Are You Too Busy to Get Organized?
I once saw a book with the title “Help, I’m too busy to get organized.” If you feel as personally organized as you would like to feel, you can skip this blog post and come back tomorrow. But if you are ready to bring a little more organization to your life, this post is for you.
Your to-do list may be on a PDA, Blackberry, iphone, Daytimer, Franklin Covey, or on a 3-5 card that you carry around in your purse. Whether your system is on computer or on paper it is your servant. It should help you do things better and quicker. I have yet to find a person who was reaching their potential without some type of system. Does your system work for you? Do you forget things you need to do? Do you forget to return calls within a prompt and professional amount of time? Do you forget to pay bills? Are you late on a regular basis? Do you justify breaking commitments because of being so busy? Here are a few questions to help you determine if your system needs tweaked:
1. Do you feel calm? Does your home feel peaceful when people enter?
Hey, don’t assume I was born with a calm and peaceful personality. This does not come natural for me.
2. Do you have at your fingertips what you need to accomplish this month?
What do you need to do by the end of the month to feel on top of it?
3. Do you know what you need to get done this week?
This should be taken from you month list.
4. Do you know what your 6 most important things to do are for tomorrow?
Do you figure this out before you go to sleep at night?
5. Do you have quick access to addresses and phone numbers?
This should always be at your fingertips.
6. Do I keep my devotional time with God a priority?
I continue to learn that the most important things in your life must be guarded. If I schedule it I can protect it.
7. Do I keep time with my family a priority?
I read on a blog somewhere this week that “one of your most important responsibilities is making memories with your children.” I think it was Mark Batterson. Do your kids know they are a higher priority than the ministry?
When we moved to NYC I knew my system needed tweaking. If you’re in the ministry you know the demands of a new ministry. I wanted to keep my relationship with God top priority, and also my husband and children. Of course there is so much more to add in the mix but I wanted to keep the Seeley household as peaceful as possible. Little slips of paper drive me crazy. I like everything in one place. To Do, Family, Ministry, everything. So the first year I was here I developed a life day planner for women that includes EVERYTHING busy women in need to keep them sane. I like a PDA too, especially for my contact list. Because so many women have asked me to share my life organizer & planner with them I decided to make it available to any woman who wants it. It should be on the resource page at www.winfluence.org in the near future.
Organization will increase your personal effectiveness as a leader. But the greatest reward to me personally is that it helps me to keep my relationship with the Lord, my husband and children a priority.