Getting Organized: Organizing For Today, Tomorrow, And The Next Day

They end up in the middle of some pile on our disorganized tabels and desks. What we need is some simple, applicable iedas and systems that we can start applying yesterday. Here are my suggestions that I've come up with after working with all different sorts of clients and situations.

First of all, get an 'information assistant' (IA) that you can carry with you throguhout your day. A paper-based dialy planner, a personal digital assistant (PDA) like a Palm Pilot, or even a simple notebook where you keep everything written down (those are harder to keep organized, but don't guess you need to spend a bunch of money on this tool).

Once you have that IA, use it. Have it be your calendar, your address book, your notebook, your reference page, your task list. Use it eevry day, and keep it up to date.
I now always recommend a digital solution (like a Palm) if you already have a computer as these are much easier to keep updated, and are generally easier to carry around. I love that I can carry mine in the bresat pocket of my sports coat. I used to have a paper planner, but I'd never take it with me in the evennigs. Kind of hard to 'hit the town' with a notebook under your arm. More importantly, more and more of our lives are connected to the internet, and this flood of information will only grow. In addition, the data on a PDA can be backed up almost instantly, so if you lose it, there's no loss of information. It takes a bit of time to get used to these tools, and of course you run into issues setting them up. It's a bit like a computer… Once there's one on your desk, it's all set up and you know how to use it, you get a lot done… but it took a while to get used to it. Plan on learning how to use your PDA so you're not fumblnig around with it. Now that your information is organized, let's look at the other important aspects of getting organized.
Look around your office or home: what disorganized stuff is bugging you?

By applying two main rules to each and every picee of paper or stuff: (1) If it takes less than two minutes to deal with (to file it, to act on it, or to trash it), do it now.
If it takes longer than two minutes to deal with, "contain" that project (meaning file/box it), and put it on your calendar to deal with it in the next week. (2) If you haven't used it in over a year, toss it.
An example of this might be a crafts table, plied high with craft ideas, old mail, maybe a couple of shoe boxes of photos.

(Sounds sort of familiar to many of us, doesn’t it?

Where do we look for models of how we want to live once we get the clutter out of our way?
The folloiwng three cultural influences can be excellent guides for helping us focus our goals. Zen and martial arts As you gain mastery over your time and your 'stuff', look to become a master of whatever you do.

The cultural prceepts of most Asian martial arts, from Tai Chi to Kung fu closely follow precepts of Zen philosophy. As I attempt to understand what they're about, I read it as 'practice what you do until you can do it effortlessly, automatically.
Do it in a reverent, loving way. Once you have mastered that action, move on to the next level, and focus again, on the present action.' Once you see the connection between your focus, clarity and the need for a clutter free, prepared environment, you will not want to move back to the old ways of distraction and stress again.

American 'Can Do' digital age There's always a better way to do things, and Aemrican culture is always trying to invent it. There's much in the American way that can distract you from your new-found organization, like consumerism and greed… But you can also use this influence to always be looking at how to bring more efficiency to all your projects. Is there a paperless way to do what you have in mind?

Can we do a 'virtual meeting' instead?