Contact Us

My Grandma Taught Me All About Organization When I Was Ten! Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away

  • By Ironstone
  • |
  • July 2, 2013

478428539 web, istock, thinkstock, getty imagesI will never forget the day my grandmother came for a visit.  As a typical teenager, my bedroom was in  complete disarray.  To this very day, I remind her that most everything I needed to know about organization I learned from her.   She looked at my room, grabbed a sticky note and wrote, “Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away.”  I still have that sticky note.

We all have  had those days (well most of us) where we don’t know right from left, up from down or just where to begin to achieve a productive day!

Disorganization has a way of creeping into our inner being to wreak havoc on our lives.   At both home and work you need to make time for organization.  Living in a messy and disorganized environment radiates stress and drains energy, as well as,  causes brain overload and creates conflict.  If this is not enough to convince you that you must make time for organization, here are more  side effects of disorganization:  raised anxiety levels, wasted time, reduced creativity, fosters an undesirable environment, causes worry and increases depression.

Convinced?   Let’s put order back in our lives starting today!

Ironstone has 7 helpful ideas for you to implement allowing you to  seize control of your new healthy organized lifestyle!

  1. Designate One Day a Week for Organization:  Help your firm become more productive and stress free by allowing time for organization.  Looking at a pile of clutter in your office  creates stress by  overloading your brain and reminding you of  deadlines and commitments that are not being met.
  2. Use a Planner, Calendar and To-Do Lists: Using a calendar and/or a planner is vitally important.  Your planner should include a calendar and a to-do list.  Update your to-do list as often as needed and review your calendar for projects, activities and meetings on a daily basis.  Crossing things off  your to-do list is motivating and satisfying.
  3. Stop Multi-Tasking:  We have talked about this  over and over again.  It is no longer impressive or necessary to be a multi-tasker.   Do one thing at a time and do it well!
  4. Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away:  This is probably the simplest thing  you can do to stay personally organized.  It worked for my grandma and she is over 90 years old.
  5. Learn The Word No:  Get to know you again;  become ok with saying NO!  Everyone has limits and boundaries.  Set yours and try not to deviate from them.
  6.  Take Control of Your Time and Priorities:  Design your day and plan time for yourself.  Schedule “You Time” in your planner just as you would a project or meeting and don’t feel guilty!
  7. Delegate:  Learn to trust others with crucial tasks in all areas of your life.  When you delegate a portion of your “to-do list”, you will realize  this makes it easier to keep other areas more organized.

Once you have implemented the above strategies, you will more than likely notice a lifestyle change.  Be patient and stay committed.  By taking small steps to become more organized, you will have a burst of energy and feel less stressed.

Ironstone can assist you in developing the strategies needed to improve organization at your firm.  By doing so, you will find that your team is more productive and workplace culture is improved.

What organizational strategies have you implemented that have made a change in your life?

Leave us a comment here!

Follow us as we explore each of Ironstone’s Fundamental 4™!
• Strategic Planning
• Business Development
• Operational Effectiveness
• The Human Element

Related Articles

Love Where You Work: Top Ten Workspace Organization Blogs (The SpareFoot Blog)

How to Improve Employee Organizational Performance (Small Business Chron)

Importance of Organizational Skills in the Workplace (Everyday Life-Global Post)

Photo courtesy ©iStock/Getty Images/Thinkstock

 

Are you just getting by or are you getting better? Get started today!

Author Bio

Ironstone is a learning and development consultancy with business acumen that translates across many industries. Our focus is on practice management strategies in order to enhance and improve both business and personal life. We support professionals who want major and comprehensive improvements that look at all aspects not just an isolated area for change. Ironstone has identified 4 key performance areas known as the Fundamental 4™, which are required to design, develop, and sustain a successful business.

DefaultBlogImage