Simplify Your Life
Module 4: Organise Your Daily Life

Manage paper flow

Before you even contemplate filing material learn to manage the flow of information. A simple system of paper trays for incoming, outgoing correspondence and a ‘pending’ file can work for many people. Beware of dumping everything into the ‘pending’ file though! Create a simple filing system for all your loose papers. Daily file categories could be sorted into action areas like call, order, pay, read, discuss etc.

A system that works well is hanging files labelled Monday-Friday for upcoming meeting and client notes, or a numerical file number 1-31 for days of the month.

Remember the key to any filing system is the index. Systems fall over because the same information can be stored under many categories. You can use a simple spreadsheet to generate an index or a more sophisticated software program. Also create a system for archive files for important information that you need to keep for legal purposes.

Again, strictly handle each piece of paper only once, especially if you can spend less than two minutes dealing with it. If you are sorting through information, correspondence and messages try to action immediately. If it will require more than half an hour of your time, schedule an appropriate time, don’t just put it in a ‘to do’ file. Use the 4D’s: for every piece of paper consider if you will do it now, deal with it later (but schedule time for this), delegate or ditch/dump it.

Bring it home

Many people mistakenly think that they don’t need to be organised at home as its not a business environment. Perhaps if you are already organised at work you could transfer a few ideas into managing your own household too. We all have bills to pay, bank statements arriving, school notices, invitations, magazine subscriptions and other information that can be effectively dealt with, delegated, done or dumped!

Prepare ahead of time

Set your week in motion by identifying what you want to accomplish – earlier I discussed using a diary to plan your time to help you with this. Being prepared is one of the easiest things you can do to help simplify your life.

A key area that clients often ask for coaching on is preparing ahead of time for meetings.

Often, meetings use agendas to keep people on track – don’t use an agenda for the sake of it, use it to focus your team and lift your performance as a group. Circulate background information before a meeting so you can launch into a discussion rather than spending unnecessary time getting everyone up to speed. That way you can also do your homework before meetings, then contribute or ask intelligent questions that will ultimately move you all forward as a team.

Block out a specific time beforehand for doing this – preparation isn’t flicking through a discussion document in your 30 second lift descent.

Delegate

Before you ignore this strategy let me explain that delegation isn’t just for managers in the workplace. Delegation is a skill we can all use in many area of your lives, including at home. The idea behind successful delegation is that taking charge of your life doesn’t mean doing absolutely everything yourself. Delegate what you feel most comfortable with and do this by making use of people’s specialist skills.

When you are overwhelmed with things to do it can feel like you don’t have the time to utilise delegation as a strategy. Don’t fall into the ‘I’m too busy to delegate’ or ‘its quicker to do it myself’ traps. Setting aside a small amount of time to decide what and how you can delegate will provide you with more time in the long run.

Don’t feel guilty dumping work on others as that’s not what you are doing. Its most likely that the task your are delegating is something you don’t enjoy doing or you realise your time could be better used elsewhere. We all have different skills and delegation works best when you match the right person to the job.

Give serious consideration to delegating jobs you aren’t good at doing or simply don’t enjoy.

Consider repetitive tasks like gardening, grocery shopping, book keeping and housework and then look to special projects like decorating, planning a holiday, buying a new car or computer.

Delegation is a three stage process that involves presenting the task, being available for guidance while the job is being done and then evaluating the outcome. When you delegate a task, people need to know they are making a valuable contribution and are part of a team. Even if you are paying someone to help a ‘thank you’ is always a powerful acknowledgement.

Schedule spontaneity and interruptions

Avoid planning your day in such minute detail that you aren’t able to cope with unexpected demands that soon become high priorities.

In our first coaching session, Duncan (49) identified a need to seriously rearrange his schedule to cope with demands in his senior management role. He was extremely frustrated at the ‘fire-fighting’ or unexpected interruptions he was expected to deal with and manage on a daily basis.

Instead of planning enough work for a solid eight hour day, he choose to plan for a 5 hour workload, which left 3 hours to deal with staff demands and unexpected items.

In short, do plan on being interrupted – if its inevitable that your day will have constant interruptions it is vital to allow room in your schedule rather than becoming sidetracked by them. Like Duncan, don’t necessarily expect to do a solid eight hours work in an eight hour day.

Instead schedule six hours for work (or whatever is realistic in your work situation) and block off two hours for interruptions or rather, spontaneity.

Make it a date!

This is a strategy numerous clients have adopted to provide non-negotiable time for events that are important in their lives. Whether its time specifically for exercising, your partner, family or ‘me time’.

Recently Susan (34) who was working towards a goal of creating a home environment to nurture her children’s development designated Wednesday evenings as ‘family night’. This simple idea ensured all the family were together to enjoy a meal and relax in each other’s company. A regular family night can be especially effective for families whose working week seems to be entirely consumed with after school activities and events.

If you find it hard to catch up with friends use the same idea and ‘make it a date’ for a regular Sunday brunch or night out once a month. This means you can all commit to a fun time and can plan childcare in advance if its needed. You also don’t have to waste time trying to match gaps in your schedules to see each other.

Finding time for ourselves as individuals however, appears to be the most challenging. You keep appointments with other people, so how about making appointments with yourself for the things that really matter. Do you often start the week with all the best intentions of exercising but simply run out of time by the end of the week? Factor in fitness by scheduling in your gym classes, use a personal trainer who you are committed to or join a sports team so you will stick to your appointment.

Also dedicate time for yourself to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. Running your life at 100km per hour is not sustainable in the long term as you’ll learn in module six.

Be smart and multi-task

We’ve all heard the saying ‘kill two birds with one stone’ which means to accomplish two separate tasks in a single effort. Its smart to multi-task.

Consider cycling or walking to work to double up on your commuting and exercise efforts. Why not try exercising with friends so you can socialise and get fit at the same time. Make two meals at once and freeze one – this saves time, effort and power. Make use of travelling and waiting time by returning quick phone calls or catching up on reading.

Actions of the Week

1.  Organise your files

Test if your current filing system is working for you, set aside five minutes to find this information; last year’s tax return, a bank statement from January 2003 and your life insurance policy.

This action task illustrates that whatever system you use the true test is being able to instantly locate information you need. Think logically about where you file your records and then you will be able to locate them in a second. Use this experience when you are planning your new system.

2. Practice the Four D’s

Next time you pick up a piece of paper in your home or work environment ask yourself can you:

• Do it now?
• Delegate it?
• Ditch it?
• Deal with it later?

3. Do some delegating

List 10-20 tasks that you dislike doing and then delegate them. Find someone who enjoys the tasks you loathe and either pay them or do something for them in return.

4. Identify Multi-tasking opportunities

Revisit your time log, review your newly formed schedule and identify areas where you can creatively multi task.

Maybe its doing your banking when you are at the supermarket? Writing birthday cards or letters while at the hairdressers? Having breakfast/lunch meetings for work?

List 10 ways you can simplify your life through multi-tasking.

NEXT WEEK: Manage your money better – let’s take the next step in transforming your life and learn how to simplify your finances, a must for everyone.