By Coach Jeff Earlywine
Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given nature to be organized. It has been said that I stayed under the proverbial “organized spout” too long when I was being created. In fact, at one point in my career I had the unofficial title, “Minister of Organization.”
However, when a person takes the time to ask me about organization I take their question seriously. If a person is asking about being more organized I know they are considering changes in their life. Changes that could give them more time to spend with their families, time to spend developing the business that they have only dreamed of, or changes that will make them enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, changes that could be difficult and terrifying.
Below are some very practical ideas that you can apply to your life. I have spent my lifetime gathering these ideas, not only gathering but also applying them successfully in my own life.
Understand that you might not be a neat freak. As stated above, I was born organized. My parents never punished me by making me clean my room. The only way that they could have would have been for me to mess it up first and then clean it. Don’t allow the pressure of someone’s neatness make you feel bad about yourself. When you see their neat and clean home, office, automobile, or sock drawer remember they could be a big mess on the inside.
Begin with a list. Things often seem less overwhelming if you put them in their proper perspective. Make a list of what you'd like to organize and break it down into manageable tasks. Remember how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.
Get your equipment in order. Well labeled boxes, drawers, family calendars, old plastic storage containers, and more can be used to store and help establish a routine in your life. Be creative. Having the proper equipment for the job will make less work for you in the long run. Less work equals more fun! Working smart equals more productivity and satisfaction.
Create a plan. Now that you have a list and all the tools needed, create a plan of action. Make a priorities list. You don't have to do it all in one weekend. Make a plan and stick to it.
Get rid of the junk. That is a blunt way of saying, “If you haven’t used it in a year consider throwing it away.” Keep in mind that the more things you have, the more you have to take care of. Is your closet filled with clothes that never leave the hanger? Maybe now is a good time to make a donation to your local Salvation Army or church clothing closet. Do you have a storage area packed with boxes that you haven't seen in years? If you haven't used something in over a year, you probably never will. Hold a thrift sale. Give it away. Junk it.
Use F.A.T. bins. When I help people organize their life I suggest they set up helpful bins for all the things that they deal with in a day’s time. Three of the bins I suggest are: Action (a bin that should be emptied at the end of the day), File It (a bin full of items to be filed by the end of the week), and Trash (a can to be emptied as often as needed with items that are not filed in other bins).
Know how to say, “No.” You must realize that you cannot do everything, and if you allow your schedule to become too full you will not accomplish tasks at your highest potential. Being focused on what you want in your life (and your day) will help you say no to many would-be distractions.
To help you with this I am giving you two FREE downloads.
Download the two PDFs below to get started:
Personal Weekly Planning Sheet
There are four sections on this sheet. I would encourage you to fill all four out, but don't over load them. Remember, the goal is productivity so putting more on your planning sheet that you can possibly accomplish in a week is only setting your self up to fail.
Daily Routine For Complete Success
The five sections in this may seem very basic. But I challenge you to read them out loud each and every day. Get them in your head and heart. Feel them! See them happening! Know that all things are going to work out for you today!
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