How do you find an organizational system that works? There are so many organizer systems, time management systems, communications apps, brainstorming apps. Just the choices are enough to make your head spin. Then when you see how much work goes into “making your life easier,” you might wonder if it is worth it.
Some people have a standard grocery list. Some people like bullet journals. My mentor had a “geological” filing system (things on his desk were in a pile in the order they were received). He could always remember what he had and knew where to look for them.
My opinion is that the best system is one that consistently works for you (or your team if that is what you want one for). Can you find what you need, when you need it? An elaborate filing system is no good if you can’t find the thing. (Who has not put something away in a safe place so you won’t lose it, never to be found again?) Don’t despair yet – you might already do this successfully for your toothbrush or your silverware. You can do it for other items.
Do you remember important dates and meetings with enough time to actually do something about them? If your calendar default isn’t set up to suit you, see if you can change it. If you need time to prepare for a presentation or a reminder to shop for a birthday present, add those to your calendar or a dated to do list. If you consistently ignore the reminders, you have discovered that system is not the one that works for you.
Intentionally think about what you need to find or remember and what retrieval cues are likely to help. Experiment with a few different types and see what fits your style and serves your purposes. More expensive is not an improvement if you don’t end up using them.
Puzzle Pieces Coaching 