Running a business successfully takes many skills – and one of the most important is organizing. Initially it does take time to get organized, but it is well worth it since you will save so much time once you are.
Clutter Costs Big Time
When you are not organized, your life is cluttered. Not just your desk. Not just the kitchen sink. Not just your garage. Your LIFE is cluttered. You might not realize this, but clutter creates havoc in your mind. The chaos is disturbing, and before you know it, you’ll be thinking in the negative. You’ll become more pessimistic than optimistic. Others will see your face frown more than smile. When you think your brain is hard at work for you, instead it will be trying to sort through everything trying to keep you on the straight and narrow. Before you even get started organizing your business, take time to do the following:
- Clear off the counters in your house. Put things away. Do not leave them out to haunt you.
- Pay your bills and take the papers off your desk. If several items need your attention, put them in a manilla envelope and date it.
- Throw things out. You probably don’t need all of what you have, so pare it down. Just keep all you need and what you want.
- Strip the negativity from your thoughts, because that is cerebral clutter and can put productivity to a halt.
Fear Can Stop You In Your Tracks
You may ask – what does fear have to do with this? If you are usually rather disorganized, you will need to change. Most of us are leery of change. We’re comfortable with who we are and what we do. Change is intimidating. Acknowledge that and try to change one bit at a time. Organize things slowly – even then you will see the benefit – and soon the fear of change will turn into the pleasure of being organized.
To L.I.V.E. is a Choice
An expert in organizing, Jennifer Ford Berry, captures her knowledge in the acronym L.I.V.E. Spelled out in her book, Organize Now! A Week-by-Week Guide to Simplify Your Space and Your Life, we discover that the letters stand for: List – Internal Organization – Vision – External Organization.
- LIST. The older you get, the more you’ll realize that to help our memory, we need to write things down. Create a daily list of what you need to do and what you want to do. Cross tasks off the list once you have accomplished them.
- INTERNAL ORGANIZATION. Take this blog to heart. Start thinking in a more organized way. Plan your schedule so that one task flows into the next so you are not retracing your tracks. It all starts off in your brain, that gray matter that keeps you moving.
- VISION. Focus on who you want to be, what you want to do, where you want to go, when you must start, and how you will get there. Without a plan for how you will meet your goals, sadly, you won’t.
- EXTERNAL ORGANIZATION. Now you are ready to clean up your life and your lifestyle. Make things fit. Put things away. Get rid of the clutter.
A favorite librarian friend of mine said that the best lesson she learned in Library School was getting organized. The good news is that you do not have to go to Library School to learn this lesson. By eliminating clutter, by embracing change, and by using author Berry’s tips, you will be able to manage all of the details so much better. Use Online Sales Pro to help you organize your time, your business, and your contacts – and you will accomplish so much more.
