| Conquering the Day |
 |
| By Cyndi Seidler |
|
| Got lists? I, personally, can't have my day without it. It just
doesn't go right. |
|
| If I want to get things done, I need a plan or an agenda to carry
out my activities. Although I may be caught by a few daily surprises,
I still remain on track for the most part. |
|
| What's the secret in getting things done? Structure, for one thing.
Structure is the tool that's available to us to put order into our
life. It's the means to help us function in an orderly fashion without
going in different directions. When we have structure, we get things
accomplished. |
|
| Part of this structure could be a routine in which certain activities
are carried out. A routine is simply a regular habit, a normal schedule,
a standard practice, or something that is carried out recurrently.
Do we not have a routine for daily hygiene? (I hope so). |
|
| Frankly, when we incorporate our routine activities into an agenda,
it helps us remain focused on the tasks at hand. And certainly,
things can be added to it on any given day. Just don't end up overwhelming
yourself with too many things to do that you end up feeling exasperated. |
|
| Another means to get things done is to prioritize your activities.
It's the key that allows you to focus on those things you really
need to get accomplished. |
|
| Ever feel like you worked all day but didn't accomplished anything?
It's because you didn't either have an agenda or that you didn't
do the work that was on your agenda. This is unproductive. |
|
| The marvelous "lists" we tend to keep serve a great purpose:
to get things done and give us a sense of accomplishment when we
complete the work activities we planned. |
|
| A daily list is an aid to plan our day. A weekly list is a tool
that helps us map out our week. Master lists can also be used outlining
all the overall tasks we intend to carry out. |
|
| This type of organization lays out the actions we need to do before
we do them. It helps put the work into some sort of alignment. |
|
| Of course, sometimes we can go overboard in keeping lists. These
lists have to be managed, just like anything else. If not, they
only become another thing we can't confront looking at. |
|
| Now, keeping reminder notes all over the place is not like keeping
lists. I've seen a person's office plastered with sticky-notes all
over their computer monitor, the desktop, anywhere there was a blank
space. The written notes on these pieces of paper had all become
a big blur to the person. |
|
| The nice thing about lists is that it removes all those things
in our head that causes "mind clutter" and organizes it
on a piece of paper. This frees up our attention because these things
are not something we have to remember to do. |
|
Yes, we do need to remember to look at the list, and if that requires
a reminder note somewhere, so be it.
Lists are all part of planning and goal-setting. We plan, we get
things done. It's a beautiful thing. |
|
| Days off are a different story. I want to relax, go shopping, see
a movie, maybe visit a friend. I don't necessarily need an agenda
for any of this, although if I want to plan my day, I would. Otherwise,
it's just free play time. |
|
| If I'm planning my time off work though, I might list out things
from my routine, such as (daily) exercise and (weekly) laundry,
then fit in my errands, washing the dog, and any special event or
activities I want to do that day. Whenever I look back on my day,
I can usually say it was fulfilling. |
|
| Without an agenda or priorities, we tend to be pulled in all directions
at once, and rarely ever go anywhere at all. There isn't a traffic
cop standing there blowing the whistle directing you to go. It's
like sitting at an intersection waiting to reach a destination.
But, since you don't really know what your destination is, you could
end up just sitting there for some time without moving. |
|
| Organization is a means that takes you from where you are now to
where you want to be. It is not an event, it is a cleansing and
empowering process. And, it is a process that is continued throughout
one's life. |
|
| Planning is essential in organization. So is managing your time.
By planning and managing your time, you are controlling the activities
in your day. |
|
| We must be careful not to cram ourselves with doing more than we're
able to do comfortably. This only causes a feeling of failure. What
we want is a feeling of accomplishment. |
|
| Learn to be a creature of habit. Put yourself at the wheel in the
driver's seat and you'll be able to follow the path you've mapped
out in your plan. Do it and you'll conquer the day. |
|
| Cyndi Seidler is an author, columnist and professional organizer.
She developed an online resource to help people get better organized
at www.organized-living.com.
Please feel free to contact her at Cyndi@orgnanized-living.com. |
|
![](../../images/wsSpacer.gif"){kind=spacer}