BECOMING ORGANIZED: THE HABIT OF STEADY & FLOW

"No business (or life) can succeed in any great degree without being properly organized."_James Cash Penny

Systematic and efficient way to live and work, I will admit, is something I have had quite a hard time, learning.

When I younger, I loved to read. And as much as I could, I would stockpile any readable materials that seemed interesting to me — newspapers, magazines and books — though I may not have the time to read many of them for days or months.

My step-mother was the one to compel me on a particular Sunday like that to clean up my storage space, organize my books and keep everything in order. Undoubtedly, I was and still am a pack rat. 

Growing up, this poor habit of disorganization with physical items slipped into other areas as well, like areas of duty and getting things done. 

I found myself procrastinating, a lot of times. And subtly worse, choosing to do first, less value activities and later, higher value ones. 

Thank goodness, for the golden grace of self discipline and self development, I am on a quest to getting better by learning to live and work in a systematic and efficient way. 

There is a poem by Douglas Malloch, the Lumberman’s poet, that illustrates beautifully the flaw of disorganization on how he worked and lived, at a point in his life.And clearly, it is not just a weakness peculiar to me but to many potential greats who just need a little redirection to make the most of the opportunities at hand. 

The wisdom of the poem lies not in the illustration of the weakness itself but in the essence of the need to grow as a result. And the literal challenge of what can be accomplished, if it is rectified.

Now, let’s get to it:

“IF I COULD JUST GET ORGANIZED…..

There may be nothing wrong with you, the way you work and the work you do. 

But I can very plainly see exactly what is wrong with me.

It isn’t that I am indolent or dodging duty by intent. I work as hard as anyone, yet I get so little done.

The morning goes, the noon is here and before I know it, the night is near and all around me are things I haven’t finished yet. 

IF I COULD JUST GET ORGANIZED….

Often time, I have realized that not all that matters is the man, but a man must also have a plan.

With you, there may be nothing wrong, but here is my trouble right along: I do things that don’t amount to very much….that really seem important though…

I never finished what I am at. I work as hard as anyone, and yet get so little done.

I will do so much, you will be surprised, IF I COULD JUST GET ORGANIZED?”

If we could just get organized, how much of a difference will it make in our lives?

How do we know the answer for sure? We don’t! Until we try.

As a result, I will share some tips we can all learn from some of the masters in the game. 

So, what does it even mean to get organized?

WHAT IS ORGANIZING?

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” – A. A. Milne

The definition of organizing by A.A Milne makes good sense. Essentially, it means exactly what it says as far as doing good work is concerned. 

However, I will add emphasis to the word ‘BEFORE’ in the quote, for this is the key of the whole thing. 

You don’t organize in the middle of an important project.You do it before you begin. An error of delay in this instance can cause a big mess. 

The best way to prevent a disorder is to make a plan for the work at hand, and then work that plan till the work is done.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN

“Once you have a clear idea of your priorities – that is your values, goals and high leverage activities, organize around them.” – Stephen Covey

If you have a project or an important task to accomplish, write out in detail, everything you have to do to accomplish it. Everything; big and small; important and trifle. Write down…everything.

This is how we can make the most of the opportunity.

Now examine them carefully to see which of them is the most important.Once you do, give it number one and then number the rest accordingly. After the numbering, get to work by tackling each task according to its position on the scale. 

This is critical. 

Never do task number two until you finish task number one. 

Trust me, I know. And John Maxwell also knows for he says that, when we live our lives putting second things first, big problems can arise. Invariably, they will.

FIX A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.

“A place for everything, and everything in its place.”_Benjamin Franklin

This idea from Franklin is very effective in saving us a lot of time looking for misplaced stuff and the accompanying stress of such a frenetic search.

Personally, I am still learning to fix a permanent place for everything in my space, but for some few important things, I don’t even think about them anymore.

If I should take them away for use at anytime, and I need to use them again at another time, I already know where they are, without fail. My habit ensures that I return them to their fixed place, every time.

So, choose one thing you need to fix a place for and start today. The calm that you will get when it becomes a habit will be well worth the effort in the long run.

KEEP FLAT SURFACES CLEAN

''Keep what is worth keeping and with the breadth of kindness, blow the rest away."_Binah Mcraik

It is always tempting for me to want to keep most things — some of which may turn out not to be very important after a while. 

Nonetheless, I want to hold on to them. Even if I can’t use them at moment. I want to keep them within my reach. I want them on my table. Remember, I am a pack rat.

That’s why my desk most of the time looks like the desk of Albert Einstein, filled with many books, journals, papers, and so on. 

Since it may be overwhelming to keep all flat surfaces clean at once, let’s start with a single table, the desk, the space where you do your work. 

Make that single flat surface a no clutter allowed zone. 

Anything that is not useful for today’s work should go. Keep only what you need now, and calmly blow the rest away; into the library; the bags or any where you choose but not on your desk.

This will make you work better; your desk will look neater; your chances of misplacing important things slimmer.

Becoming organized is one of the things I realized its importance a little late and in fact a core fundamental of high performing people. The people who do important work with apparent ease; the people who are quick and efficient in their actions and are rarely in hurry; the people who make things happen like a force of nature; the people of steady and flow.

I believe I can become one of them, and I believe you can too. We can all learn to become more organized, day bay day, until it becomes a fixed investment that will continue to yield bountiful results for the rest of our lives.

According to Genevieve Behrend, “organization” is heaven’s first law. 

So let’s make a habit of giving proper place to everything in our lives, and experience the amazing power of steady and flow. Remember the phrase “organize or agonize.” I prefer the former. What about you?

PUT IN THE TIME, TO DO THE WORK, EVERY TIME

 “Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade.”― Rudyard Kipling

That is so true. And, yes, it is easy to understand. But, no, not so easy to do — especially by the majority.

How wonderful will it be if we can merely talk and sing our way to success? How fantastic would it seem, if our forbearers had just talked their way into today’s opulent civilization? How fabulous will it be if we can bank the future of our children on talks and wishes alone?

Daydreaming and fantasy apart, the real world in which we exist, lush gardens, don’t  happen by talk, neither do they happen by chance; lush gardens are made happen by intelligent work — with your minds and hands on the field, clearing weeds, tilling land and fertilizing plants. 

Sing along, if you like, but you must get your ass off the shade and put in the time to do the work, every time — if, in any measure, you desire a truly lush garden. 

That is the veritable truth of life in that short verse from Joseph Rudyard Kipling. And, for the purpose of this article, “the garden” is only a metaphor that applies to every form of success desirable by men — and women. 

Whether the desire is to be a valedictorian, exemplary leader, excellent employee, model parent, dynamic entrepreneur, we should not only dream and talk ourselves into success, but more importantly, we must get off the shade, and put in the time — the quality time — to do the hard work, every time.

Benjamin Franklin concurs with Kipling in his pithy instruction when he said:

“Success in ANYTHING is not about talk, but about action.”

Not that positive self-talk, motivational spiels and inspiring songs are useless in the achievement equation, only that their usefulness is proportionate to our faithfulness in investing the time for meaningful and fruitful labour.

The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. You know that, don’t you? That was Walt Disney. The principle he lived.

It is on this basis that I studied the impressive work of Malcom Gladwell, Outliers, to learn about what makes success possible for superstars in the halls of fame. 

To learn about what makes them tick; what makes them the finest and the best; the brightest and the most famous, in different spheres of life, and various fields of endeavours.

Since the best demonstration of leadership is example, the insights from the book will be a good urge for anyone seeking productivity guidance.

Are you curious?

If you are, cool down, your curiosity will be sated in few minutes as you are about to have a treat of counsel on what it takes to be a master in your own line of work.

EVERYTIME UNTIL YOU WIN…EVEN AFTER

Everyone!

Everyone wants to win; everyone dreams of achievements; everyone talks about success, and many are even optimistic about making it happen — even if it is being positive that they will only do something about it, someday in the future. 

However, not everyone puts in the time as much as they put in the talk. Not everyone starts the journey. Not everyone does the work. Not everyone does it today. And certainly, not everyone stays the long course.

But, few do — the fortunate few.

This work is essentially aimed to prod myself — and you — in that direction.

The path of the elite few who are always bias for action above everything else. 

The vital few who put in the time to do quality work on a consistent basis, delighting everyone around them and affecting many others far away.

Cherish to become someone?

Please read on to know what it really takes without fluff — the kernel of enduring greatness in all walks of life.

Here are the nuggets from different parts the book that I could extract for the theme of this article:

“The thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That's it. And what's more, the people at the very top don't work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.”

“Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.”

 “If you work hard enough, assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.”

“In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.”

― Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success

As you can see for yourself, it is not about talk, nor about luck and chance, but it is about time, quality time fully made of good work, repeated many times, over a number of years.

This is somewhat consoling, to me.

Since our world often seems unfair, in many ways: like being born in Africa compared to Europe; being born by poor parents compared to wealthy families; and being born to elites compared to illiterates. 

The fact that, with quality work, each and every one of us can make something of our lives — in the end — is a source of great solace to me.

Sometimes when I experience the pain of mental rigour, thinking whether I am the only person in the world feeling stress and pain. That whether “the gifted hands” do not work this much, or whether they have some magic power to numb off such feelings while doing it. 

This confirmation gives me enough perspective to endure and persevere. 

Since I now know that, every great one endures and perseveres to surmount the temporary discomforts of work to obtain pleasing future blessings. And that’s what makes them great.

Doing the work is the ultimate equalizer for everyone who earnestly desires to realize the big dreams of their hearts. 

Whatever the disadvantages, we may apparently suffer — naturally or by circumstance — we can surpass them with unflagging determination to do the required work, repeatedly, over a number of times, until we triumph.

MY THREE PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

VALEDICTORIAN:

To become the best student in your academic pursuits, budget a block of few hours (say, 3 fixed hours) to study and practice every day — without fail. 

Arm yourself with knowledge of the 10,000hr rule and study continuously, even on the days you have the impulse not to. 

Is this not more productive than talking all day about doing it?

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP:

Devote some time — say, a fixed daily hour — to learning and improving the key skills of your leadership position. 

Political leadership will include knowledge and skills about your people and your jurisdiction.

Will this not take you there faster than empty grandiloquent rigmaroles?

EXCELLENT CAREER: 

Pay close attention to the fundamentals of your industry and have a daily measurable time — say an immovable block of one hour — devoted to work and improve on them.

Will talk or this, is what will eventually get you a handsome raise from your boss?

Clearly, to make the most of our gardens, we need to leave the shade now and get back to work.

Heed the 10, 000hr counsel, stand up from the shade, get in the game, jump into the field, get rid of the weeds, and start planting the seeds of life, beauty and freedom.

Do that relentlessly, and ultimately your garden will not just be lush, it will be remarkable. And it will remain remarkable, as long as you never cease to put in the time, to do the smart work, every time.

HEALTH AND VIGOUR THROUGH PHYSICAL TRAINING

One morning, I was vigorously doing pushups in an open space. 

A guy who saw me in the middle of it remarked, “wow’’ and  asked, “Do you do this every darn day?”

As much as I wished I could answer him in the affirmative, I couldn’t. I didn’t say anything, I merely continued with my grind.

After I finished my sporadic workout, breathing profusely, I wondered, why? Why should deliberate stress be a regular thing for the human body to be fit and healthy? Why should it be a day by day thing?

Undoubtedly, I was already familiar with the benefits of exercising and the awareness was the reason I forced myself to do it whenever I needed a lift of strength. Nonetheless, every now and then, After going through the rigour of methodical physical movements, I always wondered, why?

Since I believe we can transcend whatever we befriend, I learned to love the boredom of exercise in other to give birth to a brand new me.

And as a result, the practice is now a fixed and immovable part of my daily routine, even if it is just for a little while, before I take my bath. 

If perchance, I now come across the guy who asked if I used to do this every darn day. I will stop, smile and answer him confidently with a resounding, yes.

I may even lecture him on the benefits of making daily exercise a habit and the potential positive impact it will have on him for the rest of his life.

If you are the curious type, you may find yourself asking following questions:

What changed?

What is the reason for my transition from the guy who repeatedly focused on the boring aspect of working out to a guy who is always focused on the overall essence of deliberate practice?

How was I able to make exercise a fixed daily habit?

My answer consists of three words:

Need and study.

I realized the significant boost of my energy level in one of those once-in-a while moments of deliberate movements  and I knew I needed to make myself experience such, more frequently.

Subsequently, I dived in to study exercises, workouts and different forms of generating strength through deliberate and regular physical activities.

With my need for strength and stamina  coupled with additional science-backed knowledge of incredible benefits of exercise, I decided to inculcate this practice in my day — my every darn day. 

And fortunately, now, I do it regularly, sometimes more than once in almost any day.

Mind you, as mentioned earlier, there are various kind of exercises, and the thing is; you need to know and practice the one that is most useful for you.

Just as I started with pushups, you can start with walking, jogging, stretching and even dancing.

Let’s see how some of what I learned can be of value to you as well.

WHY SHOULD YOU MAKE EXERCISE A HABIT?

“It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

You are seeing that question above because I assume a rational person would want to ask that question for himself long before he begins the journey.

And as you now know, that was the question I asked myself, years ago before finally forming this energy-boosting habit. 

The amazing thing about working out is that the benefit is beyond physical strength and vigour, as reflected in the statement of the great Roman orator and prose stylist, Marcus Tullius Cicero quoted above.

The boost of strength from exercise is not only physical; it includes both mental and emotional strength. 

If you think about it, this is powerful for something that costs you no money at all.

If this is not enough to convince you, read the example below from one of the best minds in the field of writing, Kurt Vonnegut, the author of the best-selling novel, Slaughterhouse-Five:

 “I do pushups and sit ups all the time.”

Ask yourself, why would a writer of such prodigious mind power elect to do exercises, all the time? Logically, there must be a link between his exercise habits and his fantastic writing outputs.

WebMD health experts explain that:

“Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain and helps it receive oxygen and nutrients. The better shape you're in, the faster you fire brain waves that are responsible for quick thinking.”

Stanford researchers also agree based on their own independent findings. They discovered that walking boosts creative inspiration. After examining the creativity levels of people while they walked versus while they sat. They concluded that one's creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when walking.

These are all fascinating evidences to get you to leave the laptop and walk, jump, run or as in my case, push. Some of the time, at least.

ONE PUSH AT A TIME

“Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.” Lee Haney

If you can’t see yourself doing this religiously, then the advice of Lee Haney will be of great value to you:

“Set small goals and build upon them”

Start small and keep going forward, one step at a time. 

However, if you tried small before and you failed to sustain it. That’s okay. I have another idea for you because the key is not on the intensity but on the frequency, I will add this bit to the notion....

Start ridiculously small; one push in a day.

ONE PUSH IN A DAY

This is the main idea that revolutionized the life of Stephen Guise, the author of the book, Mini-Habit. All the great changes he was able to make after many years of chasing strength came about when he committed to doing just one pushup, not at a time, but for a whole day.

Anyone can do that. Even, a kid can.

The caveat is; you have to do it. Even, if it happens you forget to do it in the morning, do it anytime you remember. In the least, you do it before bed. 

Though, it is incredibly small, you must commit nonetheless, you must never neglect. You must do that one push a day. No matter what.

Remember the words of Brian Moran, that, what is easy to do, is even easier not to do.

Personally, I am always excited with daily mini exercise because of many real benefits I derive. It gives me strength. It strengthens my muscles. It keeps my bones strong. It strengthens my immune function, and it makes  me sleep better.

If you think you are too weak to start exercising, don’t forget that former US president Theodore Roosevelt was puny as a kid, but he eventually developed remarkable strength and stamina by starting where he was — one push at a time.

FINALLY

Having written about eating and sleeping in my earlier posts, I am going to close with the words Tom Rath, from his book, Eat, Move and Sleep to illustrate that, for every one of us to enjoy the glow of good health, we must find our way to exercise. And we should try to it regularly. This will always help us eat well and consequently make us sleep better.

“Eating the right foods provides energy for your workout and improves the quality of your sleep. In turn, a sound night of sleep makes you more likely to eat right the next day. This is why the real magic lies at the intersection between eating, moving, and sleeping. If you can do all three well, it will improve your daily energy and your odds of living a long, healthy life.”

With all of these, I hope you have now decided to change from the habit of merely wishing, to the habit of doing, “the exercises” every darn day, as long as you live.

Good luck!