Organization:
- Something that has been made into an ordered whole.
- Conforming entirely to standards, rules, or demands.
Organization is a key aspect of being productive. An unorganized individual is not able to see what needs doing at a quick glance. If you have to waste time sorting through piles of paperwork or just generally trying to figure out what needs doing, then that is a massive drain on your energy. Many people assume this sort of planning and organization can be naturally figured out within the mind but this almost never possible. The mind is not an organizing tool, you can’t rely on it to remind you about things when you need it to (how many times have you been in a shop and completely forgotten to pick up items that you needed?). What’s more, your brain doesn’t put all your thoughts into neat little compartments for easy access. If you have lots of things going on in your head it will just be like a jumbled mess, leading to confusion and lack of focus.
Instead, you need a reliable, trustworthy system that takes all this content out of your mind and organizes it for you, whether it be on paper or on a laptop. However, the system needs to be quick and simple to use. There is no motivation to use something that is a burden and the one advantage the brain has is speed. If you have to wait for something to boot up, then go through loads of menus to get where you want, or flick through hundreds of pieces of paper then the system will simply fall out of use and thoughts will pile up in your head again.
Organization doesn’t just relate to your productivity system, it alo applies to your work desk, your home, your office and any other aspect of your life that would otherwise waste time and energy. By de-cluttering these areas they stop being a distraction, allowing you to be more focused. If you are trying to do work in an office that is a mess, with all your research material scattered around, it’s easy to see how dibilitating being disoranized can be.
April 11, 2007 GTD Dictionary
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