Now is good

Humans live in time and space. And until someone finds a way to make practical use of quantum theory, each of us is allotted the same linear 24 hours each day in which to get things done. And each of us has thousands of things that we could do at any one time.

I'm going to look at procrastination in more detail another time (that wasn't meant to be funny), however, here's a maxim that (I think) I made up all by myself:

"If it is definitely going to need to be done, and you can do it now, do it now."

It's never going to win any prizes for succinctnessnessness, but as a principle for getting things done, it takes a lot of beating.

Someone has sent you an email suggesting you get together some time. The temptation is to reply some time in the future. Why not check your diary, and reply now?

A friend's birthday is coming up in a week or so. You've got a couple of minutes spare while a document is printing. You've got an appropriate card (What do you mean, you don't keep a stock of appropriate cards? I can feel another blog coming on...). Write an appropriately hilarious age-related missive, address the envelope, write 'not to be opened until *insert birthdate*' on the flap and pop it in the first pillar box you see (yes, yes, you WILL need to put a stamp on it as well!).

Your car's petrol tank is a quarter-full (or, for the pessimists amongst you, three-quarters empty). You're in plenty of time for whatever appointment you're driving towards, and you're approaching a petrol station. Pull over, and fill up now. Not when the needle is hovering on the 'E', and you're already running late!

Give it a try, you'll be surprised how applying the IIIDGTNTBDAYCDINDIN™ maxim frees up your days, and minimises that awful 'there's no way I'm going to get everything done that I need to get done' (TNWIAGTGEDTINTGD™, damn, I'm good at this acronym thing!) feeling.
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Getting Organised #1

Does your desk look like this picture?

I'm not a believer in 'clean desk' policies. If you are busy, there will be times when clutter is a part of the deal. However, a regular 'purge' of your working environment helps you to evaluate what you do and don't need to keep, and as a result work more efficiently.

So, find yourself a spare hour, and source a generously-sized cardboard box, plus two large bin-liners. Mark one bin-liner 'rubbish', the other with the day's date.

Starting at one corner of a room, check every item (including cupboard contents), putting rubbish in the appropriate bag, and all items you know you won't be using in the next three months in the dated bin-liner (you may need more than one dated bin-liner!).

Put any items you're not sure about in the box.

Then seal up the dated bag(s) and put away in a safe, dry place.

Dispose of/recycle the items in the rubbish bag/s.

Go through the box of odd items and find places to put the ones you really want to keep. Keep this box as a ‘limbo’ to put all subsequent items that have no immediate purpose or place, but which you cannot bring yourself to throw away. If/when it gets too full, savagely sift it and dispose of some of the items (or put them in a 'dated' bin-liner!).

If a year passes without you missing the stuff in the dated bin-liners, you almost certainly don't need the stuff. Find someone who does, or recycle/dump it.

Repeat as necessary.
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