Pre-Set Systems

A meticulously organized tool wall displaying a wide variety of hand tools, including wrenches, hammers, pliers, and measuring instruments, showcasing precision and readiness for any project.

Organizing School Memories: The Simplicity of a Year-by-Year File Box System

A friend recently messaged me asking to see my child's file box. It's a paperboard box I set up years ago, just before my child started kindergarten. I can't recall where I first saw the idea, but it's organized for all school years. Instead of creating just a kindergarten folder, I made a folder for each school year from K through 12. For our personal use, I added a few extra folders at the front for special education enrollments and child-care facilities. Now that I have a high-schooler, I am incredibly grateful for the simplicity of this system, especially at the beginning of each new school year.

This conversation made me think about other pre-set systems for organizing success. My other file box is organized with folders from January to December, but I've realized this concept extends beyond files and papers. Meal prep and planning come to mind. There's a designated spot for prepped meals at the start of each week and specific containers for daily school lunches. Even when the fridge space is empty on weekends, it's left untouched because it's reserved for our meal prepping routine.

Tools are another area that came to mind immediately. Forgive me if I get the details wrong (tools aren't my expertise), but bear with the concept. Ratchets and sockets usually come in sets with various sizes and attachments. If you're organizing the garage, you wouldn't have just a small spot for one set; you'd plan for a larger space or multiple spots for each size. These details depend on your personal organizing style. I'm more of a macro person, so I use a medium-sized bin to dump all the bits into and sort through them when needed. My dad might have a more detailed system with individual spots for each size socket, organized in a way that makes sense to him.

Gaming controllers are another example, at least in our home. We rarely buy just one controller with a new system. Gaming together is important to us, so we plan for space and plugs for at least two controllers. When considering charging stations, we always choose the two-outlet stand because we know that even if the system comes with one controller, we'll eventually get a second one, so we might as well prepare the space.

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