I recently participated in a group post with four other mystery writers, in which we talked about how we get and stay organized. (Read the post here.) I felt like a fraud because I rarely “get” organized, and I’ve never in this life of mine stayed organized for long. It doesn’t matter what kind of organizational system I attempt: Day-Timers, calendars of all kinds, iPhones.
Thanks to my pal, Cindy Brown, I discovered a fantastic method for the organizationally challenged: Personal Kanban. If you like Post It notes, this is the method for you! (Here’s an overview.) I just started using the system, and it seems OK. I mean, it’s pretty, that’s for sure, and it satisfies my irrational need to jot things down willy-nilly on colorful bits of paper. Slap them on the wall — voilá — I’m organized!
The secret is to actually refer back to my wall. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it. It’s not like I don’t pass by the pictured area in my kitchen twenty times a day.
We’ll see how long it lasts. I’ll probably use this method along with my tried-and-true thumb-pad method for to-do reminders on the fly.
Lisa Alber's Words at Play 
Lisa…I’ve long been an adherent to Planners…however my planner is filled to capacity and I can easily close it and ignore. I like this idea for many reasons, but mainly because I am a very visual person. Thanks for the blog!
Hey meco6! I like the visual-ness of it too. This method might even stick! 🙂
It may work! My husband puts post-its on the mirror over his sink. He gets up early so he is able to refresh his memory while he does whatever at the sink.
That’s a fantastic idea, Pat. I love that–there’s nothing much too look at (except ourselves) while brushing our teeth, so why not look at task lists instead? I’m going to try it!