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Being
Organized: Is it Worth the Effort?
Lila
Norden
To
have freedom of time, (and other kinds of freedom as well), you need to
be organized. It’s one of the many paradoxes of life.
People often think that the processes of getting and being organized
take away from their available time, and it’s true – as far as it goes.
There is a commitment of time involved in bringing order out of chaos
and then maintaining order.
Unless you’re already perfectly satisfied with the organizational state
of your office or home, it will take some effort to bring things to the
point where being organized is clearly saving you time, energy, and
money.
The question is whether the effort is worth it to you.
Another way to frame the question is to ask what is the price you’re
paying for being disorganized. Does it cause conflicts in your
relationships – business or personal? Do you have a pattern of being
unable to quickly locate things you need, resulting in daily doses of
irritation and stress?
Disorganization certainly wastes time and energy. It also costs money.
Sometimes the cost is indirect: missed opportunity from not having your
act together. But there is also the direct cost of having to replace
things that have permanently gone missing in the midst of chaos.
On the other hand, being organized allows you to find what you want when
you want it.
The payoff of being organized goes beyond merely saving time, energy,
and money. Organization also results in better relationships. An orderly
environment helps reduce conflicts among household members. At work, the
image you present by being organized advances the respect that
colleagues and clients hold for you.
Organization also increases the likelihood of success in achieving your
goals. A productive environment is a setting in which everything around
you supports your goals and who you want to be. It is an intentional
environment.
If you’ve decided to get organized, make a commitment, a specific plan
with a deadline and some accountability. Start small, but start
somewhere because organization is a process, not a destination.
Step by step, you can bring your home or office to the point where it
supports your life, as your environment should do.
1. Identify something to organize. A suggestion of where to begin is to
eliminate clutter in a specific area: a drawer, a closet, a room.
2. Give yourself a deadline by which you will have it done. Make the
deadline feasible – the point here is to achieve success, no matter how
large or small the initial project is.
3. Build in some accountability or consequences: what are the positive
consequences of getting it done on time (reward yourself in
celebration); or the negative consequences of missing your deadline.
Once you’ve accomplished your first objective, then build on success.
Choose your next small but specific area, and so on until you’re
satisfied.
Organization is a practice, not a natural tendency as so many people
believe. It’s true that there are those who enjoy the process of putting
things in order more than others do, but anyone who chooses to be
organized can be.
Article Source:
www.articlerich.com
Lila
Norden combines 14 years experience in education and consulting to offer
valuable information and insights for advancing your business,
education, or career. For helpful resources, strategies, and additional
articles, visit
FT Office.
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