Organisation Porn for the New You. Thanks Flickr!

The year is quickly coming to a close. We’re in the very last of the double digits of the number of days left of the year until we’re at 2010. Whew! Say that last sentence 20 times fast! If anything even vageuly related to “get organized with how I use my time” is on your New Year’s resolution list, well then congratuations. You’ve taken the first brave, bold step towards doing so by coming to Gearfire to start your research. Wikipedia says that humans learn very effectively through imitation. If you’ve ever watched a little kid follow their parents around, or been to a public high school, you’ll be able to second that motion.
We all know you’re not using the internet for entirely wholesome means. If you’re serious about getting serious, you might as well feed yourself with images of people who are doing something you will actually be able to emulate in your day to day life: being organised. The purpose of organisation porn is to get your blood flowing to your head (the one on top of your shoulders!) and get your hands moving (towards whatever areas of your life that you need to whip into shape). And by whip, I mean….oh, never mind! Don’t forget to clean up when you’re done. And of course, when I say “clean up” I am referring to how you’re going to pick up the loose ends of your life and get yourself together.
- Philofaxy. If you’re a fan of Filofaxes, you’ll love this photoset.It’s hundreds and hundreds of examples of how people use theirFilos to stay organized. This one, will soon be mine! See also: getting creative with a highlighter. and how to store your post-its.
- Do It Yourself Planners. This is for those who don’t subscribe to status symbol analog planners. And those who do subscribe to status symbol planners, but of the artistic/creative designers set. Se also: best use of watercolour ever, this clever idea on how to store your pen, and GTD in an analog planner.
- Getting Things Done. The Flickr set for GTD users. Yum! See also: pen colour coding like I’ve never seen it before *drool* and a different kind of filing system functionality. And also: keeping yourself in check with jelly beans.
- DIYPlanner. Don’t confuse it with Do It Yourself Planners’ photoset. There’s a lot of cross-content, but also a lot of unique content. See also: hand drawn calendar with use of post-its, and best blend of form and function, ever.
- Pile of Index Cards. Perhaps I haven’t spent enough time browsing it, but this is a series of pictures of how people use index cards. But there is a pattern to their use, I just can’t seem to figure it out. Index cards aren’t really my thing in the first place, so maybe that’s why I just don’t get it, but some people get really creative. See also: back-of-door index reminders, and a beautifully arranged desk that compensated for the overly-industrial window scenery.
- Index Cards. Index Cards with no structured use behind them, other than what the individual users demand from it. See also: storeyboarding with an index card which I think is the bestest, best use for an index card ever and has completely changed my mind about index cards,
- Moleskinerie. Organizational goodness within the Flickr gathering. This photoset is h.u.g.e. It’s got well over 10,000 members, and it’s mostly use of the Moleskine for drawing, so you’ll be trawling through for a while. Or at least, you would be trawling through if I didn’t already trawl through for a while. I did eventually find a few nuggets of gold, but save yourself the time and check out number 8 on the list instead.
- Moleskine Organisation. Organization with the use of a Moleskine. Bingo!There’s a lot of art here too, but see also: making a calendar colour coded, post-it notes as reminders of weekly habits (is my love of post-its showing yet?) and insert pages for the Moleskine.
Et voila! There you have it! Visual representations of how other people are using their time. This list focuses on paper planning system only because the pictures of digital screen-y thingies aren’t very good. Plus, I am also a big believer in learning how to to things manually first before adding electronic devices to spice things up. *Ahem* As well, all these photo streams have “power players” who go all out and add notes to their pictures explaining how they organize their time. It’s quite wonderfully, really. There are a lot of bloggers in the photosets, which is nice, because then you can really go in depth into looking at how other people do things. Enjoy!
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