Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The cost of lost opportunity

I cross off tasks with pretty colours
People often ask me how I am so organized on a certain topic and as an answer I offer what I know about efficient techniques on dealing with the subject like this post on how to manage paper pictures or this reminder to change off seasonal clothes to have a smoother morning or advice on how to choose your "word of the year"
Sometimes people ask me WHY I am so organized and then things get trickier. The most honest and real answer would be: I just roll that way, this is how I am wired.



I want to streamline my activities so I can find the time and the space for what I like to do. For example I make sure I have the time blocked out and the clean space to be able to scrapbook every day in November for Art Every Day Month. That means having materials for 31 layouts, including the paper pictures already printed. That takes some planning.

2013 Art Every Day Month layouts

That concept sparked an idea. A Google search for the term "cost of lost opportunity" brought 856.800.000 results in 0.36 seconds. Man! That is a lot of articles written about it.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines it as "the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen". Opportunity cost is a key concept in economics, and has been described as expressing "the basic relationship between scarcity and choice

Article after article talked about time and money but it is not only time and money what we can manage. It is also energy, space and even peace of mind!  We fear the scarcity but then again it is all about CHOICE and only YOU can decide what really matters to you.

Some days just being able to see the carpet is a success
Are you drowing in a sea of Facebook posts from the 679 pages you are a fan of but missed the announcement of a cool painting class? A lost opportunity. Do you scan the Twitter news from the 1287 persons you follow but missed the list of cakes you were supposed to bring to the school´s fair? Another one. Do you spend a huge amount of time looking for your keys every morning or find half the cans in the pantry are well past their best before date during a long weekend? Not the best feeling. Organizing can be your choice. And we can make things happen.


Right now, what are you struggling with? What do you feel you are missing? 



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21 comments:

misteejay said...

You have found a method of organising that seems to work really well for you Paula.

Toni xx

Unknown said...

Those are some great organizing methods. I have to organize my spare craft room. It is a mess.

Michelle F.

Unknown said...

Looks like you enjoy having balls up in the air. Good for you. Thanks for the motivation to try to get organized!

Unknown said...

I never thought of it as a lot opportunity.. I do miss allot of things on facebook, because i am a fan of so many things.. but if i know something is coming out, and want to be involved somehow.. i make it a point to organize myself to get tot that point.

Michelle said...

love your ideas looks great

EmmaT said...

I have just too much stuff that I've kept for memories or just because I'll need items. I just need to do a massive dejunk - the only problem is that takes a lot of time, even doing a little each week, so it never gets done.

Lexie Lane said...

Sometimes I feel like no matter how I attempt to organize, something else is going to be disorganized. Posts like this really motivate me though :)

Mama to 5 said...

YES! Between 5 kids, homeschooling, blogging, taking care of daily household chores I am always drowning in a sea of mess. I wish i could afford to pay someone to come organize every room in my home!

Roch said...

Right now, I'm glad that I still have my things, mind and time all organized despite that I have to juggle between work and business aside from house chores.

Paula - Buenos Aires said...

I work better when organized Toni. I´m still streamlining the methods. :)

Creative spaces tend to get messy Michelle. Just be careful with what might stain/ruin your materials.

Balls are sometimes in a whirldwind Paula. :D Glad you found the post motivating.

Every choice you make means you are not doing/getting something else Robert. It is not tragic but a fact of life.

Thanks Michelle.

The all or nothing approach will get in the way of a clear space for your own growth Emma. Bit by bit the junk can be conquered.

Maintenance can only be finished ... for now Lexie Lane. Keep going!

Adapting systems is a good start, things will get on track and stay that way even more than organizing just once.

Things, mind and time all organized is a HUGE achivement Rochkirstin! Great job!

patranila said...

With so many options available, it's easy to feel a sense of overwhelm and missed opportunity. When that happens, I say, pare down and reduce clutter. The important things will surface.

Rebecca Swenor said...

Awesome advice. Thanks for sharing. I need to start this.

Rich Mom, Rich Dad. Poor Mom, Poor Dad. said...

I love organizing. These are some great tips!

Lei said...

Amazing advice!! We should really be more organized.

Franc said...

Opportunity cost is also common in management accounting and can really help you in making decisions.

Rena said...

You are so organized! I dream of having my stuff together like this. My husband is the same way but I am more the nutty professor type I guess. I know where everything is in my clutter (most of the time) but it drives him crazy.

Liz Mays said...

I WISH I was organized like you are. I'm a haphazard fly by the seat of my pants mess! lol

thriftybelow.com said...

I'm good at originally organizing something, but then I get busy and my plans fall apart. For example, I have three laundry baskets in my closet, so everything will be pre-sorted when we wash it. But after a while the clothes don't even make it to the basket.

Anonymous said...

Makes me happy that I'm at least married to an organized person! haha

Paula - Buenos Aires said...

Excellent advice Patranila. Love the wording.

Anytime Rebecca. Start where you are with what you have.

Thanks Jamie! I love organizing too.

At least it makes things easier for me Leira.

Yes, Franc. It is an economic approach that we can use for general daily life as well.

Coming to terms with different points of view in the same house takes some time and lots of talking Rena. ;)

I love organizing but it is really the systems that make life easier Liz.

That is exactly what I just told Liz, keeping up with the systems in place is what makes things run smoother. Try again! :)

Lol! Good point anon. ;)

Anne Butera said...

Your organization has always impressed me and inspired me. I am a lot less organized, but I have also been trying to simplify my life. Focus on what matters and spend time doing what is most important. All of it is a balancing act, no matter which way we're wired.

All the best!

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