We really ought to be talking about money, and we will.  However before we do there’s more to talk about regarding getting things done.  That means getting the right things done…on time.

If you want to be effective and productive you’ll have to get organised. 

It’s not difficult; primarily it only requires a notebook, a pen and a calendar, and a hefty dose of self discipline.

 It’s obvious that you have to write things down as you think of them and write your ‘things to do’ list every day. Keep your calendar up to date etc.  But it’s also important to work in a tidy environment.

My experience is that people who have a clutter all around them are almost always inefficient, ineffective and have little clarity of thought or action.

So tidy up and clean up.  Learn to throw stuff away.  Only file important things that you really will need again.  And file things out of sight. Not in stacks on your desk because they will simply be a distraction.

Here’s a suggestion that I learned from Stuart Goldsmith several years ago:

<span>Have a ‘Power Day’</span>

Make a list of all the things you’ve been meaning to get around to…..clear out the loft…clear out the garage….throw away old books and magazines…..clear out all the clothes you haven’t worn in the last twelve months…..put your holiday photos in an album…purge all the files in your office etc.etc.

Then pick the first available non-working day and set yourself the goal of working flat out for twelve hours with only brief five minute breaks every couple of hours for a tea or coffee and a sandwich. Get started promptly at 8.00am and work flat out until 8.00pm.  No leaning on your broom glowing with self congratulation after each task gets done.  Get on with the next one!

Work hard, work fast and get these jobs done. You may not complete everything but you’ll feel great!

This is something you should do at least four times a year. It’s a terrific habit to get into and you’ll find it really liberating.

Another vital habit to get into is to choose a time every week to take care of all the personal things you need to do in terms of checking bank and credit card statements, paying bills, responding to letters and so on.  Doing these things on a regular basis at a similar time every week will keep you totally on top of things and will save you an enormous amount of time and possible anguish.

Like you, I can easily be overtaken by inertia and it’s only by using these bursts of activity and regular routines that I can get things done.

If you seriously want to live up to your potential (who doesn’t?) and get the most out of life, then it’s vital to be a ‘Do it now’ person and stop putting things off.

Many years ago I read a book by Frank Bettger. He was a famous Baseball player in America whose career was cut short by injury. In his book which describes how he raised himself from failure to success he wrote a whole chapter on the importance of being organised. It had a profound effect on me which is why I refer to it here. It ended with a poem.

I’m not exactly sure how the poem began but this is pretty much how the last two verses went:

 If I could just get organized

The morning goes, the noon is here

Before I know the night is near,

All around me, I regret,

The things I haven’t finished yet,

If I could just get organized!

I often times have realised,

Not all that matters is the man,

The man must also have a plan

I nibble this, I nibble that,

But never finish what I am at,

I work as hard as anyone,

And yet, I get so little done,

I’d do so much you’d be surprised,

If I could just get organized!

Baidurya Mukherjee

In the next article we’ll talk about money.  It may not be the most important thing in life but for me it’s right up there with oxygen!

To be continued..