How I Organize My Life

Organizing my life is about finding flow. The less I need to think about organization, the more organized I’ve become. Over time this creates flow. And creating flow means I can refocus my attention on the important things.

This is not always easy. But for now, here’s what I try to do:

CREATE SYSTEMS.

Keys. All of the keys reside in a glass dish on the windowsill—and nowhere else.

Phones. I put a pad and pen on the wall next to the home phone so I’m not scrambling when I get calls. All phone numbers are stored in the cell phone, though I still use a Filofax in case I lose the cell phone. Using just a cell phone makes the most sense, but with my luck, I’d lose it in a cab, so I stick with two phones.

Mail. I dispose of mail daily. I put a small wastepaper basket under the table where I open mail. If it requires destroying, I use my shredder. To save time and avoid junk mail altogether, there are now Web sites like 41pounds.org that will do it for me.

E-mail. It eats up my days. Will the phone ever make a comeback? I’m learning to check e-mail only three times a day so I can accomplish my priorities. As hard as that can be, I’m getting more done. I’ve also created e-mail folders saved by subject topic or project name, to quickly access correspondence. I used to print out e-mail, but the paper quickly invaded my desk.

Bills. I pay bills twice a month on the same night, and put it on my calendar. That way it’s already scheduled.

PLAN AHEAD.

List Making. I make one simple list of work items on a clipboard (a BlackBerry works too), rather than trying to remember too much. I then bold my priorities, so I still accomplish what I absolutely need to. A separate plastic folder contains a list of personal things I need to handle.

Events. I put birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and major events in my date planner at the beginning of the year, so I won’t forget. Ideally I will get Outlook and set reminders, so I will buy a present or card ahead of time. I’m tired of buying the “Belated” cards.