Does being organized mean being perfect? Case in point: last week I gave a business lead to a former client and great friend during a networking meeting. As I was filling out the leads sheet, I realized I had no idea what the date was. Instead of pulling out my phone in the middle of the meeting to check, I simply put a question mark in place of the date.
Later in the week, he emailed me to thank me for the lead (an excellent practice, by the way) and then added a joke along the lines of, “I can’t believe YOU didn’t know the date!”
As a self-proclaimed “organized guide” I pretty much ask for this to happen. I invite people to call me out.
See, people really seem to equate being organized with being perfect. With always showing up clean and tidy, prepared and ready, with all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed. And when I don’t show up 100% prepared, people notice.
Gentle reader, I am here to tell that being organized doesn’t mean perfection. Not even close.
If you’ve been dragging your feet about getting organized or managing your time and calendar better, or finally getting out of email overwhelm, but the thought of trying to be perfect at it stops you in your tracks…
Puh-leeze. Let’s talk reality.
I’m an organized person, yes. But I have no sense of direction and these days I can very nearly get lost in a circle. This leads me to be late sometimes – by a few minutes or by many minutes on a really bad day with really bad traffic.
The way I cope – and the way you can cope – is by using systems, habits, and routines. Seriously.
Sometimes I forget paperwork I need. But my backup system ensures I have extra copies in my padfolio. Sometimes I run out of out business cards and only realize it as I walk into a networking meeting. But I keep supplies of cards in two places, so I nearly always have extras.
I’m methodical about collecting what I need for clients the night before I have to see them. That way, I’m only double-checking in the morning to make sure I have what I need, rather than scrambling to print something last minute as I’m walking out the door (and probably spilling coffee all over my pants while I’m doing it).
And heaven help me if I ever lose my smartphone. If I fail to look up where I’m going the night before, I can pull over into a parking lot and quickly get myself turn-by-turn driving directions. Thank god for technology that’s useful.
So, back to systems, habits, and routines. One particularly useful place for you to start is here. You’ll find stories, illustrations, tips, ideas, and templates for creating your own systems, habits and routines.
When you’re ready for the big leagues, I can help. Creating systems, processes, and routines to keep you on top of the important stuff is my specialty. Together, we’ll reduce your overwhelm, increase your calm, create time, and find money. Yay!
Sincerely,
Angie
P.S.My third book From Chaos to Order: Ten Years of Wisdom Helping Business Owners Get Organized for Success is nearly finished. You’ll be the first to know when it goes live on Amazon.
P.P.S.I’m excited to share I’m putting together an awesomely useful workshop with a Microsoft Certified instructor. Our goal is to help you master one of your most exasperating tools: email. The first workshop will be mid-September. I’ll share all the details, including a scholarship opportunity, soon.