Project Organization

This year one of my biggest resolutions is to get organized.  We’re talking an organized office/work space.  An organized (and simplified closet).  An organized kitchen.  Basically an organized life.  Though undoubtedly I make this resolution every year, it seems to have an urgency in 2014 that it hasn’t in the past.  There’s a need to bring order to the chaos of my day to day, and to truly simplify.

The easiest place to start was organizing my desk, my thoughts, and my daily routine.  For my desk I wanted it to hold just the every day necessities with plenty of open space to create.  With having a Shop that carries an obscenely beautiful amount of desk accessories and paper this task turned out to be harder than one would think.  However, with the technology in place (my Mac & Wacom tablet) and after lots of editing my desk top is now a clean, yet very “Mandy” space I actually enjoying working at (desk details below).

For my daily thoughts and business, while I take advantage of all that technology provides, nothing will ever take the place of paper.  There’s just something about physically checking off a box on my to do list that provides such satisfaction.  Anyway, the problem is I love planners, and binders, and everything that comes along with the idea behind organization and if allowed would have about 6 different ones.  But that’s really an exercise in futility as having too many spaces to collect my thoughts and plans actually disorganizes me rather than organizes me.  So I’ve broken it down to two…my Emily Ley Simplified Life Binder and my Whitney English Day Designer.

My Simplified Life Binder stores all of my large project plans, ideas for WOM, goals for the year, and my Lara Casey Power Sheets of course.  This is my big-picture-creative-juices-flowing-dream-big space.  My Whitney English Day Designer is my day to day go-to.  It’s where I pen my daily to do list and editorial calendar.  Other than that I have one large calendar in our butler’s pantry that marks things that both Anthony and I have going on with a black Sharpie for my plans and a blue Sharpie for his plans.  

So that my Loves is how I run my life.  It may not be glamorous, but it works for me.  You can find all of the details below, plus links to the technology and apps that help me stay organized and run WOM.  And I’d love to hear in the comments section how you’re staying organized this year?   truly, MKR

My Desk…Kate Spade “Leave Something to the Imagination” journal (also available in green, hot pink, and pale pink)  ||  Quill letter opener  ||  Monkey business card holder  ||  Wishbone stamp (sold out, but others HERE)  ||  RH acrylic and gold tape dispenser and stapler, (stapler on pre-order shipping this month!)  ||  “Why Not Have a Big Life” decoupage tray  ||  Kate Spade bow paper clips  ||  Kate Spade erasers  ||  Kate Spade quote pencils

My Business...Emily Ley Simplified Life Binder (also available in aqua and pink)  ||  Emily Ley Project, Brain Dump and To Do lists  || Kate Spade bow clips  ||  Kate Spade quote pencils  ||  Kate Spade Erasers

My Day to Day…Whitney English gold Day Designer  ||  Rifle Paper calendar  ||  Kate Spade “Pardon my French” extra large eraser  || Kate Spade stamp  ||  Kate Spade bow paper clips  ||  Kate Spade quote pencils

Technology…Evernote  ||  Postable  ||  Google Calendar  ||  Skype  ||  Un Roll Me  ||  Key Ring  ||  Zip List  || Audio Memos  ||   Card Munch  ||  Yammer