you’ve ever found yourself staring down at your desk at the end of the day with no recollection of what you’ve actually accomplished, a Weekly Review is for you. If you feel constantly interrupted, the Weekly Review is for you. Are you the most super-organized person in the world with the prettiest, most colorful agenda ever (like myself)? The Weekly Review is still for you. Use the time and give yourself permission to dream, and plan, and work towards your goals. It’s one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.

And this kind of date is totally free.

Psst- wanna see which books have previously graced my bookshelves? Click here. Want even more fun reading recommendations? I’ve got some for you here. Don’t forget to find me on Goodreads so we can snoop each other’s bookshelves and dish about our favourites.

Wanna know more about the GTD methodology? Getting Things Done is the book I revisit the most frequently, but you also may want to check out Ready for Anything and Making It All Work. Let me know which is your favorite. Happy reading!