Get Organized: 10 Universal Laws

The Law of the 1st Step

A good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:

pile one is for those things to throw away, pile 2 is for those things that need immediate action, pile 3 is for those things that can be taken care of later, or filed, or both.

The Law of the Past

One of the curious things that seem to hold people back from getting organized is wanting to avoid dealing with things left over from the past. Working your way through the clutter can bring you face to face with past mistakes and failures. The best thing to do is face them, learn from them, and then really put them behind you, in the past.

The Law of Time

Many people use the excuse of "I just don't have enough time to get organized." If you really don't have enough time to get organized, then you desparately need to get organized! While it does take some time and energy to get organized, it also brings the gift of adding much more time to your life.

The Law of 3-D

When something comes your way, a memo, an announcement, a piece of mail, whatever, there are three and only three things you can do with it to remain organized:

1) Do it:2) Delegate it:3) Dump it: get it to the nearest trash receptacle and out of the way.

The Law of SYSTEM

Having a system, a step by step repeatable plan, for just about everything you do is simply invaluable. This is because SYSTEM stands for:

Saves-You-Some -Time-Energy-Money.

The Law of Stay

Once you get organized, do what ever it takes to stay organized. It takes a lot less time to stay organized than to get organized all over again. Trust me on this one.

The Law of Freedom

Most of us who are organizationally challenged have resisted organization because we don't want to be controlled by anything or anyone. Quite the opposite is true, however. Getting organized allows you to experience more freedom and control than you thought possible.

The Law of Simplicity

Whatever system of organization you use, make sure you keep it simple. The more simple and easy to use, the more likely you are to use it.

The Law of "Put Your Hands On It"

You can tell you are getting organized when you need to find something and you can immediately "put your hands on it." Saves time.

The Law of Place

Remember the old cliche "a place for everything and everything in it's place?" The reason it became a cliche is that it works.

Thanks for reading, and keep the change

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

In The News:

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:55:15 GMT Obama mixes holiday and politics in Montana - Reuters Boston Globe Obama mixes holiday and politics in Montana Reuters - 4 hours ago By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent BUTTE, Montana (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama mixed presidential politics with parades and barbecue on Independence Day on Friday, celebrating his daughter's birthday with a picnic and fireworks in Montana ... Play of the Day: Malia Obama's "best birthday" The Associated Press On the Road: Montana Outtakes New York Times FOXNews - Los Angeles Times - Washington Post - New York Daily News all 755 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:13:58 GMT Jesse Helms, former senator, conservative icon, dies - Newsday Wall Street Journal Jesse Helms, former senator, conservative icon, dies Newsday - 2 hours ago Jesse Helms, the former five-term US senator from North Carolina whose relish for thwarting initiatives he opposed as too liberal earned him the nickname "Senator No," died Friday at age 86. Video: A Look Back At Jesse Helms CBS NC Senator's Hard-Line Conservatism Helped Craft Republican Social ... Washington Post Wall Street Journal - San Jose Mercury News - Boston Globe - Dallas Morning News all 2,466 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:58:21 GMT California's priority wildfire in check -- for now - Reuters AFP California's priority wildfire in check -- for now Reuters - 2 hours ago By Jim Christie SAN FRANCISCO, July 5 (Reuters) - Firefighters in California have fended off a blaze threatening more than 3000 homes in and around the coastal town of Goleta and are turning their attention to preventing its spread toward the nearby ... Video: Wind Keeps California Wildfires Raging AssociatedPress California's Wildfires Have Scorched 527000 Acres (Update3) Bloomberg Los Angeles Times - AFP - NECN - San Francisco Chronicle all 910 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:04:28 GMT Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) - Bloomberg Aljazeera.net Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) Bloomberg - 2 hours ago By Eliana Raszewski July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Argentina's lower house of congress approved the government's plan to increase taxes on exports of grains and oilseeds, risking a resumption of three months of strikes by farmers. Export Tax That Angers Farmers Advances in Argentina New York Times Argentina lawmakers approve farm export tax hike guardian.co.uk Voice of America - AFP - BBC News - The Associated Press all 138 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:41:30 GMT SAfrica's Mbeki meets Zimbabwe's Mugabe - Reuters SAfrica's Mbeki meets Zimbabwe's Mugabe Reuters - 1 hour ago By MacDonald Dzirutwe HARARE, July 5 (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday to try to help end a political crisis after a violent election that extended Mugabe's 28-year rule. Germany's Merkel hopes for African leaders' support on Zimbabwe ... International Herald Tribune South African president arrives in Zimbabwe Xinhua Voice of America - guardian.co.uk - AFP - The Associated Press all 5,770 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:04:03 GMT A Side Competition in Beijing: Island vs. Mainland - New York Times CTV.ca A Side Competition in Beijing: Island vs. Mainland New York Times - 8 hours ago The Taiwanese Olympic table tennis team practicing at Kaohsiung. Taiwanese players have hopes of winning medals next month in a sport China has dominated. Taiwan media, business people welcome charter flights, mainland ... Xinhua South Africa: Country Should Take Heed of Taiwan's Errors AllAfrica.com Monsters and Critics.com - International Herald Tribune - Wall Street Journal - BBC News all 883 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:16:20 GMT France's Sarkozy Questions If ECB Rate Increase `Reasonable' - Bloomberg France's Sarkozy Questions If ECB Rate Increase `Reasonable' Bloomberg - 6 hours ago By Simon Kennedy July 5 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy recommenced his criticism of the European Central Bank today, asking it was ``reasonable'' for it to have raised the region's key interest rate this past week. Fighting Inflation, Europeans Raise Rate New York Times Euro flat after post-ECB dip MarketWatch istockAnalyst.com - Reuters - Forbes - Wall Street Journal all 1,857 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:50:48 GMT RSS to Blog Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages