Organization, Done Your Way

Is there some area of your life that could stand a little more organization, structure, or system to make it flow more easily? Are you stumped or intimidated when you think about doing something about it?

Over the past few months I've helped many clients create structures and systems for their lives and businesses. It's perfect for the non-system-y people. Creatives. Right-brainers. Fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants kind of folk. And it's been fun, too.

I've found five key questions to help my clients create the structure that works for them. The questions are simple, and your thoughtful answers are all that you need. You can use this for work, life in general, or your business.

Here we go.

1. What's not working? Where are you overwhelmed or disorganized? What needs more structure, a system, or some organization?

2. If you could define your ideal end state or solution or result, how would it look? Make it up if you have to--it doesn't have to be real and you don't need to know how to do it yet.

3. What is a system or structure or method of organization that you use now that works well? It can be anything--it doesn't have to be related to this current problem. What about this system/structure/method makes it work? Is there a "secret sauce?" How did you come up with this system/structure/method?

4. What else in your life, anything at all, works well? (Really, it can be anything!) Why does it work? Was it always that way? Is there a "secret sauce?" For a moment, tap into that feeling of this thing that "just works" in your life. Remember that feeling.

5. Consider the "secret sauce" from #3 and #4. Consider what makes those ares of your life work. Tap into the feeling from #4. Using these things, create your solution to #1 so it fits your design as stated in #2.

Brainstorm. Dream. Imagine. Enlist help.

This last step is where you create something that works for you. Magic happens when you engage with others. Remember, all you need is the answers lie in #2, #3, and #4 from above and a little creativity.

Once you find a solution, run through it in your mind, checking to see if you forgot anything.

Once you've created your system, take baby steps toward implementation.