In today's global and highly competitive world, we have to be organised. How can we be productive when our desks, our cars, our homes and our lives are disorganised, even chaotic? We will function but not to the best of our ability and we will certainly not enjoy our lives as much as if we live full, organised and productive lives.
A preacher once said, "God is a God of Order" and for many reasons that statement has stayed with me. I guess because it just made sense.
Each person has his or her own value system and I respect that we have differences but I have trouble understanding how one can really function at optimum level without being organised.
I am not suggesting that we need to be compulsive about it but we need to live our lives so that if another person has to find something on our desk, or in our car, or in our closet, they can do so.
I have done coaching and time management with attorneys who had piles and piles of paper and they were the only ones who could find anything in their offices. The poor secretaries complained because this made their lives miserable and unproductive. When those attorneys were out of the office, it took a tremendous amount of time to find a particular file. Clients also were not impressed by the waste of time knowing full well that they were probably picking up the tab. Now, attorneys aren't the only guilty ones, we know that, but this example reminds us of the way our behaviour can impact those around us.
I have worked with families whose children will not and cannot bring their friends home because their homes are totally cluttered and very disorganised, causing them to feel embarrassed. It's a serious situation when children cannot bring their friends to their home.
So, where do you start if you would like to manage your time and your life more effectively?
My answer is, one step at a time, while remembering that Rome was not built in a day.
It took you some time to get there was and it will take you some time to make a change. Change is tough and this is why there is often so much resistance in organisations. Change is tough because adults have to first unlearn the old habits before new learning or new habits can be formed–but change can happen once there is awareness of the change to be made and once there is a desire to change.
In today's world, it is imperative for us to be efficient and effective. We must find the time to return each phone call and respond to each important e-mail; we must find the time to accomplish our work tasks and our personal tasks; we must take care of our homes, our children, our partners, our elderly parents; we must find time to give back to our community and we should and must fund time for one other person–ourselves.
I am here to tell you that all this can be done–if you mean business.
�2 First prioritise
�2 Find the timewasters in your life
�2 Make and keep a few strict personal guidelines
�2 Be open to growth and change
�2 If at first you don't succeed, try again
�2 Reward yourself
�2 Live to your fullest potential.
?In today's world, it is imperative for us to be efficient and effective. We must find the time to return each phone call and respond to each important e-mail; we must find the time to accomplish our work tasks and our personal tasks; we must take care of our homes, our children, our partners, our elderly parents; we must find time to give back to our community and we should and must fund time for one other person–ourselves.