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   Get Organised by Ilka Bradshaw
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We are all guilty of putting off jobs at some point in our busy lives. Most people admit that the problem often increases because all the outstanding jobs seem to keep on building up over time. Sometimes the longer we put off doing those niggling, outstanding chores, the harder it gets to take on even the most simple of tasks. However, this problem is both universal and a worry to most productivity experts. How, they ask, can we change our deeply-fixed habits to become more organised in our everyday lives? According to one time consultant, the answer is a surprisingly simple one. It is possible to identify five steps to
taking control of your workload: collect, process, organise, review and do. Here are a few suggestions to help you grapple with all those outstanding tasks and become a more organised and competent person!

Collect
Gather together all the outstanding jobs and tasks you need to deal with. Make a list of all the unfinished projects, outstanding decisions and unanswered correspondence you need to process. Gather up all those things that make you worry and write them down in one comprehensive and complete list.

Process
Start to process the list. Decide whether you need to make an instant decision or whether you need more time for further thinking. Try to identify what immediate action you can take. In many cases, this may be as easy as delegating a task to someone else - or making a phone call, or setting up a meeting.

Organise
Decide what you can discard. Is this rubbish that you can throw away or is it something that you need for the future? If something does not need immediate action or is reference material, mark it appropriately and file it away. If necessary, make a diary note to review it at a future date.

Review
Look through your list and use the ever-useful "two minute rule". If a task takes less than two minutes, try to complete it straight away. Most productivity experts agree that this basic rule is essential when sticking to a routine.

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Glossary

Grapple (v)
to fight with.

Comprehensive (adj)
including many details and facts.
 
Delegate (v)
to hand over part of your duties or job to someone else.
  Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 October 2009 13:06 )