“If you’ve got something in your life that’s not working, get it working or get it out of there.” (Unknown)
“The better organized you are in the simple things, the more spontaneous and free you can be in the more important things.” (Brian Tracy)
“The core personal productivity habit is neatness. Important tasks are not entrusted to messy people.” (Brian Tracy)
Life with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) can be a constant hassle. Little things like lost car keys, tools that stick or don’t cut well, papers that go missing all add to the general level of tension. These tips will help you come to grips with the nitty-gritty of everyday things.
1. Things have a place close to where they are used.
Putting things close to where they are used means that you do not have to move away from your work space to find them. Put them away when you have finished using them. Car keys are a good example of things that go missing; have a place, a basket or a hook, near the door where you come in and go out. Train yourself to put them there every time you come in.
Too Much Stuff
We are overflowing with stuff in every part of our lives. It comes in many forms. It is in our e-mail inboxes, in our closets–all the way out of our houses and even into our cars. It’s no wonder we can’t concentrate. The inability to PURGE what we no longer need from our lives is causing us problems. We feel overwhelmed and sluggish and this chaos stifles our creative, productive energy. Mastering the “art” of purging your stuff happens when you understand the benefits of letting it go. Then you just need the tools to accomplish the task.
Recently I was working with a new client who had invested hundreds of dollars for a records management organisation to set up a filing system for his business.
The system looked impressive. The only problem was it didn’t work! It had been set up in a very complicated manner. The headings were so detailed that a master sheet with a myriad of categories had to be referred to before information could be filed or retrieved.
The system was far too complex for their specific needs.
Think back to your elementary school era, to your first day in a new school year. Regardless of what happened the semester before, you had a chance for a fresh start. There were no time management issues following you. You were dressed in your best clothes, with new supplies, and you walked into a well-laid-out, neat classroom, ready to have a productive year. A desk was assigned where you carefully placed your supplies. Books were passed out, and you added those to the desk contents. You were in control, with no distracting clutter anywhere.
When the things in your home start crowding in around you and you’re short on cash, it’s time to come up with some creative storage solutions. Don’t be afraid to think “out of the box”. You’re the only one who has to know where everything is stored.
- A cedar chest can be used for blanket storage. I don’t have enough cupboard space for blankets, and they all fit nicely in the chest. The chest also doubles as a coffee table in the living room. The blankets are easily accessible and can easily be folded up and put away at a moment’s notice.
(This is the third in a series of three articles on “The Organized Move”)
The moving truck is pulling in the driveway of your new home and soon you will be surrounded by all your stuff. You have dreamed about the additional space…you have agonized over paint and furniture choices…and you have steadily purged the non-essentials among your belongings. Things will be different in this house! Everything will have a home, the spouse and kids will do their part to create order and the vow to ORGANIZATION has been made — but before this vision can become a reality, you must unpack and set up your new home.
Sometimes the task of keeping a clean, tidy house just seems overwhelming. Why is that? Because it never ends! You never get done! In order to make the task more manageable and give you the feeling that you have accomplished something. I’ve broken it done into 5 easy steps.
The first step is to survey every room in your house making a list of everything that needs to be done.
After you have done this you can break it down further by deciding how often things need to be done and who should do it. Scheduling housework is important because it gives you the feeling that you actually completed your tasks for the day making housework more satisfying.
Use these New Years organizing tips whether you have a file ’system’ - or not! If your business year-end falls in June, just use these same tips in July.
In January set up a Tax Box to hold all your 2005 tax documentation. Set up an archive box (for a lot) or a file tray (for a little) marked Taxes 2005. While sorting your mail put all 1099’s, W-2’s, and any tax-related material in it.
You can set up colored file pocket folders in your Tax Box for Forms, and Personal, Business/Employer, or Investment/Real Estate documentation. Many people create His, Hers, Ours, and IRS folders in addition to their financial files.
The true definition of an organization is one that is organized. Organized in all areas of fundamental business best practices. A business that is not organized should instead be known as a chaoticization.
A successful organization is the product of organized individuals all aiming for the same goal; all affecting eachother simultaneously through their actions. They share the same resources and they all play on the same team. An efficient organization gains knowledge and produces more than would be possible through a mass of single individuals alone. It functions on the same principles that governs the growth and organization of our individual bodies. We can learn alot about the world’s organizations by observing the most efficient organization on Earth, our body.
