Be More Organised! – 3 Essential Organising Routines
Want to be more organised? Kristin Lowe, Asia-Pacific’s first Certified Professional Organizer of Speakers Connect www.speakersconnect.com shows you how.
So what does it really take to be organised day-to-day? It’s not as much work as you may fear. Once you get your systems set up, it comes down to 3 simple maintenance routines.
Being Organised...
You say you don’t have time for maintenance? Think of it like taking care of your teeth. Just a few minutes of brushing and flossing a couple of times a day will keep you on the right track. Occasionally you need to get to the dentist for a deeper cleaning and check-up.
If you don’t look after your teeth regularly, you’ll wind up with pain, decay, and even surgery. If you don’t look after your personal organisation, the results are stress, health problems, missed opportunities, and a breakdown in work/life balance.
To avoid all that, establish these 3 essential organising routines:
Kristin Lowe, Speakers Connect
PROCESSING
What is it?
A sorting process similar to triage. Your goal is to process and prioritise everything, getting all collection points to empty.
Why do it?
To make sure your time and effort go to the true priorities – not whatever has come in most recently or is shouting the loudest.
What does it look like?
- You look at each email and make a decision about your next action, which you capture on your lists. Then you move the email out of the Inbox.
- You look through that notebook (or piece of paper, maybe?) where you have been scribbling notes all day. You capture ideas and follow-up actions on your lists.
- You look through your in-tray and capture ideas and actions on your lists. Then you discard or file the papers.
- You empty your brain of all the bits and bobs it has been trying to remember for you all day. You write this stuff down somewhere safe.
How often should I do it?
1-3 times a day
How long does it take?
15-30 minutes each time, assuming you have learned how to do it right.
DAILY PLANNING
What is it?
A housekeeping and prioritisation process. Your goal is to reorganise any outstanding tasks from today and build a clear plan for tomorrow.
Why do it?
To ensure your day will be spent in a focused and proactive way, instead of working randomly and reactively.
What does it look like?
- You look at your to-do list from today and decide what to do with any outstanding tasks. Usually you’ll re-schedule them for tomorrow or a later date if tomorrow looks too full.
- You have a look at your scheduled appointments for tomorrow and the amount of time you’ll have to yourself.
- You plan your to-do list for tomorrow – keeping it realistic!
How often should I do it?
Once a day – before the day begins. That means you do it the night before or very early in the morning before checking email for the first time.
How long does it take?
5-10 minutes, assuming you have good lists in place to support this process.
WEEKLY PLANNING
What is it?
A time management process. Your goal is to balance your week between appointments and work blocks to move your projects forward.
Why do it?
To get your priorities scheduled into your week before other people’s requests for your time take over.
What does it look like?
- You look at your to-do list from today and decide what to do with any outstanding tasks. Usually you’ll re-schedule them for a day next week or de-prioritise them if the week looks too full.
- You review your long-range project and idea lists and decide when you’ll take the next action for each.
- You confirm appointments for next week and schedule the necessary work blocks for yourself.
- You plan your to-do list for Monday – keeping it realistic!
How often should I do it?
Once a week – before the week begins. Monday morning is really too late. Most people prefer to do this at some point in the weekend when they’re more relaxed and removed from work pressures (hard to believe, I know – but try it before dismissing the idea). Some folks find Friday afternoon to be a good time for this process.
How long does it take?
20-30 minutes, assuming you have good systems for managing time and projects.
October 28, 2009
Tags: do less acheive more, Get organised, getting things done, Kristin Lowe, Productivity, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Connect Posted in: Get organised, Productivity