There is no
better time than now to recommit ourselves to bringing some
order to the chaos that is our modern lives.If you have ever
missed an appointment, forgotten to pick the kids up from
soccer practice, or lost a sticky note with an important
phone number on it, this is your year to get organized.
There is no better time than now to recommit ourselves to
bringing some order to the chaos that is our modern lives.
Admitting that your memory is not as good as you think it is
is the first step down the road that will eventually lead to
a more organized, more productive you. Below is a discussion
of a few of the Do and Do Nots of personal organization -
they are tried and tested, so do yourself a favor and trust
me on the Do Nots. Try all of the Dos until you find the
best system that works for you, then stick with it.
Do NOT write things on your hands. This system may have
worked well in high school when you had a relatively blank
calendar of events to remember. However, in the adult world
you will lose a lot of respect if you have phone numbers
tattooed all over the back of your hand.
Do write it down. The best way to remember something is to
write it down precisely so that you will not have to
remember it. You can write that meeting time and place down
on a blank calendar, record a phone number straight into
your phone or rolodex, or keep a notebook where you record
all of your assignments and tasks. The most important thing
to remember when trying to get your life organized is to
write it down!
Do NOT rely too heavily on sticky notes. Despite the modern
technological innovations that gave us mobile phones,
hand-held computers, and high-speed internet, science has
still failed to provide us with sticky notes that actually
stick. Besides, they are too easily lost and tend to clutter
up workspace. They are great for taking temporary notes from
phone calls or quick conversations, but any important
information should be transferred to your blank calendar or
planner.
Do find a system that works for you. There are plenty of
options out there for people looking for an organizational
system to help them get control of their lives. Because I
spend the majority of my time in my office, I find that
simply printing a blank calendar that I can keep close by
works well. Others use traditional day planners or PDAs to
keep track of appointments and to-do lists. Software is
available that enables you to keep track of everything on
your computer - something that is especially handy for
students or professionals who have a lot to keep track of
and who have to spend their time constantly on the go. If
you try one system and it does not seem to work for you, try
another option until you find one that does.
Do NOT expect others to keep track of your schedule for you.
At the end of the day, you are responsible for what you did
and did not get done. Take responsibility for the time you
have and get the most out of it. Watch others who seem to be
good at staying organized and try to do what they do. Take
the initiative to follow the guidelines in this article and
get organized.
Do make getting organized a priority. It is not easy, but it
is definitely worth it. Most people are already so busy that
they barely have time to eat during the day. Ironically,
spending more time organizing and thinking about your day
will save time in the end. And natural laws of entropy
dictate that you are going to have to put in a little energy
to bring order to your days. With so many other things
demanding your attention, making your calendar a priority
will mean it actually gets done, rather than just another
unchecked item on your daily to-do list.
Do NOT give up. Getting organized is a habit, and like any
other good habit it is going to take time to become a
permanent part of your life. You may do great one week and
completely lose it the next. Just regroup and recommit
yourself each Monday morning to take your calendar by the
reins and make the most of each day. We all have 24 hours
each day to do all that is required of us - getting
organized will determine in large part how much we are able
to get done each day.
Nick Smith is a client account specialist with
10x Marketing - More
Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For organizational
software that includes a
blank calendar, check out
GoBinder.com.
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