As we hunker down this winter and start thinking about spring, I wanted to challenge you about some of your paradigms and thought patterns. An ancient proverb states, “As a man thinks, so he is.” This proverb reminds us that our thoughts produce actions, and actions produce consequences, and consequences contribute to character.
Putting this into the context of time management, consider this common lament: “I simply do NOT have enough time in the day to get organized.” This paradigm — that we don’t have enough time — needs to change.
This perspective or paradigm always pops up when I am training, whether in a business, education or government environment. After working with folks for over 38 years, I know that the average employee wastes 30 minutes to an hour a day searching through paperwork, stacking and moving folders, or simply recreating documents they cannot find in the clutter.
The sense of urgency, stress and frustration that comes from this repeatedly “going through your work to get to your work” can make anyone feel that they don’t have the time to get organized.
And it’s not just your emotions that take a hit.
Consider the dollar value of your time. If you lose 2-4 hours a week due to clutter and disorganization, you have devalued yourself — and your organization — by $50-$200 per week, which works out to about $2,500 to $10,000 a year.
You can do the calculation yourself or check out my article: Time is Money. For these reasons — emotional and financial — we need to toss out the paradigm, “I don’t have time to get organized”, with the old year and usher in a new paradigm for 2021, “I organize to have time”, and learn how to spend that time properly.
I encourage you to learn organizing skills to make yourself more productive, more valuable, and more responsive to your boss and your coworkers. And finally, learn organizing skills to make your workday — and your life — easier and more enjoyable.