Book Summary Preview : Order from Chaos

The Big Idea

Liz Davenport offers an easy system to help you clean up your act. If you find yourself missing important deadlines, forgetting to return calls, and misplacing papers, then follow these six simple steps to organizational freedom.

Why get organized?

The average businessperson wastes 150 hours each year just looking for stuff. If you got organized, you could accomplish more, and take longer vacations, ultimately freeing your workspace, and your mind, of unnecessary clutter.

Step 1 The Cockpit Office

Create a space where you have only the essential tools you need to do your work.

Step 2 Air Traffic Control

Use a single “radar screen” to keep track of the day’s appointments, to-do’s, and notes relevant to that day. If you are using too many different calendars, chances are you will forget something because of having too many places to look, on the refrigerator, one you carry, another on your desk, etc.

Step 3 The Pending File

To get rid of clutter, this idea works best. A paper that requires action later but doesn’t need its own file folder can be noted on Air Traffic Control then placed in the Pending File, hence it is filed, but not forgotten.

Step 4 Make decisions

Much of the clutter surrounding you is generated by unmade decisions. Save it or trash it? Each decision should not take you more than 30 seconds.

Step 5 Prioritize ongoingly

Only 15% of daily interruptions are truly worth your attention. Learn to say “No” more often.

Step 6 Plan your day. End your day.
Clean off your desk at the end of the day.

Planning your day means reviewing your radar screen first thing in the morning. At the end of your day, check off tasks accomplished. Reschedule tasks that have not been completed. Cleaning up at the end of the day gives you a sense of closure, and helps make things easier to clean out at the end of the week, month, or year.

The Physical Environment . . . . . . . .

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