If you don't design your own life plan,chances are you'll fall

into someone else's plan.

And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."

Jim Rohn


A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

Putting something away is so much easier when you know where it belongs. Once you have assigned everything a home, resist the temptation to just put it down – rather act immediately and put it away. Bonus: you will always be able to find what you want, when you need it.

FILE, DON’T PILE

According to Richard Swenson in his book “The Overload Syndrome” The average desk worker has 36 hours of work on his or her desk and spends 3 hours per week sorting piles trying to find the project to work on next”. Knowing this, and that paperwork is the single biggest contributor to clutter in homes and offices – it is no surprise how quickly the paper piles.

By placing a simple finding system (labelled in/out tray or drawer system) on your work surface and using it regularly; by making immediate decisions with your paperwork as to what needs to happen to it (file, action, delegate, discard) and by making sure you only leave active folders out, you can minimise your paper piling. Make sure your filing system is simple and easy for you to maintain and put time aside to file whenever your drawer/tray is full.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

It is better to have fewer items – all of which you need, use and love than a home or office filled with things that have no meaning to you.

FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT: GET EVERYTHING DONE WHEN IT IS DUE

Being organised is not about being neat. Rather, think of it as about grouping like items together and storing them in a place and in a way that is easy for you to access when you need it. Keep looking for new ways to change the things that are not working – and leave the things that work well for you no matter how they look to others.

DE-CLUTTER

You cannot keep things just because they are interesting. Decide now to make your work space and work like easier by eliminating the excess. Organise desk tops, drawers and shelves. Empty shelves and open areas are fine. No need to cover it with anything. Empty one area or drawer at time. To be organised is a decision to make life easier in every way. Being organised means you can find something when you need it, quickly, with a minimum amount of anxiety and with the confidence that the item will actually be where you look.

Resources: Marcus Gomez, Learn to delegate like a CEO

Odette Pollar, Get Organised! A Guide to Personal Productivity