Okay, it’s time we had a chat. If you have fallen victim to procrastination, chances are you don’t have a system in place. According to Google, a system is “a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network”. In layperson’s terms: it’s how shit gets done. And if you thought that only applies to businesses and big fancy networks that make lots of money, then you have been tragically mislead. You, my dear Watson, are a business. You are a fancy interconnecting network. There is literally no one else on the planet like you and if you don’t function properly, a lot can go wrong.
Picture this: You get on a bus to go to the mall but the bus driver just got hired yesterday and only knows how to get to the mall the way they go to the mall in their car. That means that they take sixteen back roads and drive up a hill (let’s pretend you live in the middle of nowhere) instead of the expressway, like the rest of the busses do. This is clearly a failure in a system that trains bus drivers to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way. If all the bus drivers functioned like this, getting anywhere in a timely manner would be damned near impossible. That’s what it’s like when you live your life without a system. You are constantly winging it from point A to point B and are, effectively, always getting lost.
Today I am busting down your virtual door and giving you the what’s what on why you need a system and the steps you can take to get started making one TODAY!
Tip #1 — Figure out where you’re wasting time
Technically, you don’t have 24 hours in a day. Ideally, 8 of those hours you spend sleeping and maybe 30 minutes you spend in the bathroom (I didn’t say doing what, so don’t make that face). That leaves you with about 15 and 1/2 hours left to really tackle your day. So with that being said, you actually have a little less time to actually get things done than you initially thought. I didn’t tell you that to freak you out to you. I actually wanted to prompt you to ask yourself this question: What’s wasting my time? Sleeping, eating, and bathroom time are all essential parts of your day. But what about the parts of your day that aren’t so essential?
Common time sucks include, but are not limited to:
Mindless scrolling through social media.
Constantly thinking about what you need to get done because you don’t have a to-do list/intentions set for the day.
Putting others’ needs before your own (sometimes that’s necessary, but you may be doing it more than you should).
Multitasking a bunch of important things at once.
If you are in a constant cycle of looking at the clock and wondering how the day has gone by without you accomplishing anything you set out to do, you need to identify what’s wasting your time and trash it!
Tools to help you with this:
Time Blocking: If you know what tasks are important, set aside some time, either on a digital calender or on paper, to complete it. For example, if you know you want to spend at least 35 minutes of your day dedicated to checking your email, scheduled a 35 minute time block and do nothing else at that time.
Learn more about Time Blocking here.
Set a Timer: Similar to Time Blocking, setting a timer or using the Pomodoro Technique can help you dedicate small stretches of time to focused work, followed by brief breaks. This tip is worth trying out if you find yourself unable to focus for long stretches of time without taking a break.
Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique here.
Tip #2 — Get clear on what organization means to YOU
Not what being organized means to Mari Kondo. Now let me just say, it is PERFECTLY okay to be inspired by how others keep track of their busy lives, but the most important thing you can do when developing your system is to consider who YOU are. If you are not the type of person who is into digitally keeping track of your tasks, you probably should stick to paper. Remember: there is no shame in doing something different, even if it doesn’t look like what everyone else is doing.
My pro-tip on determining your definition of organization: think back to a time where you felt your most organized. Now ask yourself these 3 questions:
In what environments or situations do I feel most productive?
How did I accomplish this level of organization? Tools, habits, environments, etc.
What helps me maintain this feeling of being organized?
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