Prioritize and Organize: How to Get More Done at Work While

Maintaining Your Sanity

Christine Hult

Pearls of Wisdom• I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They

know me here.

The Six Problems

• Handling the paperload (including email)

• Prioritizing your workload

• Time management

• Project management

• Your personality

• Your psychology

*from Crouch, C. Getting Organized, 2005

1. Handling the Paperload

• Being constantly bombarded with sensory input • Multitasking makes you stupid• Have a place and put everything in its place• Categorize the incoming items & decide right

away:– Discard or recycle– Delegate– Take immediate action– File for follow-up– Put in a reference file or on a task list

How the Clutter Accumulates

• “If 10 new pieces of paper [or emails] come into your life every day and you only discard one you will have an additional 3,285 pieces of paper [or emails] after one year.”

• “If 100 new pieces of paper come into your life every day . . . You will have an additional 36,500 pieces of paper lying around at the end of the year.” Crouch

Pearls of Wisdom• The only thing to do with good advice is give it

away as nobody will take it.

2. Prioritizing Your Workload

• Do the right things in the right order– Gathering the materials you need– Filtering out those things that don’t matter– Prioritizing the order of importance for actions– Acting in the order outlined

• Establish habits of triage

• FOCUS on each task until it’s done

• Then tackle the next item of importance

3. Time Management

• Live in the present; do it now• Minimize distractions and interruptions• The 80/20 rule (80% of your results come from

20% of your efforts); put your efforts where they count

• Let go of the busywork• Compartmentalize; one thing at a time• Overloaded & confused?

– Slow down & think; simplify; eliminate– Shut down everything else and make organizing a

priority

The Time Management Matrix (Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1990)

Urgent Not urgent

Import-ant

IACTIVITIES:CrisesPressing problemsDeadline-drive projects

IIACTIVITIES:Prevention, Principle Centered activitiesRelationship buildingRecognizing new opportunitiesPlanning, recreation

Not import-ant

IIIACTIVITIES:Interruptions, some callsSome mail, some reportsSome meetingsProximate, pressing mattersPopular activities

IVACTIVITIES:Trivia, busy workSome mailSome phone callsTime wastersPleasant activities

Pearls of Wisdom• What's the difference between genius and

stupidity?Answer: Genius has its limits.

4. Project Management

• Use both a short-range and long-range calendar

• Use your task manager in Outlook

• Archive your tasks for future reference

• For longer projects, develop a separate project calendar or bulletin board

• For immediate tasks that come up during the day, use a notepad by your phone

5. Your Personality

• The Beast of Disorganization feeds on your bad habits

• Seriously address your bad habits• New gadgets aren’t the solution and are

often part of the problem• Let go of the old ways of doing things that

are causing your problems• Simplify, simplify, simplify• Set boundaries and stick to them

Pearls of Wisdom• If at first you don't succeed . . . . skydiving is not

for you. • If at first you don't succeed, you're running about

average.

Procrastination and Perfectionism

• Procrastination comes from: overload, fear of failure, task seems hard or boring, not sure of what to do, distractions

• Perfectionism comes from: an irrational desire to please

• Neither one is productive– Chill out, lighten up, take a chance, make a

few mistakes, build on your successes, don’t sweat the small stuff (and it’s all small stuff)

6. Your Psychology

• Is your office cluttered?• Are you always in a rush?• Do you complain about never being

caught up?• What image is this projecting to others?• Stop and think; slow down; don’t do

anything until you have decided how to be more productive

• Workaholism is DYSFUNCTIONAL

Pearls of Wisdom

• I thought I was wrong once, but then I was mistaken.

Why? A Peaceful State of Mind

• Less stress

• Calmness

• Serenity

• Better health

• Personal satisfaction

• A mind/body connection

• Balance – can you do the tree pose?

Pearls of Wisdom• Never save the best for last because the worst

may kill you.

Three Books I Recommend

• Crouch, Chris. Getting Organized: Learning How to Focus, Organize and Prioritize (Memphis: Dawson, 2005)

• Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Fireside, 1990)

• Griessman, B. Eugene. Time Tactics of Very Successful People (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994)