Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Getting Organized

It's time to get organized!
I'm getting organized.  Again!  I'm doing it now.  The important thing about getting organized is to STAY ON TASK!  So, as soon as I finish this blog post it's right back to GETTING ORGANIZED!

I've read hundreds of articles and even books on how to get organized.  These can be inspiring.  And they've helped me to get organized.  Many many times.  For one day.  The challenge for me is sticking with it.  Like most things.
Stay positive!  You've got to believe that you can get, be, and stay organized.  Embrace positive thoughts.  Reject and purge negative thoughts.  In the prior paragraph I changed my first word choice, "problem," for "challenge."  See.  Positive.  Sometimes these little things count.  But most-times not.

Getting organized reduces stress, saves you money, and generally improves your life.  Personally, I wouldn't know, but all those things are very appealing.  So, I'm in.  My approach so far has been to wake up, think about what I was supposed to do by today, panic, then run around and do it.  Mixed results.  Definitely room for improvement.  I need to PRIORITIZE!

Not remembering things has been a big issue.  So, now I write down lists of the things I need to do.  "To do" lists.  All the organized people do this.  I can write "To do" lists, so I do.  I have lots of "To do" lists.  On each of my 4 computers, in multiple notebooks of various types, on several pads of yellow paper, some "Task" thingies on the web, and on the backs of envelopes.  Frankly, my "To do" lists haven't been very helpful.  I need a better system.

I also need a calendar.  (I just found out that I didn't know how to spell calendar.  Yay, spell check!)  Like the "To do" lists, I have a lot of calendars.  There's always a sense of hope when I go to Office Max and buy a brand new calendar.  I'm going to take all of my various on-line and paper calendars and consolidate them.  As soon as I get home.  And have some coffee. And lunch.  Oh my God, I forgot about my court hearing!  I should have calendared that!  Gotta run. I'll have to do the calendar
later.

Next is ROUTINE!  A regular weekly schedule.  A good routine is key to being organized.  For me, an externally imposed routine works best.  Too bad. Wish I'd figured that out 40 years ago.  Self-knowledge seems to be important in this process.  Wish I'd figured that out 40 years ago, too.  Too late now.  Or not!  Positivity!  I don't have an external routine, so I'm on my own.  So back to it!  I can plan a routine.  I've done it lots of times.
Gotta go.  I just remembered something I was supposed to do today.