If at first you don't succeed..... don't you dare go and quit!

CONFESSIONS OF AN ORGANIZER:  I used to stink at taking my vitamins. 

Yeah, I know.  Not a very exciting confession, but let's face it.  My exciting confessions are not going to end up on a blog about organizing ;).  My vitamin story, however, does help illustrate an important point:  An organizing strategy or product is only good if it works for YOU.  If it doesn't, don't use it, even if it works GREAT for OTHER PEOPLE.  Here's my story:

Once upon a time, I wasn't taking my vitamins on a regular basis, and I didn't feel great.  I also heard rumors that I was moody, but those people are liars so, you know, whatever....  Anyway, I had tried several really good suggestions on how to remember, but most of them just didn’t work for me.  Doesn’t mean they weren’t good organizing tools/products/tips.  They just didn’t work for ME.  First, I tried keeping the bottles out on the counter.  Makes sense, right?  I figured if I saw them every day, it would be an instant reminder!  But it really annoyed me seeing them every day.  I mean, it reeeeaaaallllly annoyed me.  And many times, I would notice them as I was running out the door and wasn’t willing to make the time to open 7 bottles.  So day after day, no vitamins.  

Then I tried MY OWN TIP, which was to use one of those handy dandy 7-day pill organizers.  These work like a charm for so many of my friends, I still stand by them and would recommend them to our clients.  But they didn't work for ME.  Again, a lot of times I would remember to take my vitamins as I was leaving the house, and didn't feel like schlepping the whole 7-day supply with me.  I would convince myself that I would take them later, and then never did.

Next, I got fancy.  I bought one of those new-fangled 7-day organizers with detachable compartments.  That's right, folks, I wasn't messing around.

Guess what?  I hated them.  I could detach them ok, but I found it frustrating and difficult to reattach them, and I just couldn't be bothered (Translation:  I wanted to fling them against the wall and/or crush them.  Often.)

So what finally worked?  A month’s supply of these individual, plastic vitamin bags that I fill at the beginning of each month.  

To some, this would seem like a crazy amount of work.  But the point is..... drum roll.....  it WORKS for ME.  It only takes about 10 minutes once a month.  Approximately 29 days out of the month, I don’t have to open 7 bottles, and I don't have to see them on the counter, either.  I just grab and go, and I'm healthier for it.  So with any organizing challenge, don’t quit if the first try doesn’t work out.  Keep at it until you find what works for YOU.  Gotta go… take my vitamins J.