Something simple but
profound struck me this morning. Our living room looks much more
spacious when everything is in order- in its place and well arranged. Are you
familiar with this? Try arranging your office table and you’ll discover
there’ll be room for more things. Try arranging the clothes in your closet properly
and it will be evident you can still handle a few more clothes. The message is
then very clear and simple – order makes for increase. The more organized you
are, the more ready you are to handle more!
Let me start from what
I hope to conclude with – It takes far more time when disorganized than it
does when one is organized because disorganized people loose so much
time to inefficiency. Have you tried looking for something you
misplaced of late? You know the thing is somewhere nearby …maybe in
your bedroom. You are dead sure you kept it there the last time but you can’t
seem to just find it! The experience can be very frustrating (I get really
frustrated) and can make you lose quality time. Can you relate to this
situation…or even worse ones?
It’s important to note
that order makes for increase. A simple illustration to prove this is when you
are packing for a trip. If you decide to dump all your clothes and personal
effects in a suitcase just like that, the suitcase will be full in no time.
However, if you take your time to neatly fold your clothes, and arrange everything in
an orderly manner, you will be amazed at how much space you still have for more!
If you want to increase in your life, business, career and what have you, pay
attention to order. If your life is in order, then increase is guaranteed. If
your life is surrounded by clutters and you don’t just seem to get organized,
you will have no room for more.
There is a mystery
about order. Order makes for increase. Anywhere you see order, increase will
not be far off. Have you noticed something about developed countries and
economies? There is a high degree of order. You’ll see order everywhere. The
opposite is true for developing countries and economies. Little wonder why some
of us are still where we are!
Getting organized is a
process and it doesn't happen overnight! It's like quitting a bad habit. In the
beginning it is very difficult but it gets easier until one day....you've begun
the new habit of "being organized" without even thinking!
One of the greatest
lesson I have learnt about order and organization is this - “A place for
everything; everything in its place”. Let me share with you some tips that I
have learnt about getting organized. Some of these tips will work for you,
others won't. You don't have to do everything; you just have to do something!
Have a plan for each day
Before you leave for
home each day, take the time to review your calendar for the next day
and prepare any documents that you might need during that day. The truth is
that you will most likely not follow this plan 100% but you will be
more organized and get more done when you have a clear plan.
Give every object a home
Assign a home to each
item. Where will you put those old bank statements? Where will you keep the
magazines? Where should all those design notes go? First go through
those items and note what should have been thrown away, then assign a
convenient home to every item, you will be much more inclined to put them away
in the right place.
Put it away!
It’s very important
that you act fast on things that you do not need. Put them away as fast as you
can. Throw away junk mail without even bothering to open it! If there is a
trash bin close to the mailbox, dump junk mail there and don't even bother
taking it to your office. Touch each piece of mail only once. This means you
need to make a decision on what to do with it. You can:
-POST it wherever you
post information
-DISTRIBUTE it to the
person who should have gotten it in the first place
-TRASH it
-FILE it in the
appropriate file (Not a "to be filed" file!)
-ACT upon it.
Prioritize
This is not as easy as
it sounds but it is a vital point in creating order around you. It’s not likely
that you will be able to do everything you want to do every single day. The
chances are that you won’t! When your list of “to do’s” is quite long, you will
be more organized of you learn to prioritize. This simply means putting the
most valuable items on your “to do” list at the very top of your list.
Schedules should follow a progression of priority, energy, and natural setting.
My priorities begin with the Lord, then my wife, then my children, then work.
When I have time left over, I can dedicate it to items lower on my priority
list.
I am still leaning on
this topic, so, if you have any other idea, the floor is open. Shoot!
