Recently I was asked how I was able to get so much done in life.  I’ll have to admit to being a bit of a workaholic – perhaps even that is a bit of an understatement.  The question made me stop for a moment and think about my life.

Basically I eat little, make sure I get 7 good hours of sleep at night and occasionally 8.  Other than that, I work.  It also helps that I love my work.  The Missus leaves every weekend for her gig in Boston and that’s when I really get to work.

I admit to occasionally watching a movie, but that’s about it for recreation.

Still with all the hours spent, I would not get nearly as much done if I weren’t well organized.  It’s organization that gets me through and if I’m anything, I’m organized.

When I’m not organized, I’m miserable – that’s when I feel stress, pressure, that cold feeling of inner panic.  That’s when I know that I have to take the time to get organized.  Once I do that, then I’m fine, even if I’m looking at a mountain of work before me.

So the first step of getting organized is:

1. Get Organized – Before you start, get organized.  As the mountain gets higher and higher before you, make sure you take the time to organize.  Most people panic and just jump into the work because they think erroneously that if they don’t hurry up and start, they won’t make it, but take the first precious moments and stop and organize the project or projects.  Make lists, make folders, make calendars, make sense of it all.  See the whole in perfect order.
2. Make A List – I’m a list guy.  I run my life on a list.  And then I make sure I read it 3 times a day.  A lot of people make lists and then never read their lists.  Never quite got the point of that.  I like using colors, numbers, bullet points – anything that can help me see everything in a more organized fashion.  Then I prioritize my list.  Then I make sure I cross things out and check things off.  I also re-prioritize my list every day and keep the list up to date.
3. Stick To The Schedule – I also run a daily calendar.  I even schedule in my breaks.  Otherwise I don’t take ‘em, and then I’m sorry later because if I don’t take my breaks, I tend to wear out earlier in the day.  BTW, my breaks are never longer than 5, 10, or 15 minutes.  I stick to that schedule and if I don’t finish on time, I move on to the next item and then reschedule.  I don’t allow myself to get behind, because when I do, I get stressed and that just wears me out.  Stick to the schedule, but schedule smart.  Better to give yourself more time than you think it will take because then when you finish early, you feel good about yourself.
4. Hooray For Post-its – Love ‘em.  My desk area is covered in Post-its.  They’re a little messy after a while, but I love to crinkle them up and toss them in the wastebasket.  A great feeling of accomplishment.  You can also move ‘em around and put the important ones of the day right there in the hot place in front of you.  You can prioritize by space.  Post-its are great, but when it gets really hot and heavy, then I always turn to the list.  Post-its are a little more casual.  A list is serious business.
5. Do The Hard Work First – That’s right.  Most people put the hard stuff off till last.  I’ve learned to do it first.  That’s when you have the most energy, the most time, the most concentration, the most equanimity.  Get the hard stuff done first and then you feel better and better as the process winds down.  Save it till last and then you feel worse and worse as the pressure mounts and the time runs out.

I said 5 so I’ll stick to that, but along with #5 goes this thought:  Work hardest at the beginning, spend the most hours at the beginning, get on top of the project as soon as you can.  Then you will be most effective because you never know what unknowns will come up.

Schedule in time for the unknowns by planning to finish early.  If you finish early, you have a better head to fully concentrate on the little details at the end that often take the project over the top.

Don’t allow yourself to be late.  It’s the worst thing you can do to yourself and to the client.  Wanna have people lose faith in you, distrust the outcome, distrust the concept?  Be late.

In short, finish on time by being organized.

For more inspirational music, thoughts and ideas from Peter Link,
please visit Watchfire Music.