Long-term projects. Could you use some tips to help finish that project you started with gusto, which is currently lagging?
If you hit a roadblock (or two, or three) what are they—and does your team have ideas for overcoming those hurdles? Decide ahead of time how you will handle issues when they come up. Planning will prevent panic and help people stay on track.
Do you do this? The habit of leaving everything out so you can find it later? Many people make this organizing goof. But the tips in this article will give you some great ideas and propel you to new habits to keep you organized.
Don’t worry, if you put it away, you will be able to find it – whatever it is.
This problem is easily solved. Decide a name that makes sense and make a file for this information, or deal with it (if it’s there as a reminder) by completing the task.
For organized files that are not too cramped, follow these two guidelines:
You might say, ‘I’m a visual person; I need to leave my stuff out so I can find it!’
It’s pretty obvious why this belief/ habit leads to a messy life. Does this mean all the pots and pans stay on the counter so you can find them? You’ll end up with no counter space to actually make meals.
What about art supplies, will they all be on your easel? There won’t be enough room to create a piece of art.
For me, saying you’re a visual person is not a reason to leave everything out. I’m a visual person, and I put things away, almost obsessively.
What you’re saying is: I don’t have a system (a consistent ‘home’ for each type of item) for my stuff. So, if I put my headphones in this drawer, I worry I won’t find them again.
When you establish a system, either with my expertise or by doing it yourself, you will have the confidence that when you put items away, you’ll find them again.
We do this by establishing a system that makes sense to you.
And we use labels to mark shelves cabinets, and storage containers.
‘I have multiple files for my receipts, paperwork, and even for projects. Sometimes I have to look in four different files for the paperwork I need, and sometimes I cannot find it at all.’
This points to a lack of a system in your filing. Organized files will save you so much time! An inconsistent system or imprecise filing habits can cause delays, inability to find documents, and even panic when you are unable to locate the info you need for a client or determine if you paid a certain bill or a vendor.
Not only that, but gathering info for taxes will be a nightmare.
Jenny MorinA system is only as good as the maintenance you put into it!
It’s good to be proactive with filing, and to have only one place for each type of document. Decide at the beginning what will go where for organized files.
For example, say you have a very basic filing system, one file for each month, where you put most receipts and payments. Do you put the receipt for a project started in May but finished in June in the May folder or the June folder?
To avoid confusion and wasted time, decide at the outset whether to put receipts for that project in the starting month OR the finishing month. If you tend to forget, you can write it down.
A commercial client I work with doesn’t have a consistent habit with his monthly files, so he currently must look in both month’s files to find what he needs. We are working on creating a better system
and filing habits for him. The search for the right receipt becomes more difficult and takes longer when there are 30 sheets of paper in each file.
But won’t I have to go through all my files to fix my filing system? you ask.
Yes, you will. Or you can hire an organizer! If you’re serious about being able to find documents, you’ll have to go through each file and move the ones that need to go into a different file. Organizers call this sorting, and it’s one of the main actions I take when I work with clients to organize files.
As for not putting off until tomorrow what can be done today:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Chinese Proverb
The same goes for fixing a filing system. If you get motivated to make the fixes to your files, the time spent will pay off in less frustration and less time wasted looking for things in the future!
(This picture is the party tree from Hobbiton in New Zealand.)
Then it takes me forever to find my keys, phone, purse or glasses when I need to leave the house.’
A recent client of mine, who owns a body shop, told me he scatters his tools all over the garage instead of having a ‘home’ for each tool. He realizes looking for tools is a big waste of his time, but he’s always done it this way—it’s his habit. So, we are working on some new habits and a system for his tools.
It’s a sign of chronic disorganization when nothing in the house has a home.
We all lose our keys or phone from time to time, but if you feel your whole life is in chaos, it may be time to hire an organizer to help you create some order. Chronic disorganization doesn’t get better without help.
I don’t know what I have in my:
It’s a great idea to take stock of what you have before you buy anything. I’ve had organizing clients who regularly go grocery shopping without checking what’s in their pantry first, then end up with food spoilage.
Years ago, I volunteered to clean out the supply closet for our Josephine County public library. Some of the paper & supplies were over 20 years old! We sorted all the like items together, labeled the shelves, and threw out the obsolete items. Once we were done the librarian told us she would save money on supplies since now she knew exactly what was in there.
‘I can’t find my ____________ when I need it, so I end up buying another one.’
Many times, this situation happens with tools in the garage or the shop. I had a friend in a networking group, a hoarder, who told me his basement was so clogged that he ended up buying a second table saw rather than excavate the table saw he already owned from the mess.
I am happy to say, he courageously cleared out his basement, bit by bit, and can find his tools now. He proudly showed me pictures of his progress.
I hope I’ve dispelled the myth that if you’re a visual person, you need to leave everything out to find it later. Visual clutter creates a low level of stress in our bodies; it is not good for us.
Another good habit to cultivate is to create organized files that make sense and consistently put documents away.
Being consistent is a big part of staying organized.
A system is only as good as the maintenance you put into it!
In other words, I can organize your office down to the last paper clip, but if you don’t put things away, you’ll soon find yourself in a mess again.
I hope the tips and stories in this article will help you get motivated to organize those little and big spaces in your life!
Yes, you can make ‘thyme’ for your Vision!
Hi everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. Specifically, the VISION I have for this year, and how to make it all happen the way I picture it.
You have some great ideas and plans for 2021 too, and you may be realizing now that we are in mid-February that those goals are taking longer than you thought. At least that’s what I’m running up against.
Not enough TIME is the biggest obstacle that comes between you and your VISION for this year. So many people have told me that finding TIME for goals or working on a new habit is a challenge. Patience and perseverance come into play as well. These qualities that come in handy when pursuing a long-range vision.
So I’m going to show you, using some concepts from my book’s chapter “Fitting in time for Organizing,” how you can consistently make room in your schedule to achieve those awesome goals and plans you made at the beginning of the year!
It doesn’t matter if your goal is organizing or working on a painting every week, these steps will show you how to make time for goals in your schedule.
Regarding the quality of patience, it helps to remind yourself often that projects and tasks usually take longer than you think.
Remember to chip away at your Vision this year.
Here’s a life lesson I learned from my self-defense teacher, Anthony Morgan, “Sifu”, a multi-level blackbelt and a “grandson” of Bruce Lee. (Bruce Lee trained the master who trained Morgan.) My daughter, Kate, and Sifu are pictured above.
Sifu said when he works on a big goal, he thinks about it this way. He has a small pick-axe necklace that reminds him of this principle. He imagines using the little pick-axe to chip away at his goals.
Why does my martial arts teacher use a small pick instead of a big one? Because he will get exhausted if his pickaxe is too big. So, he patiently chips away at his goals a little at a time and doesn’t get overwhelmed or discouraged by the huge-ness of the project. In this way, he has become an expert at self-defense and, as a contractor, has built many houses for clients.
I’m gonna just get it out in the open right now.
The following ideas are the basics which I teach to a time coaching client who has activities he/she would like to make time for. As with anything, knowing the steps is not quite enough. Knowledge is just the first step.
What I mean is, consistently applying these steps on a daily or weekly basis will lead to success in reaching your goals. You need to actually take the steps / do the action, even when you don’t feel like it. That, for me, is always the hardest part in implementing a long-range project.
See my post ‘Is Procrastination holding you back?’ https://efficientspaces.org/procrastination-holding/
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”
~ Jim Rohn
The third recipe for success: be accountable to someone. A friend, a coach, your spouse, a sibling. Without accountability, most people’s efforts fizzle out after a few months.
I rely on the calls with my business coach, and just knowing that I have to report my progress spurs me to action. To gather my courage to call the newspaper or reach out to the head of HR at a big company—these are hard for me, but I know she’s going to ask me, so that pushes me to make the call.
And on the flip side, when I work with time coaching clients, we set aside time each week for their big picture goal. For many of us, it’s usually just a matter of making the time to do a thing. And being consistent about working on it each day or each week. But that is easier said than done, isn’t it?
See my blog ‘You can do Anything for 30 minutes’ here.
5 Strategies to make time for your goals
YOU CAN DO IT!
What do you want to accomplish or learn? Picture yourself actually achieving this goal. Take several minutes and truly envision what it will be like when you accomplish this amazing thing. Going back to this vision will motivate you to keep chipping away at it when times get tough.
To find a regular time each week that has fewer interruptions, pick a day when you usually get less interruptions or regularly have less going on/ less meetings, less clients and less looming deadlines.
Figure out what time of day is best for you to tackle high-focus or difficult projects. If you work with your preferences, your experience will be much more pleasant. Also, you’ll fit your new activity into the flow of your day naturally. (Are you a Lark or an owl? See the Time Preferences Quiz at the end of the blog.) This will help you reach your vision for the year.
I recommend the same time every day or the same day and time every week. Create a new habit that will get you where you want to go!
For example, say your goal is to complete a course on SEO so you can increase your website referrals. Thursdays at 10 am might be your golden hour.
Use your calendar to remind you daily—especially if you are working on a new habit. I cover habits in depth using the cute and predictable Habit Rabbit to illustrate the best way to create a new habit or break an old habit.
Or, if your plan is to work on your vision for the year on a weekly basis, set a reminder for that in your phone and your work calendar, then treat it like a doctor’s appointment. You wouldn’t cancel a dentist appointment to go to coffee or, read emails, would you?
Did this article help you? Did the questions cause you to think more deeply about your goal and how you’ll actually realize it? Would you benefit by having a coach keep you accountable to your goal?
To find out if coaching is for you, or to schedule a free time management assessment, please head to my website.
Identifying your Energy cycles and sources
Write down your answers to the following questions.
My best time for focus work:
My best time for low-focus tasks:
Thank you for reading, and have a great day!
My blog ‘Goals: Aim for the Stars, Writing Goals you will Stick To’:
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