How to Get Organized.
Understand the root cause of your procrastination
Know how to build and plan actions
How to continuous improve your cycle of success
This post is about finding your sweet spot between efficiency and effectiveness and is inspired by the book THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE (Stephen R. Covey).
Seen other Self Coaching Tools we shared?
Efficiency without effectiveness is like a formula one car without fuel.
1. Find the root causes
We far too often try to fix the problem at hand and not look into what the reason for the problem was in the first place. This step is about finding the root cause of your problem.
1. Take pen and paper and build a list of all things you are not happy with, given how you organize them today.
What are the things I move from day to day from month to month from year to year?
What are the things I am not happy with?
Where am I poorly organized in?
2. Take a new paper and draw a pentagon on it. Write number 1-5 on each corner. In the middle of the pentagon write the word WHY.
3. Now answer the WHY questions in the same way to all your topics from your list. Start with the one that is most important to you.
Go to No.1 and write the answer to the question - Why is the topic (from your list) not organized?
Go to No.2 and write the answer to the question - Why is No.1 the case?
Go to No. 3 and write the answer to the question - Why is No. 2 like that?
Go to No. 4 and write the answer to the question - Why is No. 3 this the case?
Go to No. 5 and write the answer to the question - Why is No. 4 like that?
Repeat this with all your topics from the list.
4. Have a look at the bigger picture. Are there common patterns you can see? Write them down.
2. Understand your cycle of influence
Understanding how you can influence outcomes is key to achieve success. That is why we look into your cycle of influence at this point.
Take a new paper and write ME in the middle of it. Then draw a small circle around it and another big circle around the small circle. Split the bigger circle in 3 equal parts. Write the words People, Tools and Processes into the 3 equal parts.
Look back at the root cause examination and take the common pattern issue you defined. Or the issue that matters most to you as a fixed topic to move on.
Take the cycle of influence canvas and write down the people, tools and processes you can ask for support to help you to solve your issue.
Who are the people that can help you?
What are the tools that you could use?
What are the processes that you could influence?
3. Think it through
Getting actionable and thinking things through will help you to accelerate your achievements. That is why this step helps you to think where you want to be and what actions will help you to achieve your goals.
Take another page of paper, turn it into landscape and draw a straight line on the bottom. Write number 1 on the far left and number 10 on the far right below your straight line.
Now draw a Quadrat in the top right corner of your page and write what is the greatest outcome you can think of that will happen when you resolve your issue from above.
Evaluate how far you are from achieving this outcome. Use the line where 10 means you have achieved your outcome and 1 means you haven’t done anything.
Which number would you give your situation today?
Mark the number with a big dot on the line and write the number above it.
Draw a straight line from the 0 from our line to the corner of your Quadrat.
Start brainstorming in the upper left quadrant write down all the actions that will bring you closer to achieve your outcome. And in the lower right quadrant you write all actions that bring you further away from achieving your outcome.
Take a minute and reflect on what you have written down.
4. Plan your actions
There is nothing more powerful than decluttering the urgent from the important actions. That is why this step is all about planning and decluttering.
Take another paper and draw a 2x2 matrix. On the top of the quadrants write URGENT and NOT URGENT. And on the left side of the quadrants write IMPORTANT not IMPORTANT
Definition:
Urgent = Needs your immediate attention
Important = Will help you to achieve your goals long term
2. Now take all the actions from the upper left quadrant of the self analysis canvas and decide where to write them into the 2x2 matrix.
3. You just have decluttered the important from the urgent and can now take actions.
The upper left quadrant are the things you should do immediately
The upper right quadrant are actions you should plan.
The lower left quadrant are actions you should delegate and
The lower left quadrant are actions you should eliminate.
5. Sharpen the saw
Continuous improvement is key in staying effective and efficient over time. That is why the last step will help you to stay on track and further improve over time.
Take another paper and draw a large circle in the middle and 4 smaller circles touching the big circle. In the middle of the big circle write MY CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CYCLE. In the smaller ones write clockwise, IDENTIFY, PLAN, EXECUTE, REVIEW.
Take this circle with all your planned activities from the decision matrix above.
Start with IDENTIFY write next to the cycle, what you are going to do
Move to the next circle PLAN and write next to the cycle, when are you going to do it
Move to the EXECUTE cycle and write down what you learned by executing your actions
Move to the REVIEW cycle and write down what you would like to improve for the next round.
Repeat on an ongoing basis
Other self coaching tools that might be interesting to you:
Getting organized means freedom for your mind. It will help you to get the important things done and leaves time to grow
Leaders need a free mind to have the time and capacity to listen to people.
Being organized yourself will inspire others to do so too.
Any thoughts or experiences on your side? Let us know in the comments at the end of the page.
Follow our social accounts to stay updated on our content