Get Organized Once and For All

I love to organize.  It doesn’t really bother me when things get messed up because it just means I get to organize them again.  However, I’ve come to a point where there are just too many fun things to do to waste any more time than I have to on getting my sh*t together.  After a lightening quick reading of David Allen’s, Getting Things Done (aka GTD), I am reformed.  How did I do it?  Read on.

1. Adopt the mantra:  Allen’s system of Do It, Dump It, Delegate It, or Defer It rocks my world.  Just get the thing out of where it does not belong and take action on it.  This works really well for things like papers and shirts with missing buttons, but even better for thoughts aimlessly bouncing around your brain.

2. Create reference and tickler files:  Knowing exactly how to put your hands on something you need is invaluable.  And knowing that you’ll be reminded automatically by your system when you need to do something (like make a tax payment or schedule a sitter) frees your brain from sweating this small stuff so it can work on something more interesting, like world peace or the next great trend in handbags.

3. List everything:  The GTD lists are the core of the system for me.  Once you learn how to organize every single thing in your life onto a central, yet very practically segmented, list, you will be a new person.  And you will accomplish more than you ever believed possible. 

The true joy of this new take on organizing is that although it takes time to fully implement, it’s effective for the long haul.  Organize your life once and for all.