October 17, 2016

HOW I STAY ORGANIZED – WITHOUT PAPER

HOW I STAY ORGANIZED – WITHOUT PAPER

Let me start off by saying that I love planners and making lists. Like actually writing down lists. So much so that this was probably my most difficult change thus far. I love seeing the tasks at hand written down on paper with various colored inks for organizational purposes of course. Not because I just like the pretty colors....lol.

However, I truly despised the waste of paper. I hated having to tear apart the planners to put whatever was recyclable into their proper containers, and tossing whatever couldn't be recycled. I didn't like the waste as a whole. With all this technology there isn't a need to write it down for most people. I have been a big lover of the bullet journal movement. Oh yes it is a movement! A beautiful one. Have you checked out those planners! I have also been a user of passion planner.

This use of planners, note pads, and notebooks in my opinion is not in line with my desire to have a smaller footprint while living a more simple life. I searched around and tried various programs. Even just the simple notepad on the computer. No matter what I kept coming back to Trello. I finally put everything else aside and just focused on Trello. It can be a little confusing at times but once you get it set up the way you need, it's smooth sailing. I won't go into too much detail on the ins and outs of Trello, they have a bunch of great info on their site to walk you through everything so don't worry about that. Currently I have the following boards:

WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Within this board I have lists for each week of that month. Those lists contains tasks that need to be done sometime within that week. This for the most part is what would be your typical to-do list. What it does, is force me to think about the importance of items. Instead of writing everything down on one paper and trying to work through it all, everything is separate by what needs or can be done this week, next week, etc. This way I don't feel like I have to rush.

Next week have,
TOSO BLOG CALENDAR:
This has been the biggest help. I have a list for ideas, giveaways, guest posts (coming soon I hope), posts in progress, and published posts. Every time an idea pops up I immediately put it in Trello. Each week I go through and see what I'd like to work on. I usually do this on a Saturday or Sunday since my posts only go out twice a week, it is easy to work in some posts. Once I have decided it gets moved over into the in progress list. Now I know what needs to be worked on. I also decide which day I'd like these posts to go out and I mark it in the calendar Trello has. That starts the process of be doing research, finding images, links, etc. I'll into more detail later on about my creating a blog post process. Once the post is done and posted, it is moved to the published list. I can also keep track of all my posts via the calendar or the published list. Much faster than going through the blog itself. It's a great way to keep that organized.

Next we move onto crafting boards. I have one for AtomicMoonpie and TheOldSilverOak. Similar to the blog posts, I have lists in each board for ideas, in progress, and finished projects. This helps me stay on top of things. When going back and forth between two crafting businesses it can get a little hectic and confusing. So far I have been able to completely get rid of paper lists and planners. I use the Trello app on my phone since I do not turn on my computer until later in the day. This lets me have a quick glance and what I need to work on for the day prior to sitting down and getting to work. I am in no way suggesting that you should forget all about paper methods. I am just simply letting know there are great options out there should you find yourself wanting to go paperless.

Do you already use Trello? How do you use it? How are you liking it? Have an alternative to Trello that you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments!

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