Being Organized: Is it Worth the Effort?
To have freedom of time, (and other kinds of freedom as well),
you need to be organized. It's one of the many paradoxes of
life.
People often think that the processes of getting and being
organized take away from their available time, and it's true -
as far as it goes. There is a commitment of time involved in
bringing order out of chaos and then maintaining order.
Unless you're already perfectly satisfied with the
organizational state of your office or home, it will take some
effort to bring things to the point where being organized is
clearly saving you time, energy, and money.
The question is whether the effort is worth it to you.
Another way to frame the question is to ask what is the price
you're paying for being disorganized. Does it cause conflicts in
your relationships - business or personal? Do you have a pattern
of being unable to quickly locate things you need, resulting in
daily doses of irritation and stress?
Disorganization certainly wastes time and energy. It also costs
money.
Sometimes the cost is indirect: missed opportunity from not
having your act together. But there is also the direct cost of
having to replace things that have permanently gone missing in
the midst of chaos.
On the other hand, being organized allows you to find what you
want when you want it.
The payoff of being organized goes beyond merely saving time,
energy, and money. Organization also results in better
relationships. An orderly environment helps reduce conflicts
among household members. At work, the image you present by being
organized advances the respect that colleagues and clients hold
for you.
Organization also increases the likelihood of success in
achieving your goals. A productive environment is a setting in
which everything around you supports your goals and who you want
to be. It is an intentional environment.
If you've decided to get organized, make a commitment, a
specific plan with a deadline and some accountability. Start
small, but start somewhere because organization is a process,
not a destination.
Step by step, you can bring your home or office to the point
where it supports your life, as your environment should do.
1. Identify something to organize. A suggestion of where to
begin is to eliminate clutter in a specific area: a drawer, a
closet, a room. 2. Give yourself a deadline by which you will
have it done. Make the deadline feasible - the point here is to
achieve success, no matter how large or small the initial
project is. 3. Build in some accountability or consequences:
what are the positive consequences of getting it done on time
(reward yourself in celebration); or the negative consequences
of missing your deadline.
Once you've accomplished your first objective, then build on
success. Choose your next small but specific area, and so on
until you're satisfied.
Organization is a practice, not a natural tendency as so many
people believe. It's true that there are those who enjoy the
process of putting things in order more than others do, but
anyone who chooses to be organized can be.