Organizational tip - two goals

There are really only two goals that need to be kept in mind when we are trying to get organized. It is really quite basic. If we stick with the fundamentals, the ABCs, we will discover that being organized is not all that difficult. In fact, since there are only two goals, all we need is A and B. We don't even need the C. Do you see how simple it is?

Two Goals: (the end results we want from our organizational efforts)

1. To get things done when we want them done, by the time they are due.
2. To be able to find things when we need them.

If we are accomplishing those two goals, then we must be basically organized. Otherwise, it wouldn't be happening. In that case, congratulate yourself, celebrate a bit, and keep up the good work!

On the other hand, if we are consistently late on projects, either to meet our own personal time table or to meet a due-date set by someone else, then we need to work on that area.

Fundamentals for staying on course:
Break the project down into smaller bits and pieces. Set a time table for those smaller steps. That will be our measuring stick to see if we are on target. If we are getting behind, we know we have to step it up or we won't get done on time. If we fall still farther behind, we need to analyze the project a bit. What is wrong? Is the time table unrealistic? Or are we wasting time because we are not organized? By eliminating wasted time we should be able to catch up, providing the time table is realistic.

Or is the problem that we can't find things when we need them? That can account for a lot of our wasted time - looking for things. That can get very frustrating, especially if that is keeping us from getting a project done on time.

Fundamentals for finding things:
Get in the habit of finding a place for everything, and then always putting things back in that same place. Do it no matter what. Take that extra few seconds to put it where it should be.

That can begin with something as simple as the things we take out of our pockets at night. I have a little two-layered tray on my nightstand. When I empty my pockets, I put everything in a certain spot on that tray - my cell phone, my wallet, my chap stick and eye drops, and my comb. Those things are not really that important to keep in a certain order, but by forming that habit, I can carry it over into other areas and do it there as well. If I get lazy in one area, it is easy to get lazy in other areas also. Then I am beginning to lose the battle.

By sticking to the fundamentals, we will get things done on time and we will be able to find things when we need them. We will have accomplished our two main goals!

Organize by setting goals

I think it was Brian Tracy who said that when you write down your goals, the universe begins to work with you to make it happen. My experience has pretty well shown that to be true. The goal of course has to be realistic. I could write down, "I want to be a millionaire by tomorrow at 7:00 p.m." But we know that won't happen unless I won the lottery. And since I didn't buy a lottery ticket, that is not going to happen. However, the realistic financial goals my wife and I have written down have happened, and well in advance of our target dates. See my post on 6 Steps to Financial Freedom to see how we met our financial goals nine years ahead of schedule.

Why set goals?
"If you don't aim at something, you'll never hit it." "If you wander around aimlessly, you'll never get to where you want to go." "To fail to plan is to plan to fail." These quotes all give us reasons to set goals. When we have goals, we are aiming at something, we have a direction to go, and we have made a plan so that we are not planning to fail.

What makes a good goal?
People who have advised us on setting good goals say that goals must:
1) be written down (otherwise you'll forget what they were and that you were working toward them),
2) be realistic (so they are possible to achieve),
3) be specific ( so you know exactly what you are aiming for),
4) be measureable (so you can tell when you have achieved them), and
6) have a specific deadline (so you keep working toward them rather than procrastinating).

Test your goals.
When you set a goal, test it with the above criteria. If it doesn't meet one or two of those standards, rewrite it until it does. You may have to let a goal simmer overnight to bring the clarity it needs. Then try again the next day. Keep writing and rewriting goals until you know they are right.

Update goals.
Don't be afraid to change or update goals as necessary. They are not carved in stone, unless your only goals are the original Ten Commandments. Circumstances change. Since we met our financial goals ahead of schedule, we made new ones. Most of those are retirement goals. I've moved my retirement date ahead by 3 1/2 years. That was well worth setting some goals and a great benefit of achieving them.

Some Examples
Let's test a couple of examples.

Example # 1: "To become a millionaire by tomorrow at 7:00 p.m." What's wrong with that goal? It meets all of the criteria listed above for a good goal except it falls way short of criteria # 2, being realistic. So don't set that as a goal.

Example # 2: "To improve my blogging skills." This falls short of several of the criteria. It is not specific or measurable. How will I know when I've achieved this goal? Plus there is no deadline. I could work on this goal for the rest of my life and never know if it is done. Or I could read one post on blogging tips and say, "Well, I'm done with that goal."

Example # 3: "To pay off all my current credit card debts by 12/31/08. That goal is realistic and very specific. I can know when I'm done with it, and I've set a deadline. Now I can begin to make some action steps to make it happen.

Goals can be very helpful for organizing our lives and getting done what needs to be done. Use goals wisely and you can free up more time to have fun. That was my only New Year's resolution a few years back. "To have more fun." That is not a good goal according to the "Good Goals" criteria, but it made a good New Year's resolution. As I look at retirement in a few years, that is going to be my motto: to have fun. I don't plan on working until I drop dead. So I have my retirement goal: the date is set and the plan is to have fun. Now my current goals are all working toward that.

Happy goal setting! And have more fun while you can.