This post comes out of the mini blog unit: How do you get it all done? {Block Schedule Systems} where I begin to explain how I manage multiple small businesses from home, writing 2 blogs, raising 2 boys and oh yeah, being a wife… which tends to get left out… a LOT.

Like every good system, if you’re going to make it work you actually have to live by it. You have to completely commit and and dive into it. With the Blocks, the entire point is to be focused entirely on the one thing for the duration of time. What that means is that there really isn’t any spare time to waste hunting down whatever it is you need to accomplish the Block. Everything in your home or work environment should be organized and stored in the respective Block it serves and sometimes your consistent Blocks or daily Blocks have their own systems that live within them. When you’re on your Block time, you can get even MORE accomplished if when that Block pops up in your day, everything is right there, easily found and at your finger tips…

Here is how I organize my Blocks so that I can make them most efficient:

Above I mentioned that you should “live” by your system to make it effective. What I mean is that you should create your living space to enable Block success. I structure my entire office {and life, obviously} into stored areas where the Blocks “live” so that each task I’ve assigned per Block can be found in that same place. Nothing is lost, everything has a PLACE and there is even a place designated for the “has no place yet” crap, which eliminates clutter!

Let’s start by explaining The Block Wall. In my office I have 3 matching bookshelves. They are each labeled: Mom Block, The Vintage Event and Cotton N Kandi. These are my three most ‘hands-on’ areas that require a lot of little stuff to be functional. The 2 stores exist in my Retail Block which I’ll explain in a later post. But most efficient thanks to this system is my Production Block where I make things for the stores or for the boys and actually get physical work done that isn’t on my computer. The main key to success it organizing and sorting out all of your SUPPLIES, common and not so common.

Supplies: I am obviously a TUB fan and especially like to have clear tubs so that you can see what is in it. Per bookshelf I have organized tubs in the bottom sections of most commonly used supplies within these blocks. I then have a smaller tub wall shelf section that is for lesser used items or smaller format like buttons, craft punches etc. Items I have fewer of so they require a smaller storage space, not necessarily a smaller item. I have other drawers for that not even in this picture! And YES these tubs are alphabetical and color coded. I also have the most frequently used tubs on the lower shelf.

Distribution: These are two soft side tubs that are specifically designed to catch all of the ‘crap’ that has no place OR that I don’t have time to put away yet.
Left Basket: Some days I’ll come home from the craft store, there was a sale {head hung in shame} and alas… I came home with bags full of supplies… *sigh* and maybe it was a one, special tool or an embellishment that just doesn’t have a home yet. It goes in the left side tub. This way it isn’t floating around my office looking for a home… it has a home… in the NO HOME box 🙂 At least until I collect enough like things or I go through a tub to empty it to make it a new home on the wall.
Right Basket: I have toddlers, so….. at the end of a block sometimes I don’t put the supplies away into each tub. I will just store it in the LIMBO box until the Production Block rolls around again, especially if I’m going to be working on the same project for a few days. I don’t want to leave supplies out on a work surface because I’ll need them clear before the next Block Starts. Again, with toddlers, you don’t want to leave anything small or dangerous {scissors} just laying loose on a surface. Everything is contained and in one place to come back to.

Other most common parts of each Block get their own shelf sections. For the retail part of life, as those of you also in resale retail know the MOST time consuming part can be tagging and pricing, and then shipping if you’re and Etsy seller! Take your most time consuming pieces and make them easy to reach, easy to navigate and quick to access.

This is a great example for a way to organize your professional work places too! In my old office I set up everything in Islands {so we’d feel like we were on vacation… Ha ha!} Not sure my girls all really felt that way! 😉 Sorry girls! At least the temperature was about right!

The point is when you or your employees have specific times when they are supposed to accomplish a specific task, have EVERYTHING they need in one place so that they can pounce on it and then put it all back where they found it. There is no time spent hunting it all down. I often here people tell me that they spend 30 minutes just collecting all the supplies they need to finish something from every corner of the house and then they’re overwhelmed before they have every actually PRODUCED anything! Or the baby wakes up, or they get distracted  yaddah, yaddah.

Back to my point, and with needing to LIVE the Block Schedule System you need to be organized and surround yourself with efficient spaces. For the Blocks to work you have to dedicate the time within it to finishing, not starting and the best way is to have everything ready and in its place. Does a racehorse take off from his stall? No, he saddles up and gets to the starting line. When that sound rings he’s off and running… you should be too! Or your team, or your employees! Break down that staff room and sort like things together per Block.

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