Yesterday I was listening to NPR as they blathered on about the health care debate here in the U.S. They said the Supreme Court Justices were firing off questions about a one a minute and it was a lively day of discussion.
And then the NPR announcer said something about the justices trying to get the “Parade of Horribles” out of the way.
Parade of Horribles? What is this? Turns out Wikipedia knows everything:
“A parade of horribles is also a rhetorical device whereby the speaker argues against taking a certain course of action by listing a number of extremely undesirable events which will ostensibly result from the action. Its power lies in the emotional impact of the unpleasant predictions; however, a parade of horribles can potentially be a logical fallacy.”
Turns out that those horribles are “made up” and they generally are never as bad as the person imagines them to be.
Of course, this made me think about people who want to get organized, but never do.
They talk about it a lot. They read about it a lot (ahem…) but in the end, their internal chatter (hello, Monkey Mind) keeps them from actually doing the work of getting organized.
What are some of the excuses I hear?
- I don’t have time to get organized
- I won’t be able to find what I need after I move stuff all around
- My piles are working, I swear
- Being organized just isn’t important
- My messiness doesn’t bother my staff/spouse/partner/office mates/family
- I don’t have money to spend on this right now
- My disorganization isn’t affecting my clients at all
The funny thing is, I *always* find money when I help someone organize. Whether it’s a check they forgot about, cold hard cash, or 15 prospects in their email, the money is there.
Because there’s such a return on investment for getting organized, and because it is such an important skill for success, I’m constantly surprised by these arguments.
In the end, though, they’re just excuses. A business owner’s very own “Parade of Horribles.”
If you ask ANY of the hundreds of clients I’ve worked with, they admit their made up story – their Parade of Horribles – turned out to be not that bad.
To that end, I’m giving you another option for getting organized. Last week I announced the fabulous new newsletter that will start hitting mailboxes the beginning of May! And it’ll come right to your door, which you can then shut, sit down, and create some space and time to read.
Topics will range far and wide, from getting your desk organized, to using technology more efficiently, to working on your Five Essential Business Systems (TM). You’ll get them in print and there will be links to audio and video instructions.This way, no matter which way you learn, I’ll have you covered.
1. Each month you’ll receive a paper copy of the newsletter via snail mail.
2. I’ll go into detail on one topic per month to help you get organized, systematized, and managing your time like a pro.
3. In addition, I’ll offer links to an online PDF version of the newsletter (in case you really like reading online)
4. And finally, you’ll get links to online supplemental audio and video of the topic so I can also “show you” and “tell you.”
The first issue should hit mailboxes the beginning of May 2012 and the monthly investment is very affordable at $21.95. It’s like getting me one-on-one each month to help you get – and stay – organized!
And you can officially join me next week!
In the meantime, are you ready to end your very own Parade of Horribles around organizing?
Sincerely,
Angie