How To Plan and Organize
Unless you're on vacation, nobody really wakes up in the morning with the thought, "I hope I just waste all my time today!" Yet, often when we go to bed, we wonder, "Where did the time go? There were so many things I wanted to get done, but it seems like I spun my wheels and accomplished nothing!"
A few years ago, there was a clever commercial about actually "buying time". While it's an interesting concept, time is not a commodity for purchase - unfortunately! The best alternative is to use your time wisely by making good choices and budgeting, just as you do your financial assets.
If we were responsible for only ourselves, time might not be so critical. However, as with everything, there is cause and effect. When we don't budget our time wisely and fall out of synch, it affects our interaction with every person we meet throughout the rest of the day. Fortunately, it's not too late to change and learn better organizational skills.
- Prioritize incoming messages - voice mails, verbal requests, e-mails, paper, act on them according to the most urgent.
- Set priorities for your workload – put the most important job at the top, then check the rest off one by one.
- Manage your time - make every move count.
- Finish each project you begin before tackling another.
- "Plays well with others" is not a joke! Make a point to treat co-workers with respect so they will want to be part of your team and will work with you for mutual accomplishment.
- Work to overcome your own self-defeating habits - you know what they are. Is procrastination among them?
Prioritize
Prioritize your workload! Not just at the office, but at home, too. You know what your most important job is at the office. Tackle it with good humor, work hard and do it right. If you are at home, make a list of what you need to accomplish for the day. Start at the top, one by one, finishing each and going on to the next.
Manage Your Time
Manage your time - don't just "walk" through the room. Look around and take a moment to plan and then straighten up the cushions, pick up the old newspaper, and remove the clutter. This is what the organizational part is all about. You'll leave the room with a better organized appearance than when you walked in and you won't have to make the second or third trip back to remove clutter or straighten the magazines. That's what planning and organizing is all about!
Finish What You Begin
Make every effort to finish what you begin. It's easy to be distracted, lose your train of thought and actually forget what you were doing when organizing. Stay focused. If you must tear yourself away from what you are doing, get back to it before you quit for the day and finish it - if it is at all possible.
Ask For Help
Whether at the office or at home, be aware of those around you. You may need help from a co-worker to shoulder a load, or who can give you advice on a better way to accomplish your goal. At home, your family needs to be involved in helping to keep the house tidy and organized. Encourage them to help with the dusting and de-cluttering.
Don't Procrastinate
Do you procrastinate? You aren't alone!! Once you are distracted from completing a task, it's hard to get back into the groove. Here are a quick fixes to avoiding this pitfall. One - turn off the computer and forget email until you are done with the job at hand. Two - turn off the TV and turn on the stereo. Play a little "salsa" music to get up to speed. Three - turn off your cell phone and turn the volume on your land line to "low".
Set Priorities
Make your list of jobs -- setting priorities. The hardest thing to plan or organize or the most time consuming should be first. Finish it and go on to the next, checking them off as you go. You'll be encouraged as you see each job completed. The reward is knowing you have accomplished what you set out to do, and that you've planned and organized it well! Congratulations!
The 3 D's
Three “D’s” equal "A"! So, what exactly are the three "D's"?
- Dump it
- Do it
- Delegate it
Junk - whether it's mail or household goods or clothing - if it's classified as "junk" - dump it!
Jobs, tasks and work - it's easy to put off planning and organizing things (procrastinators know this) but don't fall into the trap! Stay focused, rid your environment of distractions. Stick to the job at hand and do it.
Provided that you haven't divested yourself of human "distractions," don't hesitate to seek the advice or assistance of those around you who may be as skilled or better at the job as you. If they aren't as skilled (such as your reluctant teenager), take them under your wing as you go along and train them so they might be able to assume the responsibility for seeing that the job is done.
Being truly organized is a worthy goal. Planning and organizing won't happen overnight, however. As the old saying goes, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well" Make that your motto.
