I have a Sunday control center…

This is not my brainchild, but I am totally embracing it.

My 'basket' or control center for all the stuff that comes in
during the week and then get's organized
into daily folders on Sunday for the week.

I read about it over at Organize 365. I didn't read anything more then that post and got inspired to come up with something that would work for me. I considered getting her book…but…read this post regarding me and books.

So here's how «and why» it works for me.

I really like the idea of putting things off—things that don't need to be handled immediately or even this week. This appeals to my nature in two ways:
• my need to prioritize and
• my dislike of dealing with ‹some› things.

When the mail comes in everyday or when the girls bring things home from school, this system allows me to decide if something needs to be dealt with right now «a priority» or if I can just deal with it later «yeah…Future Maria can deal with this».

So if I don't need to deal with it right way it goes into a blank folder the front of my basket.

Then, on Sunday nights, after the girls go to be and before Downton Abbey comes on «and a little during and/or afterward» I go though everything in the basket and either:

• Assign it to a day this week or the following week;
• Assign it to my hubby;
• File it away because it's just paperwork; or
• Trash it Recycle it

It's awesome!

It gives me a jump start on planning my week—I finish up planning my week on Monday morning.

The list of things tat are in my car that need
to be ‹dealt› with this week.

After Downton is over I pull together all the things that need to go into my car for the week and add them to this nifty laminated list I made. Then put the whole bag into my car so everything I need for the week is RIGHT there.

My weekly bag: filled with returns, things to drop at friends houses, etc
…all in one convenient place and in my car before the week begins.

I also made a list of small errands that can be run at anytime during the week-not necessarily but sometimes-tied to the 'things on my Inside the bag list'. The two lists do seem a bit redundant and I haven't quite figured out if I need to rectify that or not, but as of right now it really works for me.

List of places to go during the week
-front and center on my car dashboard.

That's it.

I feel better about my Sunday night, because I've accomplished something and I feel better more control over the stuff that comes into my house.

Especially those things I don't always know how to deal with.

I find that because I at least know it's there «even if it's just in a folder waiting to be dealt with» that my brain has kinda works though an idea of what to do with it.

It's kinda cool how your brain solves a problem without you really consciencely thinking about it.

I heart how the brain works!

Thanks for reading!

Gift for reading

I've added a little gift for you. I'd love to see how you use it.
Inside the bag list.