Welcome to ‘Part 2: How to be Organized’! I am super excited about this part of the course, because I cannot wait to see what a difference it makes when you get on top of all the stuff on your to-do list(s). This week is the most intense week of class, and it is really important that you do the posts in order, even if they take you longer than one week to complete. There are several steps to this process, and each day builds on the next, so please trust me and go with it!

So, right now, I want you to go around your house and find every single notebook/diary/list/note/reminder that is currently active as a way of reminding you to do things. Don’t read on before you have done this! If you are reading this at work, come back and do it tonight! Here are a few places to check, to make sure you have everything. (Please note this is a list of things you might already use, not things to go out and buy!):

  • Diary
  • Daily notebook
  • Journal
  • Dream journal
  • Wall planner
  • To-do list
  • In-tray
  • Post-It notes on your computer
  • Reminders stuck on the fridge
  • Notifications on your digital calendar
  • The notes section of your phone
  • Notes on a chalkboard somewhere in your house
  • To-do items sitting in your inbox / Things written on your hand!
  • Everything floating around your head
  • Any other places you tend to make notes to yourself

Step 1: The Brain Dump

Now we are going to do a gigantic brain dump. Hopefully this will be the only time you ever have to do this. Don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed, that’s totally normal. Please don’t judge yourself. Our brains have a limited processing capacity so storing information outside of them is a sensible thing to do. It’s just that we often make things worse by not doing that in a logical and consistent way. But that’s what this class is for, so stick with it!

You can do your brain dump in one of two ways. Personally I would recommend (1) because it is highly visual and lets you see exactly what is going on, but if you don’t have any Post It Notes, or much space on your walls, (2) will also work.

(1) Using Post-It Notes and large pieces of paper or a blank wall

You will need:

  • A couple of pads of Post-It Notes (how many depends on how many things you discover on your various to-do lists. It’s not unusual to need about 200 individual Post It Notes!) Feel free to use different colours if you have them available.
  • Several large sheets of blank paper (and something to attach it to the wall, like BluTack or washi tape), or a large blank wall where you can leave your Post It Notes up for a couple of days.
  • A Sharpie or similar broad pen so you can read your notes at a distance.

What to do:

(a) Allocate one large piece of paper or one section of the wall for each of the key areas of your life. Feel free to choose whatever makes sense for your particular situation, but it could be things like Family / Work / Hobbies / Health / Friends / Finances / Home etc. Write one area on each piece of paper or label each part of the wall.

(b) Go through each of your to-do lists/reminders/diary/notebooks etc in turn and write ONE item you need ‘to do’ on ONE Post It Note, then stick it under the most relevant area. So for example ‘Renew home insurance’ could come under Finance or Home – totally up to you. This is just a simple way to start sorting. I’d suggest you just consider things that are to do in the next month or so, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Repeat this for every single item on every single one of your to-do lists/reminders etc, writing down any and every task which requires time and attention from you.

(c) Get a nice cup of tea and keep going as this may take you a while…

(d) When you’ve finished, make some notes about which areas of your life have the most ‘to do’ items. What does that tell you? Are there any surprises?

Please leave your Post It Notes where they are for the next couple of days as we will be coming back to them.

(2) Using pen and paper

You will need:

  • Several sheets of paper
  • A pen

What to do:

(a) At the top of each piece of paper write one of the key areas of your life. Feel free to choose whatever makes sense for your particular situation, but it could be things like Family / Work / Hobbies / Health / Friends / Finances / Home etc.

(b) Go through each of your to-do lists/reminders/diary/notebooks etc in turn and write each item you need ‘to do’ on the most relevant area, so you start to build a list beneath each one. So for example ‘Renew home insurance’ could come under Finance or Home – totally up to you. This is just a simple way to start sorting. In terms of items you have written in your diary as reminders, I’d suggest you just consider things that are marked to do in the next month or so. Repeat this for every single item on every single one of your to-do lists/reminders etc, writing down any and every task which requires time and attention from you.

(c) Get a nice cup of tea and keep going as this may take you a while…

(d) When you’ve finished, make some notes about which areas of your life have the most ‘to do’ items. What does that tell you? Are there any surprises?

Please keep your sheets of paper somewhere safe as we will be coming back to them in the next couple of days.

I encourage you not to do this on a screen at this point. Paper first, digital later!

Then once you have done that, here’s today’s video for you. It’s all about getting the right things done.

Password: gettoit (no spaces)

Click here to download the video.

Now go and get some rest, as we have a busy perspective-shifting, mind-opening week ahead!

Back to: How to be happy (and calm, organised + focused) (Access Dec 31 2019)