by M.T. Wroblewski
People who are super organizers — they’re often easy to spot at business meetings: they’re the ones who check their electronic organizer and, if you really want to know, they can tell you exactly what appointments they had yesterday, what assignments they have due today (and at what time) and what’s on tap for tomorrow. Just don’t try to speak to them while they’re updating their calendar or they might get snappy. They prefer to stay focused on one task at a time, and have always viewed the trend toward multitasking as one of the most misguided concepts they’ve ever heard of. These “uber organizers” make setting priorities look effortless — but in truth — it took time, commitment and discipline to hone their organizational skills. They’d probably freely admit that nobody is a “born organizer;” it’s an acquired skill, and one that requires steady nurturing. This admission should come as good news to disorganized small business owners, especially when you consider that 10 dividends can flow directly from this one powerhouse ability.
Organization Breeds Focus
When you know exactly what you should spend your time doing, you’re more likely to focus on that task with precision and clarity. Distractions, although irksome, serve to elongate most tasks. For this reason, people with good organizational skills tend to be “single-taskers,” rather than multitaskers.
Organization Breeds Productivity
This isn’t a math equation, but it could be: prioritizing + focus = greater productivity. Good organizational skills naturally feed productivity, enabling small business owners to cross off more items from their to-do lists.
Organization Breeds Efficiency
Call it “time management,” if you prefer that term to that of “efficiency,” but since organized people have developed many good habits, they tend to “work smarter.” Small business owners may decry that they “never have enough time in the day.” But organized small business owners know how to make the most of the time that they do have on the clock.
Organization Breeds Goal Attainment
Many small business owners are natural goal setters, always thinking ahead to what they want to accomplish today, tomorrow, next week, next month and beyond. People with good organizational skills are in a much better position to attain these goals.
Organization Breeds Deadline Accuracy
Good organizational skills do not dispense with the need for rushing; everybody rushes. But an organized business owner is more likely to finish that new client proposal or polish that weekend speech on time. Often, organization means the difference between finishing a task in a timely manner (even if it means rushing) and needing a new deadline.
Organization Breeds Freedom From Panic
It’s called “chaos” – that running-by-the-seat-of-the-pants feeling that many people try to conceal from others. It’s often triggered by “technical difficulties” such as misplaced papers, lost contact information, forgotten meeting times and missed conference calls. Highly organized people are all about eliminating technical difficulties from their lives, because they know the problems that can ensue. One important side note: organized people are not necessarily neat people. So says Julie Morgenstern, who wrote “Organizing from the Inside Out.” She told the Business Insider: “Being organized is not about being neat. You can be messy and organized, and you can be neat and disorganized.”
Organization Breeds Professionalism
It’s a natural surrogate of organization: an improved professional image. Although it’s nice to think that people are forgiving of a harried, disorganized business owner who can never seem to show up to a meeting on time with all the documentation he needs — the reality is that an organized person never has to worry about leaving a sloppy impression. The calm, assured professional demeanor that he projects is the real deal.
Organization Breeds Relief from Stress
Small business owners can no more avoid stress than they can add hours to the day. Stress comes with the responsibility of owning a small business. An organized business owner can significantly ratchet down the stress by eliminating the natural stressors that accompany a disorganized, disconnected and yes, sometimes, dysfunctional work life.
Organization Breeds Balance
Balance is seldom a 50-50 proposition. It may not even be 60-40 or 70-30. But an organized person is more likely to enjoy a work-life balance. How she defines balance is besides the point; it’s the ability to enjoy pursuits away from the workplace that matter.
Organization Breeds Confidence
Most adults know that good things spring from confidence, including energy, enthusiasm, determination and a positive attitude. It may sound esoteric, but because organized people often feel better about themselves – they control their work life; their work life doesn’t control them. Additionally, highly organized people often reap the “professional endorphins” that can create a beguiling recursive benefit stream.
I hope you liked this article by M.T. Wroblewski, and maybe it inspired you. Now if you want to become more organized, perhaps I can help you achieve that goal. Over the years I have used a number of tools that help keep me organized, and I would love to share those tools with you. Please contact me for a free consultation; and we can then discuss ways that I may be able to help you become more organized.
