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Organization Leads To Success
If one wants to achieve success, it is necessary to plan and to be
organized. This is true no matter what you are hoping to
do. There are basic questions and steps that need to be taken as
you embark on a new endeavour and from time to time as you are on the
pathway towards success.
Often we take on new challenges without a clear plan of action in
place, just a lot of excitement about this “new idea.” We just
start and trust everything will fall into place. Unfortunately,
it can be another kind of falling into place - you falling into failure
and discouragement! Organization leads to success!
This article will focus on bringing success to something you have
already been doing. However, the questions you ask yourself are
also important when launching a new project or dream as you organize
for success.
1. Assess what you have been using and doing to fulfil your
goals. Is it working? If not, is it the resources you are
using, or is it you? Perhaps you have been just too busy with a
new baby or family crises and your dreams have been on hold for a
while. Or, it might be that you have had no clearly defined goal
or goals.
2. An important step in the principle of “organization leads to
success,” is to take the time to lay out your goals and objectives for
the short term (a few weeks or months), in the medium range (perhaps a
year), and in the distant future. I recommend writing these goals
down so you can have a defined target and as a tool to measure your
progress.
3. Keep it simple. It is so easy to end up with boxes,
filing cabinet drawers, and a full computer hard-drive of “stuff” you
never use. Choose resources that will aid you in achieving your
goals. For getting started or adding something new ask:
a) do really I need it?
b) do I have time to use it?
c) does it fit my style and personality?
d) will it help me reach a goal?
Don’t ask, “can I afford it,” because if God leads you to use
something, somehow you will come up with the money for it. What
appears expensive is often cheaper in the long run. Much of what
I use is actually very inexpensive and plainly packaged but wow – it’s
dynamite for ease of use and quality of results! Look at the
contents, not just the packaging. Also, beware of emotional
marketing hype. Do some research and determine if the success
being promised is actually being realized by someone else and not just
the seller who might be lining his/her pockets on your desperation!!
4. Add only one new resource at a time. This allows
you the time to learn how to use the resource you have purchased.
5. Make use of filing cabinets and portable plastic file boxes
for each project. Keep the files clearly labelled. Portable
file boxes are excellent to keep items at your finger tips and to save
you much time. For instance, for years I have done church
bookkeeping. The binder and file folders I use were in a drawer
in our dining room, the weekly counting sheets, cheque and deposit
books were in cloth bag stored under a table, the calculator was on my
desk upstairs, the pens, pencils and erasers were scattered, and
finding the stapler was always a challenge! My desk is too small
for doing the bookkeeping because I need room to spread everything out,
so I usually work at the kitchen table. Gathering everything
together was enough to lead to major cases of procrastination and,
ultimately, failure to have the bills paid on time or the monthly
reports ready for the board meetings! Although I have portable filing
boxes for other projects, it had escaped my mind to create one
specifically for bookkeeping. I remembered, “organization leads
to success” and decided to take the time to get organized for success
with bookkeeping. Now, after 34+ years of church bookkeeping (I
am a slow learner at times!) I have a portable filing box on
wheels that I can roll anywhere I want to work. The cloth liner
of the box has many pockets and compartments, and, a file folder
section. It is now equipped with absolutely everything I need and
those items are not shared with the office or any other activity.
These are “for bookkeeping only” purposes. Wow, what a time and
sanity saver!
6. Whether your project will require a full office, the kitchen
table as a work surface, or just everything in a portable file box used
at a TV tray, being organized is essential! Stake out your working
station and make it yours!
7. Follow the rule of “a place for everything and everything in
its place.” ALWAYS put everything back into their right
place so you can find them the next time.
8. When I used to write out and attempt to follow a rigid
schedule, I was always defeated by the end of the first month
(week!). Life always happened differently than planned and the
plan book was a scratched out mess!!! Flexibility allows me to
have clearly defined goals with flexible dates where practical.
On a wall in our upstairs hall we have numerous charts listing in
minute detail in point form every step we need to do in order to
complete specific projects. We sometimes put target completion dates in
pencil beside the individual points and the name of the project.
Pencil is easier to erase when “life happens!” Some steps will
have the name of the person who will complete the step. As
we complete a step, we cross it off as a visible reminder of
progress. This process helps to keep nightmares at bay so that
you do not spend sleepless nights trying to sort out what needs to be
done next.
9. Flexibility is important. However, do not use
flexibility as license for procrastination. The best ideas and
plans will be lost if you fail to include time in your schedule to
accomplish them.
10. YOU CANNOT DO EVERYTHING OR GO EVERYWHERE! Determine
what is important to you and your family, then prioritize your tools,
resources, time investments, and activities to accomplish your goals.
Organization leads to success and is always an ongoing process.
So ready or not, head into or continue on with current endeavours with
a sense of excitement and anticipation of what you will accomplish with
God’s help.
By: ©February 2008, Maxine McLellan, author, motivational speaker,
owner of JOY Center of Learning in Ontario, Canada . See: http://www.joycenter.on.ca
http://www.hereforhealth.com
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