|
Here are two
dates to remember to help you start the new year right.
January
15 – Clean Off Your Desk Day
Have
you ever telephoned someone and in the middle of the conversation
been interrupted by the distracted plea, “Wait a minute,
I need to find something to write on,” followed by the
sound of rustling papers? Ah, the din of disorganization.
How often does it come from you?
Use
this date as a motivator to clean off your desk. Pick
a spot, pick a time and begin.
1.
Surface of your desk. Reserve this area for projects
that you are working on daily. Knickknacks belong on shelves
away from the desktop.
2.
Inside your desk.
Projects that you work on weekly should be kept in the
drawers and on the lower shelves of your desk.
3.
Around your desk. Arrange projects that you work on
monthly on nearby surfaces or in easy-to-reach file drawers.
4.
Away from your desk. If you must walk across the room
to reach a bookcase or filing cabinet, use it for storage.
One
of the first steps in organizing your environment is to
get rid of clutter. Survey all that you see.
Subscriptions:
Do you collect them? Do you read them? Do you need them?
Can you cancel them?
Catalogs:
How old are they?
Are you really going to purchase the item? What
immediate benefit comes from saving the catalogs? Can
you throw them away?
Ads/coupons:
If you don’t know what it is or haven’t seen it for a
while, throw it away. Resist collecting materials that
appear to represent “good bargains.”
Business
cards: Is your link to the person on the card a mystery?
Can you throw the card away? Don’t pile business
cards in a desk drawer or shove them around on the surface
of your desk. Dig in, go through your collection and get
rid of the cards you won’t use. Then develop a better
storage system.
Paperwork:
Can you do it? Can you delay it? Can you delegate it?
Can you dump it?
File
it.
Label your files clearly using nouns. Choose categories
that are simple and easy for you to recognize and retrieve.
Never have a “miscellaneous” file. Keep frequently used
files close at hand. File daily; don’t let paperwork pile
up.
Remember,
do not use your desktop for storage.
Celebrate
Success!
March
5 – Procrastination Week
Do
you use a snooze alarm? If so, you are starting your day
by procrastinating—putting off the moment when you finally
throw back the blankets and get up. Neither a good precedent
nor a good beginning. Think about it.
People
procrastinate for all sorts of reasons. Why do you? Perhaps
you procrastinate when you dislike the project at hand
or feel overwhelmed by it. Or maybe you put things off
when you can’t figure out where to start. Procrastination
is a killer of productivity, efficiency, and success.
It takes self-discipline to get over the hurdle and begin
a difficult project. Mark this date on your calendar,
and use it as a motivator to begin conquering procrastination.
Pick
a dreaded project and schedule a time to begin. Then start
at the beginning and go to the end! Take small steps.
Be realistic about your ability to focus on the project.
Break
It Down
Get
a piece of paper and do a written dissection of the project.
Break the project down into manageable pieces (tasks or
combinations of tasks). List the pieces
needed to complete the project and then go back
and put them in a logical, sequential order.
Identify
your most energetic time of day, and use that time each
day to tackle a piece of the project (from the list).
While you are doing this, focus on the finished project
and how good you’ll feel when it’s done. If you cannot
define your most energetic time of day, start early. Plunge
in at the same time every day or week. Get that piece
done and enjoy the rest of the day.
Nobody’s
Perfect
Do
not seek perfection. The desire for perfection will prevent
you from moving forward. Get started and stick with it,
even if you hit only 50 percent of your target.
Make
sure that the time you devote to the project is quality
time. Eliminate interruptions by taking care of necessary
communications ahead of time. Then ignore incoming email
and let the phone ring. Stay focused.
Mark
Twain said “If you’ve got to swallow a frog…you don’t
want to look at it too long.” Do it now. Do the worst
first. Reward yourself!
Sally
Allen, Professional Organizer
A Place for Everything, LLC www.aplaceforeverythingllc.com
"Organizing for Stress Free Living" at 303-526-5357
See
WomensMedia's
Latest Articles.
|
Get
Organized!