Not the Same River

My planning system was developed over ten years of troubleshooting and creating methods that best reflected my needs and the way I like to organize my time and priorities. My earliest memory of developing the core of the system I use today was when I worked as a busy administrative assistant and office manager at a law school. I managed a few part-time employees and interns, operated the budget and ordering of office supplies, ran the main phone lines, did all the textbook ordering, and assisted add the adjunct professors with their classroom needs . . . this is all to say, there was a lot to do. Having struggled with high anxiety in previous positions (event planning being one!), I was very aware that I needed to have a system that allowed me to handle all the competing inputs and needed outputs in a manner that was consistent and truly useful – for me.

Fast forward to the last five years (working part-time remotely, having a baby/toddler, and managing a home), and I redeveloped my system to capture a lot more of the big picture thinking that always seemed to makes its way into my crowded to-do list notebook. The current planner I developed captures the wisdom gained from moving through different seasons of life.

For me, the Fuzzy Boxes Planner is much more than just a system for organizing the triage of daily life. It is a philosophy of reflective action, where the needs of the moment stand alongside long-term, deep, life goals. It allows you to get it out, take stock, and routinely reflect on the path ahead of you.

I have tried out many different types of planners and planning systems. For me, everything had a constraint of some kind. On the one hand, I was consistently let down by the overall design aesthetic. I didn’t like all the lines, boxes, flowery large fonts, and wasted space that dominated the planners on the market (and in contrast, found bullet journaling to be too free form – go figure!). I found sequencing of pages, calendars by month, calendars by week. . . hour-by-hour outlines of my day. . . honestly useless. But you know what I did love? To-do lists. And journaling. And taking notes on things i researched for future projects. And meal planning on one page and writing a quick thought about a book I read on another. And what about the Dolomites? I really want to go someday. All the things!

What was supposed to be a freeing act (scheduling and making lists) felt like I was just filling a derivative structure of what someone else deemed important. Over time, I realized that in my head (and in my heart) I moved frequently between the sacred and the profane. I wanted a space, and a methodology, that organized my B-and-C-with-a-dash-of-A personality, in a way that was structured but not limiting. In the end, I ended up calling this personal organization philosophy Fuzzy Boxes.

I realize that for some, this might just be another version of what I called “someone else telling me how to think”, but where my planner differs is in it’s flexibility. It is is designed to be freedom within a framework – which for me, helps me thrive. The periodic prompts and sections for reflection and action are part of a whole-life centric planning system, where the everyday tasks and the big picture thinking can occupy the same space. The Fuzzy Boxes philosophy of planning and action honors the interdependency of our choices and recognizes that priorities shift, things that were once urgent lose their pull, and that upon reflection the sum total of daily choices can lead to long-term personal fulfilment as we become mindful of our choices and what drives our behavior.

I don’t have a lot of other cred to put forth. I am not a professional organizer with a certification, or a business consultant with a degree management. I don’t (yet) have a book out (though I hope to change that soon!). I am an organized creative. I need freedom within structure. I want to help others, if the space is right in their lives, think more deeply and broadly about life but also successfully manage the necessities of the day. I have read broadly on topics such as personal task management, organization, and efficiency. I credit David Allen’s work with the inspiration for my system.