My Ever-Continuing, Obviously Never-Ending, Possibly Futile Quest for Organization

Stuff is threatening to take over my life - yet again. I try to fight it back every so often, think that I've found something to help me in this journey, and then watch as the stuff just takes over. I know why the stuff is so overwhelming, and I know the habits that I have that are contributing to this situation, but I seem to prefer stuff to order and maybe I just like to organize...hm.

I had an internship applicant come into my office on Monday. Now, I had arrived early at work, cleared off my desk, and tried to straighten up as much as I could before that applicant arrived. By the time we were doing the official interview, however, the desk had stuff on it and things had crept out of their spots. I tell all applicants that my office is always cluttered and is sometimes VERY cluttered. I used to work for a principal who said that she only told one lie during interviews. That lie was that her desk never looked like it did during interviews - it was always much cleaner than the present. I don't even bother to tell people that lie. My desk is always that way - covered with projects and thoughts and things that need to go back into their places in the cabinets.

Now, in my own way, I am very organized. The stuff that I have placed in different places around my house, my office, my music therapy clinic, has been placed in those locations according to my logic. (My logic is not always all that apparent to others - I tell my interns that this is one thing that they just have to live with and can't change around - my organization system is what works for me. They often understand my logic once I explain it, and they don't argue. They can change things and store them the way they want to after they graduate, but, while they are in MY clinical space, they will use MY organizational system! They do.) The things I need for making visual aids are all in one area. The things I need for music learning are in another area. It makes sense to me. It really does!

One of the lessons that I have to learn over and over again is that I don't have to do what others do - I just have to figure out what works for me and then do that thing.

Here's what I know about my organizing needs and habits:

1. I like labels - I especially like color-coded or themed labels on everything that can support a label. I found some adhesive notebook labels that stick to the binding of three-ring binders, and I LOVE them. I can letter or color the inserts however I want to, slip those small pieces of paper into the label holders, stick them to the surface, and then everything looks cool!
2. I can't seem to throw away things that could be recycled (but I rarely use those things - I never seem to have time!) - I have loads of bottles (drums) and boxes (storage) and crap that I really do not need to keep. Right now, though, the stockpiled bulletin board paper that I have hoarded is going to come in handy because we don't have any in school, and it is time to decorate doors. That's the problem - I get rewarded for my hoarding because I do eventually need everything that is stashed in my office.
3. I get overwhelmed by all the things that I need to do and returning things to their proper space is less important to me than getting things done - It's an attention thing for me. I need to record something that happened, and I take the materials that I have in my hand into my office, those things get deposited on my desk, and then they sit there until I bother to take the time.
4. The only time everything gets nice and organized is when I start from scratch! - The best way for me to get organized is to start with a blank slate. To get things in place, it works best for me to take everything out, clean the surfaces, and start from an empty room. That takes lots of time, energy, and effort. I'm busy, so I can't do that as often as I would like. My Fridays are now completely booked, so I can't do anything like that on my plan/prep day anymore.
5. It is difficult to tell others what I envision when it comes to organization - It is easier for me to do what I have in my head by myself than it is to use the assistance of others in the process. I know what I want and just have to figure out how to make it work.

I have lots of ideas about how to put things together, but I'm not exactly sure when I'll have the time to do this. I do know one thing - I have to do SOMETHING, and quick, before the stuff takes over!

Today I will go to my office, organize what I can organize, return things to their proper place (where did I put that remote??), and think about what I want for my clinical area. I will take things home to either use, repurpose, recycle, or store at home until I need them again. I will break out the labels and start to organize in that way.

Time to go through the process of making strides towards organization, yet again!