project organization :: free the stickies!

Confession: I have a slight sticky note obsession.

Okay, okay... maybe a huge sticky note obsession.  It's a problem, really.  But I'm seeking treatment... limiting my sticky note writing... meeting with fellow-sticky-note-addicts... joining a support group.

I consider myself to be a fairly organized person... I prefer clean, tidy places that are appealing to the eye.  But you probably wouldn't guess that by looking at my sticky-note-infested desk.  My desk was at sticky note capacity.

But what to do??  I couldn't just throw them all away.  Most of them were still valid and contained information that I needed... an array of work reminders, photography appointments, adoption deadlines, and blog ideas.  One thing's for certain... I'm a visual person, no doubt.  So I needed to think of a system that works for me...

I found some old cardstock in my stash and got to work creating some quick "title pages" in the categories that naturally made the most sense for my current sticky note collection...

The categories I used were: 1)work... 2)photography... 3)new house... 4)adoption... 5)finances... 6)blog...  Yes... perfect.

Stepping back to admire my work... I'm not sure if it was the fact that I actually got to use some of my washi tape or if I was suffering from a major Sharpie high... but either way, this was shaping up to be a really brilliant idea.

Now, I just needed to transfer the gazillion sticky notes from my desk, to my new door system... Free the stickies!!

This solution works great for me right now... I'm still testing it out, but I love that everything is still super visible and that I created a system that works for me...  not the other way around.  I love that I didn't spend any money and that the whole thing is portable.  And if I decide in 2 months that this isn't the best system for me, I won't lose sleep if I end up trashing the whole thing... it's paper.  And the best part??  My desk went from this...

...to this...

Oh crap.  I still see one lonely sticky note on the side there...  Dangit. They're everywhere!

What about you?  Any organizing secrets or systems that you've recently discovered?  Or what about the tried and true systems that never fail??  Do share...