Are you a Time Optimist?

I heard a great expression the other day in regards to someone who is always running late. She was referred to as a "Time Optimist". What a positive spin on something that is usually thought of as a negative?

As an efficiency expert, time is usually quite a challenge for most of my clients. The two key components to being unorganized is usually not making the time or putting off the decisions. Think about that stack of clutter on your desk or kitchen counter. Why is it there? Possibly you thought you would get to it in your free time. Or you couldn't decide what to do with some of the stuff, so you left it there "just for now". Which turned into a few weeks or months, again because you didn't make the time to deal with the stuff.

This can actually be quite an ah-ha! moment, as Oprah says. So many people throw their arms up in frustration as they exclaim, "I'm disorganized. I just don't know how to be organized." But what if it all came down to time?

What if you could be organized if you just put in the time? Now I know I'm over-simplifying things to make my point, but stick with me. What if you scheduled the time on a regular basis (that means daily or weekly) to do those tasks that you've been avoiding? Put the task on your to-do list, put it on your schedule and honor the commitment.

The mind set of all or nothing is getting in your way. Just take baby steps towards getting organized. Really 10-15 minutes a day can make a difference very soon. Conquering an entire cluttered room all at once is paralyzing. But spending a few minutes a day taking bite size pieces out of the clutter can be so much more manageable.

Take the first step towards organization: Take the top 5 pieces of paper in a pile of clutter and deal with those TODAY! File them, shred them, or take the necessary action to complete that task, such as make a call, mail it, or pay a bill. Don't be anxious over the bigger pile remaining on your desk. Focus on your accomplishment!! That will feed your motivation to continue each day. You can do it!