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When I think about what makes me most productive I think about technology. When you use technology well it really does make things better.  Below I introduce you to my favorite tech-tools.  Consider how using these tools can make things easier for you:

AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS… AND NEITHER DOES EVERNOTE

Imagine 1000 sticky notes that are organized and available at the click of a mouse.  Meet Evernote.  Evernote is a cloud based application that can be accessed from just about anywhere – your PC, your Mac, your iPhone, your iPad and/or your Android phone.  And it’s FREE!  Go to www.evernote.com and download it.  Play with it.  Basically, all you need to know to get started is that you make a note – give it a title and Evernote saves it.  Then when you want to find it you can search on any word in the note and it will pull it up for you.  Later, when you get more comfortable with it, you can take pictures into your notes, cut and paste links and photos into your notes, and even do voice to text input.  Here are some ideas about how I use mine:

• Favorite lists:  books to read, restaurants to go to (each city has its own note), wines to try, nail polish colors I like
• Numbers: Frequent Flyer Numbers, Insurance numbers, Clothing/Shoe sizes my kids wear
• Maps: Pictures of how to get from point to point
• Things to Buy: Pictures of my odd size light bulb for my desk or the humidifier filter I only have to buy once a year
• Lists of names: friend’s kids/ grandkids/ husbands names, etc.

WHY I LOVE GOOGLE CALENDAR

• I can color code it and see exactly what’s happening when.
• I can share certain sub-calendars with family members and professional colleagues so everyone knows what’s going on when.
• It’s in the cloud – I can’t lose it and I can EASILY access it from my desktop, laptop, Android phone, iPad as well as my son’s iPhone. And in the event that I don’t have access to one of my devices, I can EASILY access it from any of your devices too!
• I can print out hard copies for others to reference.
• I don’t need multiple calendars which means as long as I remember to check it, I never miss an appointment or double book myself.
• It’s free and safe and easy to learn and use.

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

In the olden days of computing there was a quick little function key to capture what was on the screen – whatever you saw on your computer you could print or copy.  In the last few years someone realized how helpful that was and gave us a new way to capture what we see on the screen as a picture. There are a few programs that do this. For the PC, Microsoft offers the Snipping Tool, for Mac you can snip by selecting Command + Shift + 4. Many other Screenshot Software Programs exist, and with a quick Google search you can find one to match your computer. But how does it save you time? Here is how I use my Snipping Tool:

• When writing an email I often find I can explain what I’m trying to say much faster with a picture. I can write a bit, snip a bit, write a bit, snip a bit – and get my message across clearly and simply.
• If there is something on screen that I want to remember, I can take a snip and drop it right into an Evernote. I recently took a snip of a map from the train exit to a client’s apartment. Now I don’t have to worry about a map – I get off the train, pull up my Evernote and have directions how to walk to her house.
• If I’m writing instructions or a how-to for a client, a quick snip helps communicate next steps.
• If I’m suggesting certain products for a client, a snip along with the link makes the suggestions more tangible.

A screen capture tool is one of those things that you wouldn’t miss if you didn’t use, but once you have it you wouldn’t want to ever live without.

IS GETTING IT ALL DONE A CHALLENGE?

Have you ever considered an electronic task list?  I use Toodledo, though there are many other products “out-there” that my colleagues really like too.  Here is why I like Toodledo:

• It’s a cloud-based tool that I can use to capture tasks immediately – I always have my list with me!
• It mirrors my manual system, so I only have to think one way
• It sort to-dos by priority and/or due date
• I can make detailed notes in the task
• It can be viewed on my desk-top, laptop, iPad, iPhone or Android phone
• It has a great repeating function
• I can set reminders.

Now, I know you are thinking it sounds complex, but I’ll let you in on a little secret – I only use its most basic features and it works really well for me.  Also – I don’t use this exclusively – I still keep a manual to-do list. But, for the reasons listed above I find it to be a tremendous help in ensuring my most important work gets done – and just like you – getting it all done is a challenge.

WARNING: DON’T TRY THESE ALL AT ONCE! Pick one and try it on.  See if it fits.  Once you’ve integrated it into your life, try another.

October twelfth marks Christopher Columbus’ birthday. He set out to discover new Trade Routes to Asia, but ended up in the Caribbean. Roadblocks and mistakes diverted his initial path and his journey took longer than expected. He kept going – always moving forward – closer to his target (even when his target changed). This concept of forward momentum is very important in life – so is setting goals. Goals provide motivation. Motivation keeps us taking steps.

If we use Columbus’ journey as our Goal Setting Road Map we learn to:

• allow ourselves to chart new territory

• be okay with changing directions

• have an end goal in mind

• re-evaluate and adapt along our journey

• surround ourselves with supporters and tune-out naysayers

• recognize when we’ve reached a successful stopping point

• celebrate our discoveries

Take organizational goals: Sometimes your goal is to reclaim space in a spare bedroom. You think the only way to achieve that is to empty the whole room and start from scratch. But, as you work, you realize it’s actually the corner where the bills get paid that mucks up the process. You notice that entering the room facing the ironing board is depressing; small shifts in orienting stuff can make a huge difference. Or let’s say you are overwhelmed with family photos and you want to ‘organize them.’ Your first goal might be to store them in photo safe boxes. Along the way you decide to scan a portion and preserve them electronically as a screen-saver montage. While sorting sentimental batches you get caught up reconnecting with family. That’s okay if you stick with the goal of getting the photos organized and continue to weed out the unnecessary shots. As long as you do something with the photos you want to save, you are still moving forward.

In setting goals, you will have to plan a route to achieve success.

You will want to find like-minded travelers along the road.

When you get stuck, don’t get discouraged… stay focused and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Amaze yourself with what you discover!

Riddle: Who Am I?

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me

and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done;

and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision

of a machine, plus the intelligence of a human.

You may run me for profit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am called Habit.

-Anonymous

Habits, once created, can be one’s best friend. Some people believe they weren’t “born organized” and therefore will never be organized.  The good news is that being organized is a LEARNED skill and gets easier when practiced.  It becomes even easier when the skills become HABITS.

What kind of habits?

– PUTTING THINGS AWAY instead of putting them down

– Keeping “LIKE” THINGS TOGETHER near where you use them

– ASSIGNING HOMES FOR EVERYTHING in order to find them easily

– Assessing WHAT’S IMPORTANT, rather than what’s urgent or feels good

Carve out a bit of time each day to work on making a desired process a habit.  Yes, it requires self discipline in the beginning, but before long it will become, as the riddles states, your constant companion and greatest helper!

Everyone procrastinates sometimes.  It only becomes problematic when procrastination is the norm.  Reasons for procrastination include perfectionism, overwhelm, over-analysis, and lack of planning.  What can you do when you have a project that needs to get done?

Clear the Decks:

• Plan ahead and get your routine and critical tasks taken care of.
• Schedule time to work on your project.  Be sure you plan enough time to get a fair amount of the project work done. Starting and stopping is hard; it takes a lot of discipline and wastes a lot of time and energy.

Make a Plan:

• Write down the steps of the project on Post-its – one step per Post-it.
• Put the post-it’s in a logical order.
• You now have a plan.

Make it Fun:

• It’s ok to alternate fun parts with more tedious ones.
• You don’t have to start at the beginning either – if the first step is too hard or too boring, start on another part of the project.

Get Ready:

• Pull all related material together (start this a week or two early), when you sit down to work, you’ll have your materials at hand.

Get Set:

• When it’s time to get down to work, do what you can to minimize interruptions:
  • close out your email and Facebook
  • Forward your phone to voicemail
  • Clear the clutter off your desk
  • Close your office door.

Go:

• Jump in and do it:
  • Know that as hard as it is to start it’s worse if you don’t get the project done or miss your deadline.
  • Don’t worry about perfection, if you never get started, you’ll never get finished.

People always ask if my home is perfect, and I say it functions perfectly.  I’ll let you read between the lines there.  Striving for perfection can be an obstacle in itself.  Most people are surprised to learn that perfectionism is a common reason for disorganization.

Common problems with perfectionism and organization:
•    Perfectionists might say to themselves, “If I don’t have time to do it right, I’ll wait until I do have time.”
•    Waiting for a “good” time doesn’t work.  The time will never present itself.  You need to schedule it.
•    Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time allowed for it.
•    The law of diminishing indicates that the more we hone, tweak, and perfect the less efficient and effective we become.  We also neglect other important projects.
•    The project waits, grows, and becomes a big, hairy monster.

It’s not important to do everything perfectly.  In fact, if you think of organization as a spectrum, perfection is one end and extreme disorder is on the other.  A healthy balance is really the best middle ground.  Always having every dish put away, every toy in the toy box, and every surface clear is unrealistic.  The important things to remember are:

•    Every item should have a home.
•    Everyone needs to know where those homes are located.
•    Storing things closest to where they are used simplifies retrieval and return.
•    Set limits on how much is enough.  “More” can undermine organization and make maintenance more work.
•    Storing like items together in containers helps to stay on top of inventory.
•    Planning a time to clean-up is part of every project, not something we do another time.

Perfectionism paralyzes action.  Done is better than perfect!

The next time you feel paralyzed by perfection, remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.  The next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

Yours truly,
A former perfectionist