This is the last entry to the “How to Be” series! It’s been an honor having you here for the past four weeks. Please enjoy today’s post:
I’ve had many moments in my life where I get asked, “how do you keep track of everything you have?” My response at least internally is: “if only you saw the stuff I didn’t keep track of, like my kitchen, or my room.” I’m not sure how this works for you, but at least for me, it’s very hard to divide all the things I want to do into 16 hours. For the those of you that don’t sleep, we can call those hours 24. At any rate, if I want to be productive, I have to get organized. And if I have to get organized, I’m going to plan. My goal is to set your mindset to start thinking ahead for the things you need to get done instead of taking them as they come.
All joking aside, my response to those who ask me is usually the two things I’m about to share with you:
1) Step Back and Look at The Big Picture
I must start by saying that this step is very easy to miss. As an Engineer, this step drives it home to me because I’ve learned to do this every day. In order to be successful, I need to plan and look ahead at what I need to do because other people depend on it. Every purchase has a lead time, and everything falls within a tight schedule. To me this step means understanding what I’m building in order to order the right parts, coordinate with the right teams, and help everyone get on the same page.
As you apply this step to your life, try to visualize the end product. Start by thinking about what you are trying to accomplish and then break it down into small achievable steps. Once those steps are lined out, you can set the roadmap to see what you need to do in order to get your task completed.
2) Write Everything Down
The second step is to write everything down. Big or small, I always keep a notepad, journal, or Notes app close to me to make sure I can capture any and every relevant thought. I have the following system to getting organized:
1) I always start by writing all the tasks that I need to perform (What do I need to complete?)
2) Once I have all the tasks, I group them by responsible party (Who am I doing this for?)
3) Lastly, I prioritize the groupings and analyze how long they will take me to make sure I work in the most efficient way (How can I finish this in the most efficient way?)
Try to ask yourself those three questions and you will see how organized you will become.
I’ve learned that getting organized does not happen in one day. It’s the constant buildup of a discipline that reaps its benefits one day when you least expect it. Remember to step back in order to picture what you’re doing and repeatedly write everything down to make sure you capture the greatest amount possible. Keep this in mind and apply it to every area of your life. Are you ready to get more organized?