I have an OCPD of being over organized. I make endless todo lists and try to tick items off the list. I usually follow my lists since I also the OCD of having items checked on the list. I cannot have items unchecked for too long on my list. Thanks to the technology, it is now easier to create and maintain lists :P.
I have been doing lot of these things for a while now. I thought I will jot them down here and to my horror, I realized that I am way too organized after reading these points that I came up with:
- Wunderlist for todo lists, shopping lists and places to travel. After I moved my shopping list to the cloud, I hardly forget anything when I go shopping. I can update the lists from my phone or laptop anywhere, anytime.
- Evernote for EVERYTHING from recipes, planning trips to technical stuff to anything interesting on the net! I literally live on the cloud these days.
- Daily/Weekly planner diary. I use it to plan for weeks or months ahead of time.
- Calendar on the phone to set alerts and to remind me to do some stuff.
- List of books that I want to read on Goodreads.
- List of movies that I want to watch on IMDB and on Netflix.
- List of new songs that I want to buy on Shazam and on my blog (under Music).
- List of items to buy on Amazon cart.
- List of new recipes to try.
- List of new photography techniques that I want to try.
- Restaurants or places that I want to visit bookmarked on Yelp.
- Blogs that I like to read on Google Reader and now on Feedly organized into different categories according to the type of blog. I don’t bookmark or subscribe to emails or use Facebook newsfeed.
- My office desk is uncluttered and there are no papers or books lying around.
- Files on laptop neatly in their folders with folder names which make sense. I don’t keep files on my desktop.
- My clean desktop with no unnecessary icons on it.
I searched online and found some more ways to be organized. I felt these are some really cool tips to stay organized. I hope to implement at least some of these in my daily life (Sources: 1, 2 and many more):
- A small, open basket on the coffee table keeps remote controls from slipping between sofa
- Post several weekly dinner menus on the fridge and alternate among them for easier grocery shopping and meal planning.
- Don’t keep space-hogging cookbooks. Photocopy favorite recipes and slip them into plastic sheet protectors inside a binder.
- Trade round storage containers for more efficient square and rectangular ones
- Organize future events with a monthly accordion file.
- Put a clock in every single bathroom.
- File copies of important documents (birth certificates, car title, passports, proof of immunizations, insurance information, etc.) in a three-ring binder with zippered plastic pockets. If disaster strikes, you can grab it and go.
- Create a Receipt Depot: a folder near the door that everyone drops receipts into as they come home.
- Invest in a good label maker.
- Never Label Anything “Miscellaneous”
This seems like a good website for people like me. I want to spend some more time browsing it : Link
Are you also organized? If so, what do you do to keep everything organized?
Bookish Muggle 
🙂 You are SO organized. No doubt about that. 🙂 I like it.
I like it when things are organized too. Which is why I spend atleast one to one and half an hour every night cleaning everything we touch everyday. 🙂 It helps a lot.
Sometimes I wish there was a reset button for home too. Like, things should go back to how they were in the morning. 🙂
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oh yeah, the kiddos must be making a lot of mess right? Must be tough cleaning everyday. Reset button for home would be so awesome. Wish I could just press it everyday 😀
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My desk is cluttered and there is just enough space to keep my laptop and (sometimes) take it out. But there is some order about that cluttering – it is organized chaos. I like all the clutter to stay in their place, everytime 😛
I tried making lists, but it just ended up making me feel miserable as I wouldn’t complete many things mentioned there. My mind is acting as my diary, and it’s sufficient *for now*.
I’ve bought one android phone now – can you suggest some good games? Since you are an expert in games…
Destination Infinity
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I have always wondered how people feel like working with a messy desk 🙂
Good games huh.. let me comment on your post. I read it but had a hectic week so couldnt login and comment.
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Omg… so organised!! 🙂 I’ve always respected people who are so meticulous about things.. I wish I were better at all these things. Taking a cue from your post, I can sure organise atleast a few things… 😛
And you remind me of Monica… – FRIENDS! 😀
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hehe..yeah little bit like Monica but I won’t ask others to be organized. I panic when my things are not in their place or if I have too many items unchecked on my lists.
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Umm…that’s super-organised. What happens if someone messes with your systems? Do you freak out?
I thought I was organised by I just have a diary/planner with social commitments and appointments (work or otherwise). And on some weekends/days off, I’ll make a to-do list. I used to be a lot more organised but realised it was in some ways stressing me out more. In the last year in particular I have eased up big time. To the point where I haven’t yet organised my papers to do my tax returns. And we normally have to do our before the end of October or else with an accountant by the end of March. March is now my aim…
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Yeah I do freak out. Usually I want people to let me know couple of days in advance if I have to meet them or whatever. But I am okay with impromptu plans too, as long as it does not really upset my other important plans. Depends on how important my other plans were. I agree with you, it is stressful and results in me being tensed all the time.
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I am also using my mobile to remind me things. But if I leave my mobile at home while shopping my mind goes blank. I was not like this earlier! If I go to my usual shop, I just remember things and put them in the cart. This current habit of jotting down everything has spoiled my memory, I think!
God, you are so organised! But you must remember to check the lists all the time, right?!!!
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I usually don’t go shopping in the middle of the week. I make a note of all the items needed and go for shopping in the weekend. I usually have a vague idea of what is needed but I crosscheck with my phone to make sure I don’t forget anything. If I sometimes forget to check the list, my husband reminds me to check the list, so it is okay for now.
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Organizing is good. Removes chaos. But over organizing? If you are comfortable with it, then fine.
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it has its own advantages and disadvantages I guess.
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Bow to thee, A!! You are super organized and I thought I was organized!! Lovely pointers too! Will try some of them! 🙂
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Thanks Shilpa. 🙂
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I also use Evernote for listing down virtually everything. The only difference being that I am not in much of a hurry to strike things off the list 😛
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Evernote is simply awesome, isn’t it? 🙂
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Oh my God! I thought I was organized till I read this post..:D
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Also, on an entirely unrelated note..I remember I used to read your blog very diligently, 4 years back. You weren’t married then and I loved reading your ramblings (lot of Harry potter, if I remember correctly)..I lost touch with all blogs for 2 years in between while pursuing my MBA. And now that I am back, I was pleasantly surprised by the continuity you displayed on your blog, after your wedding..Not in terms of being regular, but in terms of integrating this new version of life into the blog and still making it so interesting..Gives me hope for my future! 🙂
Just wanted to say it, lest I forget later.. 🙂
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Yeah I used to blog a lot about Harry Potter earlier. I got my own domain and moved my blog to this new URL. Thanks Preeti. I think marriage did not bring a very radical change in my outlook towards life. I still like the same old things that I used to like few years back. Glad to have you back actively blogging 🙂
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hehe 🙂
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I too use Evernote for most stuff. But all my lists are in one list with different sub heads!
– TTS (http://thirtytwoandsingle.blogspot.in/)
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I too have some lists with subheads on Evernote. But now I have migrated to Wunderlist for my lists.
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Wait wait wait. Something is terribly wrong here. How did you write this post? I mean did you ever look into my phone?
Do people with the name ‘Ashwini ‘ turn up exactly the same way? Woah 😀
You know what, I felt like I was reading something that someone had written about me. I wouldnt say over organized but I make lists for everything on my phone and as you say I dont like things being unchecked for a long time. About books to read, movies to watch, restaurants to try, anything and everything, there is a list.
My work table is always clean and uncluttered, even my mailboxes are very organized with those items that are not required being deleted and others pushed to the archive.
I’m actually happy reading this. So I’m not the only one who is weird.
Cheers 🙂
Totally loved this post 🙂
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oh wow. I didn’t know that even you were like me. I guess it has to do with the name “Ashwini” like you said 🙂
Even my mailboxes are very organized with emails in their respective archive folders. Usually my inbox has 0 mails. I forgot to mention that in the post.
I always felt I was weird. Glad to know there are other people who think and act like me.
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You my dear are way too organized!! 😛
I don’t mind clutter.. I make lists and forget to carry them or forget where the list is!!
I put things in “safe” places and forget where that place is!
I’m a trial to myself and K!!! 😀 😀
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hehe.. I agree with you on the safe places part. I try to keep things way too organized sometimes and forget where I kept something. It is sometimes better to keep things lying around so that you can easily find things from the heap on your table (like my husband does).
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Woah! That’s awesome!
I wish I could be half as meticulous!
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Thanks Arch 🙂
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