Getting organized is hard. If it weren't, we wouldn't put it off
until it got even harder. There are hundreds of books out there
on how to get organized; they have ideas on how to work in your
garage, in your living room, in your mind, in your job. They
offer every sort of idea for every sort of situation... but you
know what happens to most of those books? They end up in the
middle of some pile on our disorganized tables and desks.
What we need is some simple, applicable ideas and systems that
we can start applying today. Here are my suggestions that I've
come up with after working with all different sorts of clients
and situations.
First of all, get an 'information assistant' (IA) that you can
carry with you throughout your day. A paper-based daily planner,
a personal digital assistant (PDA) like a Palm Pilot, or even a
simple notebook where you keep everything written down (those
are harder to keep organized, but don't think you need to spend
a bunch of money on this tool).
Once you have that IA, use it. Have it be your calendar, your
address book, your notebook, your reference page, your task
list. Use it every day, and keep it up to date. I now always
recommend a digital solution (like a Palm) if you already have a
computer as these are much easier to keep updated, and are
generally easier to carry around. I love that I can carry mine
in the breast pocket of my sports coat. I used to have a paper
planner, but I'd never take it with me in the evenings. Kind of
hard to 'hit the town' with a notebook under your arm. More
importantly, more and more of our lives are connected to the
internet, and this flood of information will only grow. In
addition, the data on a PDA can be backed up almost instantly,
so if you lose it, there's no loss of information.
It takes a bit of time to get used to these tools, and of course
you run into problems setting them up. It's a bit like a
computer… Once there's one on your desk, it's all set up and you
know how to use it, you get a lot done… but it took a while to
get used to it. Plan on learning how to use your PDA so you're
not fumbling around with it.
Now that your information is organized, let's look at the other
important aspects of getting organized. Look around your office
or home: what disorganized stuff is bugging you? If there's one
particular room, or corner, or drawer that really bothers you,
tackle that now. Try to deal with this one space until it's
cleared, but if you can't finish in one or two hours, don't
worry, just come back to it again, until you've got that biggest
'monkey' off your back. Once you feel the lightness from that,
you will be more ready to tackle the next one.
How do you tackle that spot? By applying two main rules to each
and every piece of paper or stuff: (1) If it takes less than two
minutes to deal with (to file it, to act on it, or to trash it),
do it now. If it takes longer than two minutes to deal with,
"contain" that project (meaning file/box it), and put it on your
calendar to deal with it in the next week. (2) If you haven't
used it in over a year, toss it. An example of this might be a
crafts table, piled high with craft ideas, old mail, maybe a
couple of shoe boxes of photos. (Sounds sort of familiar to many
of us, doesn’t it?) Well, for example, take those photos, put
them in a container that they just fit in, and put on your task
list/calendar a time when you will get to that project. Now,
you'll probably not find the 7 hours you'll need to put those
photos in order all in one block, so plan on spreading that
project out over time. Keep going through that pile using these
two 'golden rules' of organizing.
The first step for 'tomorrow', Day 2: Managing time.
A great way to figure out 'where the time goes' is to spend a
day tracking where you spend your time. You'll be surprised at
how much of that day is spent on things you didn't expect. Your
work can be full of interruptions, distractions, problems,
moments of relaxation, etc. Try to keep track of what you're
doing for one whole day, in 15 minute increments. Do you really
intend to spend 3 hours a day responding to email and/or surfing
the web? Set up systems that allow you to focus on your
priorities when you want to. Do things such as: Set your
email program to only check for email 3 times a day, not every
minute. That way you won't be tempted/bothered when that latest
email 'dings' into your inbox.
Don't answer the phone. Let the machine get it, and
return calls all at once, on your schedule, when you’re ready.
Plan an hour in the morning, and an hour in the afternoon.
Be smart about messages and emails you do send. Don't
just call back and say, "yes, let's talk about that".. Say,
"Yes, let's talk. I'd like to follow up on point A before we
talk, and if you could handle point B and just CC me on the
email, that'd be great. Call me back at either 4pm Tuesday or
11am Wed." In other words, move the conversation along, and give
others options to choose from that work for you.
Step Two for Day Two: Setting priorities and scheduling review
We've all heard about setting goals and breaking them down into
manageable, achievable chunks... Now it's time to prioritize
those chunks and get them on the calendar. Then add a weekly
review onto that calendar so you can look back at what you did
in the last week, and what you'll do in the next week to meet
those goals.
The big issue disorganized folks have is that they work really
hard to get organized, then in a couple of days or weeks, it's
all back to normal, and those great goals and lists are buried.
A solution might be to share your weekly priorities with a
friend or colleague who will hold you accountable… And you do
the same for them. (You could make a bet that if one of you
doesn't get through your list, you have to buy dinner that week.)
Setting priorities and sticking to them is really hard for all
of us. This is why organizational tools that spread your 'core'
values into your everyday consciousness are such good
organizational tools. Steven Covey's 'Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People', the Franklin Planner's goals and values
process, and it’s why I suggest looking at your long term goals
at least once a week during your weekly review. You need that
reminder on a regular basis.
And the next day: Future steps.
As your systems start to fall into place, and you start to feel
the benefits of getting organized, build on that momentum and
start looking at what your overall life goals are, and what
influences you. When you start working smarter and more
effectively, you have to ask yourself what you're going to do
with the extra time? Are you going to work more to accomplish
more? Or do you want to take that time to do something else? You
certainly haven't become more organized just so you can do more
sitting in front of the TV have you?
Where do we look for models of how we want to live once we get
the clutter out of our way? The following three cultural
influences can be excellent guides for helping us focus our
goals.
Zen and martial arts As you gain mastery over your time and your
'stuff', look to become a master of whatever you do. The
cultural precepts of most Asian martial arts, from Tai Chi to
Kung fu closely follow precepts of Zen philosophy. As I attempt
to understand what they're about, I read it as 'practice what
you do until you can do it effortlessly, automatically. Do it in
a reverent, loving way. Once you have mastered that action, move
on to the next level, and focus again, on the present action.'
Once you see the connection between your focus, clarity and the
need for a clutter free, prepared environment, you will not want
to move back to the old ways of distraction and stress again.
American 'Can Do' digital age There's always a better way to do
things, and American culture is always trying to invent it.
There's much in the American way that can distract you from your
new-found organization, like consumerism and greed… But you can
also use this influence to always be looking at how to bring
more efficiency to all your projects. Is there a paperless way
to do what you have in mind? Do you need to carry all that
computer equipment? Can we do a 'virtual meeting' instead?
Adaptation and absorption is the norm in American society… Use
this opportunity to do more in less time.
La Dolce Vita The Mediterranean culture has long had a handle on
'the sweet life'. From Morocco to Jordan they have always prized
time with family, time for art, music, food, for life. Italians
are aghast when they learn Americans only get two weeks of
vacation... Turks struggle to understand how American male
friends don't spend time together discussing politics, art, and
relationships… A two hour lunch with your family on a workday is
not an indulgence, it's expected. Let the Mediterranean culture
influence your new found time. Focus on life, and living, not
simply working more.
The goal of looking at these different important influences as
you look to get your life organized is to create a *lifestyle*,
a way of living that allows you to focus on what's important, to
do more, grow more, and to live better. Get started today.
Tys Sniffen, Founder of Idea Mountain, has helped hundreds of
individuals and small businesses deal with what’s slowing them
down. Working nationally, he consults both in person and
‘virtually’ with clients to help them be more organized, work
better, and get more out of life. Please visit
www.ideamountain.com for more information, or call 415-606-7746
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