Life Management 101

Life Management and Organization Basics

With more than 24 years of experience as a Professional Organizer it's clear to me that people often forget about the fundamentals of time management and organization.

With that in mind, I thought I'd use the next few editions of my newsletter to "Get Back to the Basics" of life management and getting organized.

The Why

When people don't understand the purpose behind doing something, the "why," they can quickly drift away from their intentions.

So here is the "why" behind managing your time and getting organized:

Being organized and managing your time effectively will help you to reduce stress, reduce feelings of anxiousness or feeling "out-of-control," and generally have an all around IMMEDIATE positive impact on your life.

Being organized and managing your time effectively will make you feel better about yourself, feel better about the work you do, and allow you to spend more time doing the things YOU want to do for YOU.

Here are some things to consider:

Keep a Calendar

Keeping a schedule, or a calendar, is the only way to manage your time. It will help you plan your time and appointments more effectively.

There are so many different "calendar systems" available it can be overwhelming when looking for one. Whether electronic or paper-based, find one that you like; the style, the layout, the size - and you're more likely to stick to it. Set a goal to use it every day for a minimum of 60 days. I think you'll be very happy with the results!

Plan Each Day

Planning each day ahead of time will help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life and work. I've worked with people who do this the "night before" and others who do this first thing in the morning. Whatever your choice, planning ahead is a good thing and fairly simple. Write out a to-do list but avoid putting too many things on it!

Prioritize Your Tasks

Not everything can be a "top priority" and time-consuming but relatively unimportant to-do items can quickly be overwhelming and eat up your day.

Prioritizing is very important. You have to choose which items must get done first and which items can wait or be done after the more important tasks. Prioritizing is the cornerstone of time management and getting organized.

Have a System

Having a "system" in place is another critical component of effectively staying organized and managing your time.

Why do so many people lose weight with Weight Watchers?

Because it is a system. If you follow it, it works.

If you fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, as they say, without a system, you will create unnecessary stress and anxiousness for yourself.

There are residential systems and there are office systems. There are filing and paperwork systems and there are mail management systems.

Without systems managing your life becomes more difficult.

Without systems getting and staying organized turns into a clutter control problem - I guarantee it.

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