Effective Organizational Strategies

The Chief and I are always looking for ways to increase the Barrister's awareness of how important it is to be organized, and often point out when someone has used an Effective Organizational Strategy to remember to do something.

Yesterday morning, The Chief was heading off to work, file folder full of insurance statements I needed photocopies of in hand.

"Oh, good, you remembered those," I said. "I'd completely forgotten I'd asked you to take them today."

He grinned and said, "Yes, well I put the folder next to my keys so I wouldn't forget it." He looked at the Barrister pointedly. "See, Barrister, how I made sure I wouldn't forget the folder by putting it next to something I knew I would need in the morning?"

"Yes, Dad," the Barrister muttered dutifully.

"It's helpful to come up with Effective Organizational Strategies that will work for you. See, I knew I wouldn't remember to take this with me this morning."

"Yes, Dad."

I kissed The Chief good-bye and followed him out to the laundry room where he left through the garage and I put on the morning's first load of laundry. When I came back to the kitchen, there was The Chief's lunchbox sitting on the table where he'd left it.

I pointed it out to the Barrister and we both had a good laugh about Effective Organizational Strategies.

The Chief called me when he got to work. I picked up the phone and said, "So much for your Effective Organizational Strategies!"

"Yes," he said sheepishly. "Maybe next time you could just nail my lunchbox to my forehead!"

If only!