Trigruence

The Four D's of Organization

Messy, unorganized spaces can drain your energy.  For a quick energy pick up, set a timer for 15 minutes, clean, and organize your space during that time, like a race.

 

Some people are naturally more inclined to organize than others. I work from piles… always have. I’ve taken time management and organization courses – I could probably teach those courses; I simply will  not use the systems over the long run.

 

Others (and you know who you are) are so organized they can find a paper they wrote in college 15 years ago. It’s neatly filed in a three-ring binder and organized brilliantly. I admire those folks but don’t want to be one… I don’t want to dedicate the time and effort to working against my natural set, but I do realize the importance of having some sort of a system.

 

A (relatively) neat workspace is important to productivity and if that is all you need to be productive, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If you need to complete a task and file it away before you begin the next one; then don’t let those “crazy multi-taskers” convince you to do several things at once. That system will not work for you either.

 

When I was in the corporate world and we had cleaners come thru our offices nightly; I used to put a “Do Not Touch This Pile” note on my piles. That drove my assistant nuts, but I knew where everything was. Being self-employed now I can get by without the note.

 

If the piles get too out of control try this exercise. Make one pile. One. Even if it makes it to the ceiling (I’d be proud of that if it was me…) Then get yourself a big trash can and go thru the pile one piece at a time and:

 

Do It – execute what you need to do for that piece of paper – NOW

Delegate it – give it to the appropriate staffer

Delay it – be careful here… put it in a system (tickle file) if you can get to it later

Delete it – piece by piece into the trash

 

This is a great quarterly exercise if you are a pile person who would like to at least demonstrate your desire to organize. If you do it four times a year, you’ll probably have a pretty good sized pile. Have at it – and if you get a pile that does go floor to ceiling, please send a pic!

Health Tip

Messy, unorganized spaces can drain your energy. 

For a quick energy pick up, set a timer for 15 minutes, clean, and organize your space during that time, like a race.

Floss for health

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, flossing is just as important as brushing for teeth and gum health.

 

Flossing helps remove the debris and plaque that stick to teeth and gums in between the teeth. It also helps control bad breath and polishes the tooth's surface. Water picks and electric flossing are not as effective as manual flossing.

 

Floss at least once a day.

Today's health tip

Did you know that Alfalfa sprouts contain every essential amino acid? They are also a great source of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carotenes, chlorophyll, folic acid, and phytoestrogens. Alfalfa sprouts make a great addition to salad, sandwiches, and wraps, or you can just enjoy them by themselves.

Remember GIGO?

Garbage In – Garbage Out. If memory serves me, this was a basic tenant of computer programming; what you put in you get out. Then the personal development industry grabbed the concept to describe what happens with negative or positive thoughts.

 

What do you feed yourself daily? Do you eat for momentary satisfaction or for longevity and health? Fats and sugars to satiate the taste buds or lean proteins and fresh fruits & vegetables to nourish your body?

 

What about the things you feed your mind? I recently worked with a client who was mildly obsessed with the TV show “24.” He was watching old episodes on streaming video… 3, 4, 5 episodes at a time. Sometimes starting at 10 pm and finally crawling into bed at 2:30 in the morning. The next day he felt anxious and tired, unable to focus on work and overwhelmed with a feeling of worry.

 

No kidding… what is “24” about anyway. Hey, I like the show too; and if you feed your mind a high dose of tension-filled, terrorist-crazed fantasy for 3 or 4 hours a night – and then go to bed so your sub-conscious can further develop those scenes; how would you expect to feel the next morning?

 

What about the books you read? How many books do you read? Do you read for escape and fantasy or to challenge your thinking and expand your competencies?

 

What about radio? Are you a talk radio junkie? Do you listen to music in your car or are you playing CDs that will stretch you vocabulary, your thinking, and your knowledge?

 

What types of conversations do you have? Do you associate with people who inspire you or are your conversations nothing more than inspired gripe sessions about the economy, the world, politics, etc.?

 

And now for a little practical reality. Restrictive diets don’t work in the long run because deprivation is not a healthy or viable way to live… we occasionally want and need the cherry pie or extra loaded pizza. A good move or an hour of “garbage TV” can help to reduce stress by letting the day fade to fantasy – just don’t watch too much and certainly not right before you go to bed.

 

Reading fiction can improve your vocabulary and your ability to paint compelling pictures with words; so, find a balance between fun fiction and books that will elucidate your world.

 

Talk radio and music will entertain you for a little while and may also numb your ability to think on your own. Are your thoughts your own when having political discussions or are they the talking points of the radio host? Be careful to whom you give control of your mind. When you listen to good recorded information from a source you trust and want to emulate; at least you are in control of what food you are feeding your mind.

 

“Here’s how we will save the world” conversations over a hot coffee or cold beer can certainly stimulate your mind and help you realize and verbalize your core convictions about important topics. And conversations about philosophy, spirituality, your purpose in life, etc., will stretch you in ways that political debates cannot.

 

So, like most things in life, it comes down to balance. A little spicy with the sweet… a little rock ‘n roll with the inspirational… a little sports with the spiritual. And as always, it is your choice… and it is your mind and your life. So choose wisely.

 

 

 

 

Today's health tip

A key to getting in shape is determination and consistency. 

Notice how your body responds to exercise and truly enjoy all the benefits of exercise.  The more you focus on the benefits the easier it will be to motivate yourself to stick with your fitness plan.