People who are disorganized often feel overwhelmed and desperate. I hear from people who never have enough time to finish their tasks, or think that they don’t get any support, or that the system isn’t fair.
And they’re right.
And at that point, they have the choice of either continuing to complain or to get organized.
First, forget about trying to manage time. Focus on activity management instead. And the best way to do that is to devote some time each day to sorting things out, like categorizing papers and projects, cleaning off your workspace or taking a moment to clear your mind.
Action – Even before you begin to plan your next steps, spend at least 15 minutes a day to put your internal and external spaces in order.
This simple and quick habit will reap huge rewards for you, financially, emotionally and energetically.
Nancy, thanks for the timely reminder. I have now cleared off the summer’s paper debris, and can enjoy the shiny oak surface of my desk, with renewed shiny energy to skip into the fall papery! 🙂 Sincerely, Claudia
I did the same thing the other day! Fabulous feeling, being organized.
I like changing this from Time management to activity management. I have gotten into the habit of eating frogs to help manage activities I don’t enjoy and make the reward of my day by saving the things I love to do last. I enjoy 98% of what I do but that other 2% makes me nuts. 🙂
Experience has taught me (and reminds me frequently!) that activities can be managed, but not time. Everyone has the same 24 hours in each day, and you can’t make more time. The difference is how we choose to spend each minute of each day. Eliminate any unnecessary step or task, even the smallest ones. Ruthlessly purge paper! Automate any recurring task that you can. Thank you for the reminder to organize.