| |
| |
|
Organizing Information |
|
|
|
Getting Organized - Getting Fit
In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World" I made the statement "Getting organized is much like exercise and healthy eating. It is something you incorporate into your daily living." Immediately one attendee sighed loudly and blurted out, "I'm doomed!" Many people feel the same way, but based on my own experience with incorporating exercise into my daily life style, I can offer new hope. I have never enjoyed any kind of physical activity. In fact, it has always been a great source of embarrassment and frustration. I was born with crippled feet and as a child had to wear special (translation: ugly!) shoes. I did not run and play with other children, and when I graduated from college with honors, I had to go back to summer school to complete my physical education requirements about which I had procrastinated for four years because I kept praying I could escape the torture! In 1994, I heard Dr. Stephen Covey make the statement, "Name one thing that if you did it consistently, it would improve the quality of your life." My response without hesitation (along with hundreds of other attendees!) was "Exercise!" At that moment it became clear to me that until I solved the problem of how to incorporate exercise into my life, I would never have the respect for myself that I needed to accomplish my life's goals. With my 50th birthday just around the corner, and based on my family heritage, the anticipation of living another 50 years, I had to find a solution. So I turned to what I know -- getting organized. In my experience, there are five essential elements to successful organization: (1) a clear vision, (2) a positive attitude, (3) the right tools, (4) adequate time, and (5) regular maintenance. I became determined to apply these elements to the exercise habit. My vision was to continually improve my physical condition -- as opposed to comparing myself with someone else's ability. Even the most disorganized person can become better organized if they apply our organizing process, and I was confident that I could apply the same process to exercise! Up to this point, having the right tool was illusive. I tried a variety of equipment -- some of it very expensive, and none of it consistently successful. A big factor for me was finding something I could do in the privacy of my home -- the thought of paying to go to a health club was outrageous -- I wouldn't exercise in public if someone paid me! Another factor was my extensive travel schedule, which brought up the issue of portability and safety. Then I heard about a program developed by former professional football player Dave Hubbard (www.fit10.com) - one I could do in my own bedroom - or hotel room. As for finding the time, I was intrigued -- and relieved-- to hear Dave say that I could stay in shape in 10 minutes a day. So much for the excuse of not having enough time to exercise! I committed from that moment forward that I would spend 10 minutes six days a week to exercise. Dave commented that a major part of success was being committed to the 10 minutes - making it a habit, so in the beginning, sometimes all I did was watch the video for 10 minutes! One by one I added the exercises. And finally, there was the issue of maintenance. With all the other factors in place, there was no excuse for not maintaining the program. It took me nearly a year to overcome my own resistance, but after five years, exercising is now a natural part of my routine. I vary the kind of exercise I do, and actually work out in a public facility weekly with a physical trainer now-- and I have never felt better. If improving or maintaining your physical body is an issue for you, consider how organizing for exercising can make a difference -- whether you ride a bicycle, pull on ropes, walk on trails, or lift weights with a trainer. And, by the way, the seminar participant I mentioned at the beginning -- she not only organized her office, but she has learned how to keep it that way! And, she tells me she has lost 30 pounds! © Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
MORE RESOURCES:
organizing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
1-2-3 Sort Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" by Eve Abbott1 - 2 - 3-SORT!Every time you start to clean up your office so you can work better instead of harder-that big backlog of information is just too overwhelming. Sorting can actually put you into a better working space in very short time!The good news is you don't have to do it all at once. Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer, she always had great difficulty. And it was no wonder why. Thinking Outside the Box Much of my time as a Professional Organizer is spent helping people to put things into containers and boxes. But, success in this business requires as much thinking "outside the box" as it does about putting things into containers. Technology...The Culprit and the Tool Technology has given us the tools to reduce routine tasking, yet we are all too aware that technology is seen as the culprit as much as the solution. We only need to look around us to see the developments of the past 20 years. Time for a Clean Out Time has flown. It's been six months since you came back from your relaxing holiday over Xmas and New Year. Improve Your Workplace to Make Your Life Better What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you want to improve it, you have to define and measure it. Most people think of it in terms of lodging, car, financial income, medical services, and social position. The Natural Law of Attrition I'm cheap and proud of it.I use and re-use things carefully. 5 Easy Steps to Making Housework More Manageable Sometimes the task of keeping a clean, tidy house just seems overwhelming. Why is that? Because it never ends! You never get done! In order to make the task more manageable and give you the feeling that you have accomplished something. Common Clutter Culprits- How to Bust Through Clutter Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing important papers. After the Clutter: 5 Steps to a New Daily Routine I've noticed that in the two years since the major de-cluttering of my apartment, clutter has been creeping back in.So what DO you do after you've cleared the clutter? If your day-to-day routines are continuing to create clutter, then you'll always be one step behind it. Life Lessons - Get What You Want; A Lesson from a Green Sea Turtle! Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of sources. As strange as it may sound, I learned one of my biggest lessons about the importance of knowing what I want out of life and the best way to get it, from a green sea turtle. Organizing Your Day One of the hardest things for most individuals working from home is to stay focused. One of the best ways to stay focused is organization. Clutter & Creativity Take a look around you right now. Look away from the computer screen and scan around you - the surface of your desk or table, now scan farther to look at the rest of the room. How Long Do I Need to Keep This? - A Guide to Receipts, Statements and Financial Clutter at Home In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to mysteriously multiply by itself. Do You Have Scatter-Brain-Itis? In your quest to get 'up and running' so to speak with your online ventures do you find yourself getting distracted by things that have nothing to do with whatever it is your trying to accomplish?I call this "Scatter-Brain-Itis"It's not your fault though.There are so many well written, headlines, sales letters, articles, clickable links, and just plain outrageous stuff here online that it's nearly impossible to focus on the task at hand. Letting Go of Clutter In Your Office Some people would say I'm the last person in the world to be writing about clearing out clutter; I seem to accumulate so much of it. But I also get rid of it, when it reaches the point of bothering me. Get Organized - Stay Organized My mother is one of the most productive people I know. She is 78 years old and still works full-time as the personal assistant to the CEO of a bank. Identifying the Rocks: Organizing Your Priorities In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of his class with a pile of rocks and a jar. He puts the rocks in the jar, and then asks the class "Is it full?" "Yes," they answer in unison. Do You Have A To-Do list? I have a huge white board in my home office, about 4ft x 3ft.. Words That Inspire - SIMPLIFY What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to basic essentials, to diminish in scope or complexity, to make more intelligible.What it REALLY means:removing clutter and interference from your life and work; looking at large obstacles as the sum of small challenges; choosing to do less, have less, want less.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
