Introduction
I learned about organization mainly from my parents, who were divorced. My mother was the epitome of organization—impeccable order in our house and at her office. She would invite me to come to her office to organize even further than she already was. I would file and organize till the day’s end for her office and her colleagues. I enjoyed it immensely and seemed to have quite a knack for office organization. At the time, I didn’t realize that every kid didn’t organize her mom’s office. I thought this was normal kid activity.
I happened to also live part-time with my father, a PhD in psychology, who was the absent-minded professor type. Clutter was everywhere in his household. My father was always looking for that important phone number he had scribbled on the corner of Tuesday’s newspaper on the sports section, which invariably I had thrown out or was buried under many other newspapers on the floor. I became my father’s personal organizer at the age of 8. We created system after system, until something really worked for him. Between my two parents, I learned how to organize for those who organized naturally and for those who did not think organizationally at all.
In the 1960s, the organization tools and methods we had were limited. Now in the turn of the century, we have so many organizational gadgets, tools, planners, and supplies it is hard to know which ones will offer the most benefit to our specific need. Thankfully, because of our increased organizational tools and knowledge, organization is now not limited to one traditional way. The key is finding the right tool, the right method, the right way for you to be organized.
In my trainings and workshops over the years, I have asked hundreds of participants, “What does organization look like?” Usually the answers come quickly: “a clean desk,” “no papers anywhere,” “an orderly file system,” “a pristine environment.” Then I ask, “What does organization feel like?” To that question, I get answers such as “control,” “calm,” “empowered,” “motivated,” “light,” “free,” and “relaxed.” My goal in helping you to organize your work day is for you to get yourself organized so that it feels right; how your organization looks is less important. In today’s information world, it is a difficult task to have a completely paper-free desk and a pristine environment. To create an organizational method for yourself where you feel in control, empowered, and motivated—that is organization.
With the onset of technology, most of us were not prepared to manage our time or information. We had no idea how overwhelmed we would be with the amount of information and electronic data we receive on a daily basis. With data coming at us from email, fax machines, multiple telephones, computers, disks, PDAs and good old-fashioned paper, we all need a way to organize this electronic data and gain control of the technology, information, and time we have.
When will we get it all done? The answer is we will never get it all done. There will always be more email, more action items, more projects, more paper, and more information that will come each and every day. The key is learning how to manage and control this incoming data and information, so that it is not overwhelming. If you feel as though you have lost control to external factors such as your company culture, boss, colleagues, and family, you also probably feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Organize Your Work Day In No Time offers multiple ways to help you manage your daily workload so you can have control of your projects and schedule and proceed through your day with the confidence that you’re getting it all done.
Organize Your Work Day In No Time was created for busy people who want to maximize their time and technology for optimal efficiency. Each chapter guides you through a step-by-step process in multiple areas of your work day so you can become more productive managing your time, managing your data, and managing the structure of your work day. Using the specific and helpful techniques you learn in this book, you will create new habits and gain control over your work day.
This book was meant to help bridge the gap between specific software how-to books and time management books. It teaches you how to use time management principles along with your computer and other organizational tools for maximum efficiency. Most information technology (IT) staff and consultants don’t have the time to spend with each and every individual to explain how to customize or best use their computers organizationally. This book steps in where the IT consultants step away, to help individuals learn how to use their time and tools to maximize their efficiency and get the most from their day.
Coast to coast, small to large offices, administrator to CEO—most of us have too much to do. American workers are consumed with email, delegations, a constant flow of current projects and new projects, and enormous amounts of paper. With no end in sight, the feeling of finally being done or finished just appears to be nonexistent.
This book is for the average worker in the home or office who would like to experience more control over her work day and computer. The book focuses on using your computer more effectively to maximize your time, but it also offers some good, old-fashioned paper options.
This book is for you if you would like to
• Utilize your system tools more effectively and efficiently
• Learn what it means to “take control of your day” and learn how to do it
• Gain control of your email communications
• Reduce paper and create a paperless filing system
• Create more control with your time and not have urgencies, crises, and interruptions take your day from you
• Learn options for tracking your action list and ensuring you get things done
• Gain ideas on how to maximize meeting time so it doesn’t feel like a waste of time
This book is organized into three parts, and here is what each part contains:
• In Part I, “Understanding Your Organizational Issues and Goals,” you’ll discover what you want your perfect day to look like. You will gain awareness of how you currently manage your work day and how you optimally would like to manage it. You’ll learn the basic principles of organizing and using time management tools to their optimum effectiveness. By the end of Part I, you will have a better vision of your optimal work day and the areas in your life you want to change and simplify.
• In Part II, “Using Organizational Tools,” you’ll learn how to use your computer more effectively and the secrets to organizing electronic data. You will gain an understanding of how to think electronically and how to maximize the software tools you already have in your computer. You’ll also learn how to create a perfect electronic file structure to start the paperless process. You will discover the most useful aspects of using electronic time and contact management software, as well as paper planners. Finally, you’ll find out how to protect and manage your electronic data system, so your information is secure and reliable.
• In Part III, “Managing Daily Tasks,” you will learn how to manage day-to-day activities. This part includes useful and practical guidance for managing your email and preventing it from overtaking your whole day. You’ll learn the basics of how to best manage, track, and organize projects, how to have an effective meeting, and how your participation can make meetings successful. Lastly, you’ll learn how to tackle your daily action items, reduce interruptions, and maximize phone communications.
Of course, you’re welcome to read this book from cover to cover, which will provide useful tips and suggestions in each chapter. You may also want to read specific chapters whose topics you feel will give you the most organizational help initially. This book will also be a handy reference in the future as your work responsibilities change or as an organizational refresher. You probably will not be able to incorporate all the suggestions immediately, it may take some time. The essence of this book is to help you improve your work day one step at a time, in the areas that you would like to have more control and organization.
We’ve also placed some important content on our website. Here you’ll find the chapter “,” which discusses how to organize your desktop and the scraps of paper that can clutter it and how to back up your data to keep it safe. Another online chapter, “Staying Organized On the Road,” teaches you how to plan an effective business trip and manage data while you’re traveling. The online content also includes an appendix of websites you’ll find helpful as you organize your work day.
To access this online content, go to www.quepublishing.com, enter this book’s ISBN (without the hyphens) in the Search box, and click Search. When the book’s title appears, click it to go to a page where you can download these chapters.
Throughout this book, you will find a number of tips, notes, cautions, and sidebars that offer additional information related to the current topic. We’ve flagged five particular types of information with special icons:
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Simplify!: This icon marks tips, quotes, and advice for simplifying your approach to time management, organization, and your computer. |
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Timesaver: This icon signifies shortcuts, workarounds, and general timesavers you can use when approaching various tasks. |
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Working Partners: This icon signifies product recommendations, books, consultants, and companies offering organizational tools and assistance relevant to a given topic. |
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Time Traps: This icon marks text that warns you about common time-wasting traps and how to avoid them. |
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Web at Work: This icon designates references to websites that offer great information, advice, or resources on a variety of topics discussed throughout the book. |
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In addition, each chapter of Organize Your Work Day In No Time offers a series of To Do and You’ll Need lists, which clearly itemize tasks you’ll accomplish or tools and supplies you’ll need in those sections of the chapter. At the end of each chapter, a Summary provides a quick synopsis of what you have learned as well as a review of the action steps suggested in the chapter. Use this element as a quick check of the chapter’s information and to determine how best to implement the techniques you’ve learned in your own work day practices. |
All of us are unique individuals, with different habits, methods, and approachs. This book is meant to give you options and different approaches to time and technology management, so you can determine the best way to structure your day and use your computer and other tools more effectively. Not every suggestion is suitable for every person, every type of job, or every type of business. There is no one “right way” to structure organization or time management; use the information you learn in this book to pull together your own “best” way. And, whichever suggestions you want to incorporate into your work day, remember that making any change or acquiring any new habit takes time and commitment.