You’ve made the commitment before but 2012 will be different! This is Your Year! You know what to do and how to do it and this year you are going to stick to it! Get ‘er done! Stay focused and reach your goals. You have bought every possible organizing supply and tool that is available because they all promise to get you organized, right! And…they have to work because you just spent a ton of money.
So how do you ensure that you reach your goals this year? Your mindset and habits will dictate your success, no matter what your goals are. Just like starting a diet, getting your space and mind organized takes dedication, obligation and accountability. It takes making a change in your daily habits and this isn’t always easy.
Think about what areas you find the hardest to keep organized. Is it your paperwork – mail and filing; client follow-up; systems; or maybe your daily schedule? Or, maybe it is that your time is drained by interruptions through email or phone. Everything that we do every day is a choice. (Of course, I’m realistic…emergencies can come up that require your attention). But when you have your daily course of action laid out, interruptions are easily handled and the ability to refocus comes easy.
The key to keeping yourself on task is developing a habit/system to handle every part of your day. It seems odd to think about something that something as simple as opening the mail should have a system but it makes such a difference. Let’s just take the example of opening the mail. I meet with so many people and home-based businesses that just find it “simpler” to open the mail wherever the happen to be at the time. Because of this, there are receipts and paperwork in the office, kitchen, bedroom, car, in their pants pockets or purse, And then…it just becomes too overwhelming to be able to get it all organized. The thought of sorting, organizing and filing all of the paperwork causes stress and anxiety. And now there just isn’t enough time to catch up.
One of the best habits that you can develop as a homeowner and business owner is to schedule some office time for yourself. It doesn’t take much time to get everything filed away, if you do it on a regularly scheduled basis. Organizing and filing your paperwork on a weekly basis can take you a matter of minutes so stop procrastination now.
Another good habit to get into to help you stay organized is to identify your distractions and avoid them! Disconnect yourself from your electronic gadgets. Don’t allow yourself to become side-tracked by emails and phone calls. Keep your attention on your project and goal. Your intentions of having a quick 5 minute conversation can easily become a 45 minute catch-up session and not only cause you to lose time, but also change your attitude toward your goal. When you are “in the zone” and working diligently on a project, another person’s concerns and/or issues can cause you to become totally distracted and cost you time, money and take your schedule off track. Call your friend back when it is convenient for you. Developing habits will help you get organized and stay organized – and save a ton of time too!
