--- title: "Categorize Your Notes: Take Some Time To Organize Right" id: "17487" type: "post" slug: "categorize-your-notes-take-some-time-to-organize-right" published_at: "2013-05-20T22:52:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T20:16:49+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/05/20/categorize-your-notes-take-some-time-to-organize-right/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/05/20/categorize-your-notes-take-some-time-to-organize-right.md" excerpt: "It can be time-consuming, but working to categorize your notes can ensure what’s in them turns into action. Also: What happens when budgets get involved in strategic planning? An association consultant's take on budget and decision-making." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "categorization" - "labor organization" - "Leadership" - "notes" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Categorize Your Notes: Take Some Time To Organize Right Between notes, Post-its, and digital note-taking, you may be losing touch with your ideas and to-do lists. How can you make sure those items don’t just stay on paper? Ideas to help you categorize your notes, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Sea Of Paperwork https://twitter.com/SmarterShft/status/336547087632191488 **Notes can get lost** in a sea of paperwork and documents. Keep all the bits and pieces in one spot to make sure what’s on them turns into something that gets done, [recommends organizational guru Michelle Nickolaisen (opens in a new tab)](http://sheownsit.com/how-turn-information-overwhelm-into-action/) . This initial step makes it easier to sort through them, especially when they’re organized into categories. “Here’s the key to effective sorting—you have to sort it into categories that are useful for you. Not someone else, but you and your habits,” Nickolaisen says. What are some of your organizational techniques for important notes and documents? *(ht [@SmarterShft (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SmarterShft/status/336547087632191488) )* ### Money and Strategy > Financial sustainability does not belong in your strategic plan (by [@jamienotter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jamienotter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > ) [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/4OJkrOgeTW (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/4OJkrOgeTW) > > — eBallot (@ebvote) [May 20, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ebvote/status/336579135826710529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Should budget be part of your association’s strategy?** According to association consultant Jamie Notter, “[financial sustainability is not a choice (opens in a new tab)](http://jamienotter.com/2013/05/financial-sustainability-is-not-a-strategy/?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=buffer79672) ” and shouldn’t be a part of your strategic plan. Financial sustainability is “not a path to success, it is a metric of success. My fear is that we include it in our plans because historically there were time periods where financial sustainability was ignored, so we add it in to make sure it gets our attention,” he writes. Do you keep budget outside of your strategic choices? *(ht [@votenet (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/votenet/status/336579135826710529) )* What links have you been sharing today? Let us know in the comments. (Photodisc/Thinkstock) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Tags: [#categorization](https://associationsnow.com/tag/categorization/) [#labor organization](https://associationsnow.com/tag/labor-organization/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#notes](https://associationsnow.com/tag/notes/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoChallenge Legacy Mindsets at MMC+TechApril 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/04/17/challenge-legacy-mindsets-at-mmctech/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F05%2F20%2Fcategorize-your-notes-take-some-time-to-organize-right%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !