Get the transcript here.

So, here we are – fresh into a new year. There’s a special kind of energy that comes with January, isn’t there? A mix of hope, motivation, and…oh yeah, guilt. Guilt about everything we didn’t accomplish last year.

Let’s take a moment to thank those perfectly curated Instagram grids and influencers for that one.

Now, let’s leave all that behind for a minute, ok?

Because I want to help you take that oh so common new year energy and use it to finally get your shit together. Not in some overwhelming, color-coded-planner sort of way – I’m talking about building a system that actually works for YOU and your wonderfully weird brain.

Those one-size-fits-all solutions don’t actually fit anyone. It’s like those free T-shirts you get at events (which, I’ll be honest – I always wanted one of those t-shirts that Sonar shot out of the cannon at Hartford Wolfpack games growing up…but anywho)…they claim to be “universal,” but they either drown you or squeeze you like a sausage. No thanks.

So instead, we’re going to talk about creating your own personalized organization system. One that fits your life, your brain, and your priorities—without the overwhelm or guilt.

I’ve been down this road myself. I’ve tried soo many different systems over the years…paper planners, Trello boards, Google tools, a whole washi-tape phase that we will not continue to talk about anymore. I tried to make so many systems work, based on courses and directions from people who have touted their system as the end all, be all – as the system that WILL work for you, as long as you follow it exactly.

And what I’ve learned after failing to perfectly follow so many systems based exactly on someone else’s instructions, which were made for their brain, not mine, is that the system you follow or piece together doesn’t have to be followed perfectly to a T. It just has to be yours.

So, where do we start with coming up with your own imperfect, personalized system?

First, we need to figure out what’s causing that heavy, overwhelming feeling in your chest and gut every time you think about “getting organized.”

Ask yourself: what’s not working for you right now? Maybe it’s the piles of sticky notes that seem to multiply overnight. Maybe it’s that fancy app you downloaded but never opened. Or maybe it’s the sheer volume of to-dos swirling around in your brain.

How much of this overwhelm comes from trying to force yourself into a system that wasn’t designed for you? Are those sticky notes giving you anxiety, even though that one influencer said it was a game-changer? Are you feeling immense guilt that you paid for that app but it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to you?

A lot of these popular tools and strategies assume we’re all striving to be neat, orderly, color-coded robots who thrive on rigid plans and having our days planned down to the minute.

But…no…we’re human. We’re messy, unpredictable, and sometimes lose entire afternoons Googling “why raccoons wash their food.”

So we need to get clear on what doesn’t work for us, and why it’s not working.

And once we’ve done that, we can start to set some goals. And no, “become a perfectly organized productivity machine” doesn’t count.

We want to set goals that are specific and attainable. For example, instead of saying, “I want to organize my entire life,” try something like, “I’ll sort through my email inbox by the end of the month.” Or, “I’ll spend 10 minutes a day decluttering my desk.”

We don’t want to make the goals too big – but if you know you have this bigger goal that you really, really want to achieve, you can work on breaking down that bigger goal into smaller, bite-sized chunks that you work through in a specific order to achieve that big goal.

Think of it like a video game: every little win gets you closer to leveling up. Plus, it’s way more satisfying to check off “sort one drawer” than to stare at “reorganize entire house” and feel like a failure before you even start.

Once you’ve got your goals, we can design a system to help you crush them.

Start by organizing your life into buckets – or categories. For me, it’s things like work, home, kiddos, and creative or fun projects. What are your buckets? Kids? Hobbies? That growing TBR pile? Whatever they are, your categories will help you start to make sense of the chaos.

Then, think about what tools feel right for you. Do you love the feel of pen and paper? Stick to a planner or notebook or handwritten lists. More of a digital nerd? Trello, Notion, or even a simple Google Doc or Sheet might be your thing. And if you’re like me, you might end up with a weird mix of all of the above – and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be pretty; it just has to work.

Treat this like an experiment. Try a tool for a week or two, see how it feels, and tweak it as you go. And any time something doesn’t feel right, you’re allowed to change your mind and try a different tool.

Once your system is designed, the next step is actually implementing it. This is where most people will hit a wall of some sort.

Right off the bat – don’t try to implement it all at once. Pick one piece of your system – maybe it’s setting up a calendar for appointments, creating a daily to-do list, or setting up your first Notion database – and focus on that first. Test it out, see how it works, tweak it a bit, and then add more layers as you get comfortable with what you just added in.

And, again, if something doesn’t work – take it out and try implementing something else at that step. That’s not a failure – it just means you’re learning and gaining more information about what doesn’t work for you.

Finally, let’s talk about keeping this system going. Because let’s be real here – it’s easy to fall back into old habits.

Make a point to schedule some kind of regular check-in with yourself – a “system audit”, if you will. Once a month, or however often makes sense for you, your brain, and your system, ask yourself: Is this still working? What’s stressing me out? What needs tweaking?

See if you can come up with some sort of rating system when you do this check-in, to try and look at your system from a more objective point of view, as much as possible.

Be sure to give yourself grace during this audit. You’re allowed to have bad days. You’re allowed to screw up. You’re not going to implement your system 100% perfectly, 100% of the time. That’s not realistic. And that’s ok.

You’re even allowed to throw the whole system out the window and start from scratch if you need to. Nothing in this process is about perfection – it’s all about progress and persistence.

So, my lovely weirdo, here’s your homework for this week: pick ONE thing to tackle. Maybe it’s clearing out your inbox. Maybe it’s setting up a simple to-do list. Whatever it is, give yourself five minutes to get started. Just five minutes – that’s it.

Remember, no system is perfect. But the right system for YOU? That’s a total game-changer.

And hey, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some support, I’ve got your back. Check out my mental chaos coaching – it’s designed to help wonderfully weird people like you create systems that actually work for their wonderfully chaotic brains.

You can find all the details here or shoot me a DM on Instagram at @that_weirdnerdymom. Let’s tackle 2025 together, one step at a time.

*Some links on this page may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase anything from those links, I would make a small commission. There’s no additional cost to you when you purchase, it just contributes to the building of my home library 😉