Bob Organized His Office and Prioritized His Work
Bob walked into his home office and stopped. He looked around. Books and papers were scattered in piles all around the room, on his desk, on the credenza, on the floor, even on the two chairs. He counted 12 projects in various states of completion. It felt and looked totally disorganized. The site caused him to recoil.
Then he reflected. “What did I just read… Oh yeah! ‘A messy, unorganized environment is not helpful in getting work done.’ Clearly, my first task today is to get organized. But how?”Hmmm… He could divide the projects into priority groups using Stephen Covey’s four quadrants—1) urgent and important; 2) not urgent but important; 3) urgent but not important; and 4) not urgent and not important. Yes, that’s a good start.
“So let’s see… this one is pressing, so it’s quadrant one. This one is due tomorrow…also quadrant one; this one is strategic and high impact, so it’s quadrant two; this one is minor but still urgent—quadrant three; and this one, honestly, is just a procrastination project I like. It’s not urgent or important. I can toss it in the trash.”
Bob continued and ended up with three projects in Q1, four in Q4 which he immediately trashed, three in Q2, and two in Q3. He checked the two in Q3.
“I can put both these projects on my ‘do it when it becomes a Q1 project’ schedule. Clearly, I have to get Q1 projects finished in the next few days. I’ll work on the one due tomorrow, first, followed by the one that’s pressing. That leaves the third one that’s due in three days. That will work.
“I’m almost done with each of the first two, so I can finish them today. That will give me time tomorrow to schedule that Q2 project that’s strategic and high impact for my business after working on the last Q1 project and getting it at least two-thirds done. I’ll finish both the Q2 and Q1 projects on the third day.
“So, I can schedule my next Q2 project aligned with achieving one of my goals and one of my Q3 projects the fourth day this week and finish them on day five. I like it!”
Bob put the projects into priority files in an empty file drawer. He quickly labeled each project with a “to-work-on” date in the label. The ones he was working on right now he put in his “current projects tray” on his desk.
He noted books and references and placed them in each project folder before reshelving the books in his bookshelf. Within an hour his office and desk were organized and neat, ready to work in.
Bob sat down and worked on the first Q1 project. He was able to finish it in two hours. After lunch, he completed the second Q1 project in four hours, just as he’d planned. He prepared to work on the third Q1 project by assembling all the information and he pulled the Q2 project out of the file cabinet and put it in his “current projects tray” on his desk.
Bob’s home office is designed to get his work done. He set it up to work for him. But he has to guard against his tendency to start a project then get distracted by another project and starting that one before finishing the next one.
He has had to learn to have a place for things and not leave them scattered around, too. Getting “organizing and order issues” under control has let him truly thrive because his space is tidy and neat. He enjoys spending his time working there.
His organized work space motivates him rather than making him feel depressed. Bob is glad he’s learned to keep his personal space organized and clutter-free. He likes taking care of himself.
Personal space self-care activities you can do:
- Make your bed every morning
- Move to a better home or work space when needed
- Toss clothes you no longer use regularly
- Explore somewhere new for a refreshing break
- Listen to your favorite music in your family room
- Set a calm mood in the evenings with relaxing activity
- Organize your workspace to suit your needs
- Keep your home clutter free, clean and inviting
- Remove all trash from your car every day
Bob Proactively Improved His Financial Self-Care
Bob recently realized his improved work space has made him more productive resulting in greater income. He is pleased to see his financial picture improve. He’s been able to proactively work on his personal finances with the workable plan he set up. The increased income significantly reduced his mental and emotional stress and anxiety over his financial condition.
He also recently changed his thinking around money, eliminating some negative false beliefs. He now has a healthy relationship with money. Knowing he has a plan to improve his financial self-care has created a positive mindset around money. He now knows he can change any financial situation.
Financial self-care activities Bob did:
- Set up a budget and stuck to it
- Improved his earning power with courses and investments
- Set financial goals to grow his wealth
- Used a money app to help him keep track of finances
- Saved money each month for emergencies and investment
- Created a plan to reduce debt and followed it
- Wrote down positive money affirmations and read them each day
When you focus on having and organized and clean environment and change your thinking regarding money, you are positively improving your self-care in these crucial areas. And when you feel good with the results, you lower the stress levels in your life. It’s a win-win for you and your health and productivity.