Organization! I LOVE this word and I love being organized.
There is no question being organized increases productivity and performance. Tens of thousands of books have been written on this topic and I’ve read at least a thousand of them!
Through all the books, coaches, and programs I’ve followed, I’ve discovered one common theme, if you don’t implement, doesn’t matter how good the idea, you won’t get results. Funny how that correlates to achieving your health and fitness goals too!
All right, organization! Let’s talk about it.
I personally LOVE lists and checklists. When it comes to being organized, I really like order, yet I’m a free spirit too. Building a container to house my creativity is vital otherwise things get out of control quickly.
I use tools like a “control journal” and keep a running CAPTURE list (Thank you David Allen who wrote the brilliant go-to book Getting Things Done). This is a 3 ring binder I have used for nearly 2 decades. I have my daily routine as a mom, business owner, and creative with my long-term and short terms goals, vision, values, and projects clearly defined.
With my top values are learning and creating, I need to have rituals and routines to contain all of my free-spiritedness or nothing would get done!
As you may know, I’m on the go a lot. I wear multiple hats as a single mom, creative, and leader of a successful health and fitness coaching business, I have to keep everything well organized but also mobile-friendly.
I use my MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone Apple products that keep all of my digital files updated at once, and my calendars synced with a running file for IDEAS, LISTS, SUB TASKS, and DAILY TASKS with the repeating tasks entered in my calendar.
Stephana Johnson, Health and Fitness Expert for Leaders
My top 2 keys to staying organized for more productivity and better performance:
🔑My top organization tip is to work in time blocks.
As a result of this one action, I attribute a more than 50% increase in my productivity.
I block out my energy and self-care time and family time first, then deep work time (see my post after reading Cal Newport’s great work on this topic) followed by client delivery time, emails read and responded to, learning and writing, marketing, networking, research and reach out, quiet downtime for a healthy transition from one task, event or project.
This keeps my day from getting out of hand. Remember if you let one day get out of control, don’t let 2 days go. That creates a habit. Reset daily.
🔑 Everything in my life goes so much more smoothly when I do an end-of-workday digital shutdown or digital sunset as we call it here (thanks again Cal!), complete by 5 pm. I can focus on my family and get to bed early, free of digital distractions or negative and stressful input right before bed.
This one action is my key to increased performance day in and day out.
Are you an organized guru or a free spirit?
What are some of your tips?
Tell me about it below!