Quotes About Organization

If you need to buy things to store things, perhaps you have too many things.

There's no right or best way to create a better life. Nevertheless, while each of us may define and achieve outer order in different ways, it's clear that for most people, outer order does indeed contribute to inner calm.

the habit of bed making is correlated with a sense of greater well-being and higher productivity. Other common broken windows include having a messy car; accumulating piles of laundry or trash; not being able to find important items, like a passport or a phone charger; hanging on to stacks of newspapers, magazines, and catalogs; wearing pajamas or sweats all day; or not shaving or showering

Think about appearances. I wanted my apartment to be less cluttered, and also to look less cluttered.

When I clean up that mess, I'm always surprised by the disproportionate energy and cheer I gain, plus I'm able to find my keys.

My happiness project was both. I wanted to perfect my character, but given my nature, that would probably involve charts, deliverables, to-do lists, new vocabulary terms, and compulsive note taking.

It didn't take me long to see that I did better when I had less time. Not several hours but ninety minutes turned out to be the optimally efficient length of time—long enough for me to get some real work done but not so long that I started to goof off or lose concentration. As a consequence, I began to organize my day into ninety-minute writing blocks

Maintain a big stack. I find that I read much more when I have a pile waiting for me. Right now, I have to admit, my stack is so big that it's a bit alarming, but I'll get it down to a more reasonable size before too long.

An Obliger boss explained Obliger fits perfectly with my organization's mission-driven and team-centered culture.

When you buy any kind of device, put the cords, the manual, all that stuff in a labeled Ziploc bag. You avoid having a big tangle of mystery cords, plus when you get rid of the device, you can get rid of the ancillary parts, too.

IF IT'S ON THE CALENDAR, IT HAPPENS

For this reason, it's often worthwhile to invest in systems of accountability. A chief benefit of fitness trainers, financial planners, life coaches, executive coaches, personal organizers, and nutritionists, in addition to their expertise, is the accountability they provide. For Obligers, most of all, this kind of external accountability is absolutely essential.

Home Every room should include something purple Keep pens, a notepad, and a pair of scissors in every room Write down anything I need to remember If something's important to me, I should reserve time for it in my schedule, make a place for it in my home, and build relationships around it

Remember, the reason to clear clutter is because, somehow, that clutter is diminishing your happiness. If you don't care, don't bother.

For people managing Upholders, it's helpful to remember that because they hate to fail to meet an expectation, they may find it hard to set priorities—all expectations seem equally important. To counter this, a boss or colleague should make priorities clear: "Usually I want that report every Friday, but when the annual report is due, it's okay to put off the weekly report while we finish the annual report. The annual report is more important.

DON'T PUT THINGS DOWN; PUT THINGS AWAY.

One flashy kind of commitment device is the "nuclear option." A friend who enjoys experimenting with strategies of personal productivity used this approach to quit drinking for sixty days. He gave his assistant a stamped, addressed envelope with a check he'd written to an "anti-charity," an organization whose policies he passionately opposes, with the instruction to mail the check if he had a drink before the time was up.

Outer order contributes to inner calm." Why is this true? Perhaps it's the tangible sense of control, or the relief from visual noise, or the release from guilt. In the span of a happy life, having a messy desk or an overflowing closet is clearly trivial, and yet creating order gives a disproportionate boost of energy and cheer.

Apply the one minute rule. Don't postpone anything that could be done in less than a minute

Eliminating clutter makes the burden of daily life feel lighter...

eliminating clutter would cut down the amount of housework in the average home by 40 percent.

I cleaned out my fridge, and now I feel like I can change careers!

Once his workday is over, the worker is suddenly redeemed from the total contempt toward him that is so clearly implied by every aspect of the organization and surveillance of production, and finds himself seemingly treated like a grownup, with a great show of politeness, in his new role as a consumer.

The higher you go in many big companies, the thinner the oxygen; and the thinner the oxygen, the more difficult it is to support intelligent life. Thus, the middles and bottoms of organizations contain most of the intelligence, and intelligence is necessary to appreciate innovative products.