Organizing the Chaos: Tips & Tricks

I often feel that my organizational powers have two settings: “Rocking It” or “Struggling to Survive.” Those moments when I’m in the former setting feel like I could rule the world. I might as well be wearing golden bracelets, because Wonder Woman and I are one and the same. Then I slip to the latter, and my mind feels like a Rubik’s Cube that can never be solved. The Virgo in me cries when I succumb to these chaotic ways.

After forgetting to submit October hot lunch orders for my sons, which resulted in packing cold lunches for a month, I was faced with a hard realization that I needed to get back in control of my organizational skills both at home and at work. I am hoping my experiences with different products and apps (both positive and not) will help others on their own search for what works for them.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, you won't pay a penny more, but I'll get a small commission.

Physical Resources

Erin Condren Monthly Planner

I’ve been buying planners from Erin Condren since 2015. Back then it was the hot new planner every teacher had to have, and as much as I hate to admit it, I love following a new fad. Sadly, this is not an inexpensive trend. My most recent planner cost about $48 (I consider it a Christmas gift to myself). Over the past decade, I have tried to find alternatives that work for me, but nothing quite seems as right as the Erin Condren planner.

What I like is that I can personalize this resource to fit my needs. I like having a monthly layout, but I have never found it useful to have a week-by-week planning calendar. Instead, I add notebook sheets after each monthly calendar. Any meeting notes I have or physical to-do list I make can go right there. This planner also has designated monthly spots for goals, important projects, and tracking. I opt for the bulky spiral monthly planner because it speaks to me, but Erin Condren offers all types of organizational tools. I’ve dabbled in a few different ones, and they all seem to have their perks.

Desktop Whiteboard

This desktop whiteboard seemed to be the new thing last year. A coworker, who struggles with ADHD, showed great success with completing to-do lists, so I was excited to add this to my own organizational repertoire. It’s not the worst, and clearly for some it works wonders, but for me this was not the answer. It turns out I prefer a desk Post-it more. What was nice, though, were the sweet messages students and my own children would add. I could see this also being nice for motivational messages needed to keep someone on track.

Hanging File Folders

I was pretty positive these Amazon Basics 36-inch Hanging File Folders would end up thrown into my classroom closet untouched, but I was pleasantly wrong. These folders have been a great asset in keeping classroom handouts organized for a unit at a time, especially when students who were absent ask, “Did I miss anything?” In the past, I would have been shuffling through dozens of papers on my desk. Now, I can grab them quickly, or better yet, have students take charge and take what they need. They have also been great for extension activities or mindfulness handouts for students to grab.

In terms of using them at home, those colors would make me go crazy, but I have loved this wall file system. After one too many handouts from my kids’ schools went disappearing, we needed a system in place. Now we all know at home: when there is an important paper sent home, keep it there! The Sunday night panics of, “Where is that permission slip I need to sign?” or “Where is that turkey feather we were supposed to decorate?” have greatly decreased.

Digital Resources

Forest App

I am obsessed with Forest. In terms of organizing my time management and controlling my phone use, I can’t praise this app enough. Normally I shy away from paid apps, but for a one-time payment of $3.99 I decided to try it.

The gist of this app is that you set a timer for how long you want to focus (10-minute minimum, 120-minute maximum), and during this time you are growing a tree, plant, or flower (your choice). Only apps that are on your approved “Deep Focus” list can be accessed during this time. If you can avoid ending the timer early to use your phone, your plant seed will become fully grown and your forest will grow (you also earn coins to buy new plant options). If you stop the timer early, a withered tree will be added to your forest. I was shocked by how much the threat of a withered tree would keep me motivated. My sons also love to pick the plant and see it grow, which is an awesome bonus. So often they are begging to play on my phone. Now they know that when we’re planting a tree, no one touches the phone.

Is there anything stopping me from getting distracted with something outside of my phone? No. But my phone is a dark hole for me. I also categorize what I am working on when I set the timer, so it’s helpful with setting a goal for that time. Beyond just staying focused on housecleaning, laundry, planning, and grading, it has been a game changer for committing to reading. Reading is a huge passion of mine, but too often I sit down with my book and end up just scrolling. Not anymore.

Todoist App

Although I love a good physical to-do list where I can make a dramatic check when complete, the amount of times I am laying in bed and tasks begin to fill my head is too often. Keeping my monthly planner on my nightstand was unrealistic, so I knew I needed a digital way to keep track of my to-dos. After some preliminary research, both the Todoist app (free) and Things 3 app (paid) popped up as options. So far, I’m vibing with Todoist.

At first, the notifications it was sending stressed me out. They had different initial challenges they wanted me to complete. That alone almost made me delete it. But, after turning the app into just a widget on my phone, it became a lot more natural to access. Now when I get into bed at night, I make a quick list of tasks I know I have for the next day: IEP Meeting Rm 117. Print handouts for English 3. Create weekly ACT bellwork.

Things 3 App

Things 3 was an app that did not hit the mark with me. It’s an Editor’s Choice productivity app and rated highly by over 23k users, so there is a chance I wasn’t using it to its fullest potential. That being said, it cost $9.99, and I can’t tell you the difference between this app and Todoist.

Overall…

There are still days where I feel like I’m drowning, but I have to admit I’m feeling much more in control overall. I’m hopeful that one or more of these organizational options will help you feel in control as well. Are there any resources not mentioned here that you love? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.