Handling Your Do to List
We all do it, right a long list of tasks that need to be completed and then find ourselves exactly where we started. How do you get rid of action paralysis?
1. Write down all the things you need to get done. Your list may look like this:
- Tidy my closest
- Phone Conference
- Plan Joe’s birthday
- Reduce phone bill
It may appear as if this list is complete and one can immediately go about the business of fulfilling it, but it is important to determine what the next step should be.
2. Break your list down into actionable items:
- Tidy My Closest: What is it exactly about your closet seems to be causing the most frustration. Be more specific and determine exactly what it is you need to do e.g. Tidy my closet may include; remove clothes that don’t fit, color coordinate outfits on hangers, Put any shoes on the floor in bins etc
- Phone Conference: Is there anything that needs to be done in preparation of the phone conference? Are there any e-mails that need to be sent or research that needs to be done? Write these down as well
- Plan Joe’s birthday: This should also be broken down into a list of functions that need to be completed for Joe’s birthday, for instance, do you need to send out invites? Are you going to call a caterer? Do you need to buy a gift, what and from where?
You get the picture! Your do to list will now be a lot easier to tackle.
Getting rid of office clutter 101
You have finally made a decision to get organized, but there is so much clutter around you – you don’t know where to start
Ask yourself some questions:
- When was the last time I used this item?
- How often do I use this?
- Do I have another one of this? Why do I have a duplicate?
- Would this change my life if I did not have it?
If you find that you really do not need something, trash it, give it away, donate it or if you are going to use it – make sure you find it a home. You have to be willing to let go of things regardless of where they came from or who gave them to you.
As you answer the questions above, you should now have 3 piles:
- To trash
- To Keep
- To Pass to someone else
- To File
- To Pay
The trash items are fairly simply to handle, simply take them and throw them away! Anything that you have decided to keep must have a permanent home where it is easily accessible when you need it. You pile of things to pass along to someone else must be distributed right away, this will leave you with the things you have to file and the bills you have to pay.
As Nike so eloquently put it – just do it!
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