The bulging inbox: it’s a problem that’s oh so familiar to all parents. What are your strategies for managing the inflow of information and appointments in your life? Yesterday I mentioned some of my weekly and monthly strategies for budgeting and shopping. Here are a few more tips that I use to keep my inbox flowing.
Filing systems. I have files for paper, and I must admit to being a bit of a piler. I stack forms and sort them into the files every few weeks. I also have filing systems for objects. For example, in the basement cupboard I have a bag where I place items that I am going to give away.
Appointments. My approach toward medical appointments and home repair appointments and all of the other many wonderful household tasks like this has changed over the years. Now, I choose one day a week when I will be home and have time to deal with appointments. If possible, I place all of the appointments into that day.
Calendar. Everyone needs a calendar if they have a family, since you’re juggling much more than your own schedule. Ideally, this is a place where everyone can look when they’re not sure if they are going to be available on a certain day or night. This might mean a shared Google Calendar or it might mean a good old-fashioned paper calendar on the wall.
Annual, seasonal, or monthly events. Good planning means that your inbox will not be extremely and urgently full at a specific time of the year. Christmas is a big one in our family. The December calendar suddenly becomes packed. There’s no time to do shopping or baking, there’s no time to do anything properly. To avoid these seasonal crunches, planning is in order. I now do most of my Christmas shopping before October ends. I take a week off to do Christmas baking at the beginning of December before the serious rush starts. This advance planning has made for a much happier December.
Outgoing objects and mail. I have a specific shelf near the front door that houses our outgoing mail and outgoing objects. I find that objects need to go out the door just as frequently as the mail. This shelf is for all of those objects that need to be returned to people or to places.
What are your organizing strategies for your household?