Organizing My Life

This year I've chosen my resolution using a different perspective. Many of us set goals each year that are great and glorious. These may range in scope from the number one goal of weight loss to quitting smoking to spending more time with our families. I have really thought about it this year so I have decided to focus on what I could do to help assure more of my goals (both short and long term).

So what's the difference between a resolution and a goal? According to Wikipedia, a resolution is a commitment to oneself regarding some change in your life that will lead to some type of advantageous outcome. On the other hand, according to BusinessDictionary.com, a goal is a time sensitive, observable and measurable outcome which may have objectives to be achieved along the path of success.

My decision to make my 2009 resolution/commitment more beneficial by directing it to my goals will help me to achieve more in a shorter time. By sticking to my organizational plan, I will achieve more of what I want out of life because I am more focused on the goals. Therefore, my 2009 resolution is to organize both my private and professional lives and stay focused on that organization by the utilization of certain tools.

So here we go. My five methods of assuring success in my 2009 New Year's resolution are:

#1 Organize my time

In order to achieve my 2009 resolution, I must set up my Outlook calendar with incremental steps of what I plan to accomplish each day. This includes everything such as getting out of bed, eating, bathing, meal planning and prep, exercise, computer work time, study time, work and meeting time, laundry, family time, etc. If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't get done. If it's not on my calendar it is interfering with my goals and objectives. Now, this doesn't mean I won't have to tweak it along the way. I am sure I will because it's next to impossible to think of every tiny detail from the jump go and things will crop up that require adjustments. The point is to put it down and schedule it out. Utilize the one commodity which is irreplaceable, time. You must put it down on paper if you plan on getting anywhere with it. There is no better way to assure success than to put yourself on a timeline.

#2 Synchronization

I utilize Outlook at work and at home. So I must be sure to synchronize both my calendars on a daily basis (yes, this time is slotted on my calendar too). During this synchronization time, I will also analyze to see if I have double booked myself at any point and adjust as necessary. This will assure me that my life is in balance and I am accomplishing what needs to be done for both personal and professional objectives.

What I will not do is to delete without good reason. If I hit that "X" at the top of Outlook, I must be sure the instance I am removing no longer applies or it is not something I plan on doing because my time is spoken for.

#3 Share but be a little selfish

In order to gain more support and further my opportunity for success, it is important that I tell others what I am doing. I will tell my family, friends and coworkers what I am doing and why. I will assert my intentions explaining as I go forward what will be required when things "just come up." These types of events will be entered into a prioritization and time bank. If they are really important or emergent, it goes without saying reorganization will occur. There has to be some flexibility because this is life we are talking about.

When those non-high priority things just come up, they will be entered on a list to be taken on if there is extra time available on my schedule because of quicker success or cancellations. Other than that it will have to wait to be slotted in.

No, this is not mean or cruel or anything like that. It may be a little selfish, but it has to be if my intentions are toward true accomplishment. Everyone will be happy and pleased as my goals unfold and are accomplished. They just have to endure what it takes to get there right along with me.

#4 Mobile synchronization

I just got a new cell phone. The Sony Ericsson W350 suits my needs just fine. It's a great phone without some of the bells and whistles that are time stealers. Besides the fact that it can make phone calls and is blue tooth compatible, the most required functionality was for a good, simple, easy to use calendar capable of easy synchronization.

Yes, the next step is to synchronize my Outlook calendar with my cell phone so that I am audibly alerted when it's time to switch to the next task even if my computer is not on. Sometimes this can lead to alert fatigue so it is important to remain focused on the resolution and to remember I have a resolution/commitment to be organized and focused. When that alarm goes off and tells me it's time to switch to the next task, I must be willing to let go of whatever I am doing. I will remind myself that I will be revisiting here again according to how I have prioritized and allotted time.

#5 Rewards

This may seem a bit trivial to some but it is very important. I will allot time in my schedule for rewarding myself for maintaining my commitment and accomplishing my goals. I will reward myself with simple things such as a family popcorn movie night, a dinner out with my spouse or family, a new book, a long bubble bath, etc. Whatever it is that makes me feel special and pleased with myself. I have created a list of these little niceties and have them ready to be selected for my pleasure.

The most important part is to remember my point and purpose. I have created a screen saver to remind me, hung up notes in strategic locations to remind me and encouraged others to help keep me on track. I'm setting myself up for success and that is what New Year's resolutions are all about.