This week (4/3-4/9/96):
How do you stay organized?

Do you do first things first? Last things never? Do you do enough? Share with other Tripod members your tips and tricks for staying organized.

Work & Money survey questions change each Wednesday.

Stonewall: When you have something to do, just sit down and do it! Then things don't get so piled up. If you already have a pile, just pick up the most important thing in the pile (hopefully on top), and get to work on it asap! Also, keep a calendar of meetings, things to do, etc., so that your day, week, month doesn't turn into a nightmare of trying to remember what you were SUPPOSED to do, and WHEN!

bpeabody: lists. lists. lists. Start the day with one and end without. Not only did you get all your stuff done but you have a record of what you did, which is good for keeping organized and reminding yourself that you are being productive.

mayoreric: I try to enter the pile of notes I end up with at the end of the day into the computer, so I can cut copy and past to my heart's delight.

KMorrison: The world's greatest procrastinator, I need a deadline to put myself on track. I let everything pile up until the 11th hour, then I fly! It's amazing what you can accomplish when the sand is almost gone out of the hourglass.

Walker: The best thing I've found is to decide yesterday what one thing I absolutely must accomplish today. When I come into the office, I do nothing else -- no phone calls, no reading mail, no meetings -- until I finish that task. I fail at this resolve often, naturally, but when it works it works great!

pbriggs: Staying organized means using a planner to list the tasks of your day, prioritizing them realistically, and doing the toughest ones first. Staying focused on the work at hand is very important. Getting things done means find at least one or two things that you really want/need to get done and do it. So if the day is a total loss, you have those one or two things to help keep you moving forward despite it.

schatz: I usually do the things that will either prevent future inconveniences (car maintenance, routine dental work, etc) and things that contribute to my long term goals first. When I spend time doing tasks that address other's priorities I find myself getting really grouchy. I highly recommend Stephen Covey's- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People- Like he says, you gotta find out first what YOUR life is supposed to be all about,then worry about what to spend your time doing. Bottomline- there's never enough time, so spend it wisely.

Raviv: What I do to stay organized and get things done is to start the day with two things: first to get the people working for me going. This way nobody will waste time waiting for me to get MY things done. Then, I attack my *things to do today* list at the weakest points, i.e. things I can get done fast and painlessly. Scoring a few points puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day and I can fight the tough ones on well-charged batteries. I did try starting with the tough ones and I got much less done that way.

project: The trick to staying organized is to do what's considered urgent, first, then work your way dow the the list. Otherwise you'll never get everything that you want to complete, done.

Canadian Guy: Some say good organization and time management is essential to success. Many agree with this saying, "you must keep yourself constantly motivated" and "work, work work." Sometimes I find the best answer to good organization as being a whole lot simpler. My advice is to stay relaxed and don't get stressed. As a third year pre-law student pressure and time restraint is part of the "everyday." By relaxing, and taking it a little easier, organization falls into place (i.e. the more you stress the more disorganized you get). Important things, urgent things should be prioratized and completed accordingly, but for other things like many of my friends I just grab a beer and relax.

cvicente: I have trouble remembering everything at the right time. When my memory is not enough, I write it down, but I always lose the little piece of paper. I finally end up doing only what I'm interested in. That's why I have so many problems with my girlfriend.

knema: I am a great procastinator, so what works for me? A planner/agenda in one. It helps to keep track of all appointments and meetings. It also proves great as record keeping. Since I have to keep reminding myself of working with a schedule and a list of things to do I also keep posted a copy of my monthly schedule and my daily schedule. Anything and everything to get things done.

wilmer: Always do the things you need to do before you do the things you want to do. Forget the fancy organizers and just cary a spiral note book with you. On it write everything that needs to be done for the day and if something isn't completed put it on tomorrow's sheet. Keep a second book for the long term projects, and review that daily and see what needs to be moved in the today book. Simple and effective.

Lovie: My day book that zips shut is money well spent. I customized the innards & now, all my written chaos & receipts, etc. are safely contained in one location until I can process it.

boswell: I make a list every day of critical things I must get done, and then I ignore it completely.

Saulm: When you have something to do you are supposed to do, it is lots harder to do than anything else. So what happens is when you have something you're supposed to do, you just wait and find something more interesting. Then once you get what you were supposed to do done, you don't seem to have anything to do.

Weirick4: My advice on getting organized: if you don't already have one--get a filing cabinet. It took some effort to get files organized initially, but now I feel it is my most valuable organizing tool. Although many people like day planners, I hate the bulky things! I have a Timex DataLink watch that is great! I update it every weekend for the next week. All my phone numbers and appointments are on my wrist plus to-do lists, etc. Great tool!

plospenato: Organization!!!! I'm lucky to be able to spell the word. But my lack of organizatin, while it may have stumped my growth in many areas, has been beneficial. I perform best when I am under pressure. Examples of my lack of organization are as follows: tax return prepared on April 15, Christmas shopping on December 24, as a teacher going into class and winging it -- with success! In general, preparing in advance is not my thing, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.... My daughter is writing this for me,and she is adding things too embarrassing for me to write.

RWeir: When the day is spent working out of a car a list of where to go and what is going on posted on a windshield "note holder" -- available at any car accesory outlet,includes a pen. One glance and the next location is there to remind and keep the routing and appointments in order. As well if mileage & gas is required to be recorded this is a quick place to write. These notes can then be transferred to your permanent record place at day's end. Routing myself in a "no back track" manner saves time & gas. This would apply even if walking, biking or public transport is used. Then there isn't the "Darn!" factor on arriving home and it is noted that the quick stop for stamps or mailing a bill was missed.

JaiGarc: My life has never really been organized. My mother used to pick up my room for me and then I could never find anything because it was always put away. My only aid in remembering anything is my fairly good memory. You should see my computer terminal here. Literally scores of papers and pages and information for just about anything. And I can find everything.

fanzo: The first thing that I do to get work done is to create an environment. In this order I do the following:
1. Put on some music/usually upbeat.
2. Decide how many task I want to complete.
3. Work alone.
4. Set some timelines.
5. Do larger jobs first.
6. Turn off the TV.
7. Cut off other distractions.
8. Munch on snacks during.
9. Eat dinner after tasks are completed.
10. Know that if you don't do it, it won't get done well!
These things do not have to follow any specific order. If your work site involves other people, then use your ability to concentrate to get the task done. 90% of organization is mental. Stop reading this and get organized!

josephw: After many years of searching for a "better" way to get organized, I have found Covey's First Things First "life leadership" process to be quite effective. Combined with the Seven Habits tools, one can begin to get the BIG rocks in the jar first. It requires some reflection on your personal mission. Excellent for the urgency addicted types.

meta000: First, just one organizer. Nothing is worse than organizing organizers. Second, long and short term goals. Third, prioritize what has to be done now, what can and cannot be put off relative to your goals. And if you think life is this simple.....

JimmieDewar: Organization is a state that life, being firmly rooted in chaos, strains against. I find that I work best under pressure, so procrastination doesn't scare me one bit. In fact, I often procrastinate until the wee hours of the morning the day something is due (papers, etc). This doesn't work for everybody, but it works for me.

robertg: I use my Newton to store most of the stuff that I don't need to be keeping in my brain, i.e. appointments, meetings, etc. I also try to do something right away if I can. If I can't I make sure that I schedule a time when I can do it. I've found that prioritizing helps. Something else I do is time myself to see how long it takes me to do a task I do over and over, i.e. laundry, etc. I do this so I can be more aware of how long it takes me to do things.

BigRich: First you make stacks, stacks of hot stuff, stacks of not so hot stuff, and finally stacks of stuff that no one really cares about. Then you decide what HAS to be done in order to keep your job (life, marriage, etc.) flowing smoothly. Put those items on a list and do them. Also, put some playtime at the end of your worktime...

The_Crow: The best way for me to get ANYTHING done is if I'm pressed for time... and usually, it's as good of work as if I were to sit down 3 weeks in advance and do it.

VincentRJohns: My Day-timer organizer came with instructions/suggestions, which I have been trying to put into practice for some years now. (You've just read much of this advice.) The system works pretty well for me; I list projects for the day in the order in which I think of them, and scan the list when I have finished one. It's satifying to be able to check off even small ones, and I avoid forgetting them. Copying info from business cards, the backs of envelopes, etc., into the book ensures that (as long as I can identify the approximate date) I can always find it later. At the end of each month, the old book goes into a neat pile where I can quickly find it.