As Kerry Gleeson said, “The constant, unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy”.
You want to use your mind to think about things, rather than think of them. You want to be adding value as you think about projects, not reminding yourself they exist. We need to keep our minds free and clear by not keeping “stuff” in it.
We must transform all the “stuff” we’re trying to organize into actionable stuff we need to do
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one”
Mark Twain
How to stay organized?
Mind Dump
You must write down or collect all the incomplete things in your life. Everything incomplete should be written down. You must generate a master list.
Processing your collection – Basic rules
Processing means deciding what the thing is. What action is required, and done.
- Process the top item first.
- Process one item at a time.
- Never put anything back into Master List
Processing your collection – Methods
If the activity will take less than 2 minutes, You must do it Now.
If the activity will take longer, you must process it your Next Action plan or Set Calendar Date for action
Hand off to others anything that can be delegated
Trash what you don’t need or add it to your someday or Maybe List.
Process your Next Action Plan
Your Next Action Plan involves a clear physical behavior or action.
Create your Next Action List using context. The context can be a location or a category of items. For example, Home List, Office List, Computer list, Maintenance Day list, Errands List, Mall list, etc.
My Take
To remain effective, we must stay organized. we must establish a system to keep us effective.
Practical Insights
- Write down all uncompleted things in your life
- Process your tasks
- Use this system to manage your money, business and life.
