This is a Guest Post by George Baker
If you are one of the many people who seem to jump from one task to another and living from one crisis to another, perhaps its time to examine the way your life is organized. Financial catastrophes, missed deadlines, forgotten appointments and omitted details can all be caused by a disorganized life. Whether you are currently suffering from a string of setbacks or if you feel like you are about to lose control, getting organized could be the most important project you take on right now. To help, here are 7 tips for organizing your life.
1. Just say no
Life is short and we want to do and experience as much as we can, but the reason so many people live disorganized lives is because they jump hectically from one event to another and have no time left for life-maintenance tasks. the way to address this is to say “no” to more opportunities and requests.
You don’t want to let anyone down, that’s probably why you’ll take on new projects for the parent association or you will join yet another team at work. If you say “no” the projects will still get done and you will have time to get a handle on other things in your life. Sometimes other people won’t understand, especially if you are known for saying “yes,’ but you owe it to yourself to get control of your time.
2. Prepare in advance
Mornings can be the source of a lot of stress, especially for those who have families. It’s easy to sleep later than you should and then have to hurry about trying to get ready for the day. Before you know it, you’re in the car headed for work or school and vital resources are left at home. Prepare in advance by putting all your books, bags, equipment and other things by the door so they are all ready for the morning rush.
This is just one example of how advance preparation can help. For every scheduled meeting, shopping trip, doctor visit, special meal, etc. there are things you can do in advance to make sure you are ready when the time comes to perform.
3. Prioritize your tasks
A disorganized person will flutter from one tasks to another as they come up during the day. Make a list of everything you need to do during the day and then choose the most important three tasks during the day. This makes sure your essential responsibilities are addressed while helping you avoid distractions caused by insignificant tasks.
4. Use a calendar
You don’t need a massive time management system before you can get organized. Take the small step of using a simple monthly or weekly calendar to jot down important events, deadlines and due dates. Keep the calendar with you and look at it at least twice per day; at morning and at night. You’ll be surprised at how this will help you avoid everything from missed birthdays to late payment notices.
5. Plan for the important things
Now that you have a calendar, use it to schedule the things that you want to do, but never seem to have the time. Your children are growing up. You and your partner are aging. You’ll never have that special talk, play that game or take that trip if you never list it among the other things you must do. This will help you become more satisfied with life as well as more organized.
6. Get some help
By now you have a picture of all the things you are committed to doing everyday. If you are too busy, ask for help. For example, if you are doing all the housework, ask the children or significant other to take on some chores. After all, why should you be working while everyone else in the house are at leisure? The same philosophy can work at the office or in any other role that leaves you feeling overloaded.
7. Throw stuff away
You are in a hurry to get things done, but before moving onto another project, task or event, think about the stuff that’s left behind. For example, most papers will never be looked at again so take the time to discard what you don’t really need and then file what’s left before moving on.
Take these 7 tips for organizing your life and use them. You may be surprised at how much better they will make your life.
George Baker is a writer and analyst of vacuum bags, being somewhat of an expert on vacuum cleaner bags.
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