Being organized is a talent that none of us can afford to do without. The only problem is that there are too few of us that really understand what being organized is all about. The best approach is one day at a time.
Day one
Develop a list of rewards you can give to yourself. Make the rewards short, let's say fifteen minutes each. You can the work yourself up to longer time periods: The rewards can be phoning a good friend, playing a complete round of golf, or working on your vehicle.
Day two
Try writing down your goals. This act alone creates a commitment on your part, and it allows you to look back over time to see where your mind was at any given moment. The goals should be in bite sized little bits so that they can remain manageable. Your action plan should entail getting more information, doing research, or communicating with people.
Day three
Now is the time to transfer your tasks to a pocket notebook. Divide the tasks into calls, errands, things to do, and things to write. Example: You can call a career counselor, set up files, go shopping, or draft that resume you’ve been putting off for months.
Day four
It's okay to buy a pocket calendar to record appointments deadlines. The list should include "must do" tasks that can be done on a daily basis. Examples could also include scheduling vehicle maintenance, dropping the kids off at the babysitter and so on.
Day five
You can use this day to choose other tasks from the notebook that are still unfinished. Utilize any time where there's a break in your schedule. The tasks you choose should be reasonable and fairly easy to complete.
By the end of the first week, you should be well on your way to establishing a pattern of being better organized. It'll take time to work out the bugs, but your life will benefit because of it.
Co-host of Spike TV's "Xtreme 4X4"
"At WyoTech, I received the skill set necessary to take me as far as my imagination will lead me."
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