From Mess to Success: How to be more Organized

2. Nancy Gaines, CEO and Founder
Gain Advantages, Inc.
From Mess to Success …
3 Secrets to Win at Organizing

4. Being Organized …
“Having what you need
when you need it”

5. Did you Know …
 The average American wastes 55 minutes a day
looking for things they can’t find (that’s 12 days/year)
- Newsweek
 Disorganization at work means working longer hours
- SimplyOrderly.com
 1 in 4 Americans would like to be better organized
- National Association of Professional Organizers

6. Why Be More Organized
 Organized people
Can earn more and be more successful in life
Have more free time to do things they enjoy
Have higher self esteem and do things calmly
It’s possible!

7. 50% of Workers Admit …
 Disorganization causes them to work late at least two to
three times a week and they miss critical deadlines
- Esselte Corporation

8. Types of Disorganization
Temporary (short term situation)
Gathering requirements workshops
Integration testing
Cutover and go lives
Unexpected outage
Life events

9. Types of Disorganization (cont.)
Habitual (ongoing)
Choices that don’t support you and cause stress
Caused by lack of good systems, routines, and habits
Can be solved!

10. What needs to be Organized?
Time
Space
Activities
Information

11. Organize Your Time

12. Tips to Organize Time
Start 30-60 minutes earlier
Stayed focused with 50/10 formula
Block out solo time on your calendar
Keep firm start and end work hours
Say ‘No’ when needed at home and work
Bonus Tip: Pack up 30 minutes before you REALLY
want to leave

13. Organize Your Space
 The top four items men look for at home:
Clean socks, remote, car keys, and driver’s license
 The top four items women look for at home:
Shoes, a child’s toy, wallet, and lipstick
- IKEA

14. Tips to Organize Space
Assign a permanent home for everything
Store like things together
Break the habit of piler, spreader, and hider
Create a Meeting folder (green)
Create a Waiting on Response folder (red)
Bonus Tip: Keep backup of essentials
80 % of the papers we file, we
never refer to again.
- The Small Business
Administration

15. Organize Your Activities
 65 % of those surveyed, describe themselves as “very”
or “insanely” busy. - Day Runner
 Perfectionism costs 50% more to squeeze out the last
10% of quality. - Jeff Olson, The Agile Manager’s Guide to
Getting Organized

16. Tips to Organize Your Activities
 Determine HABU (highest and best use of your time)
 Don’t multitask (decreases productivity by 20-40%)
 Chunk similar activities
 Done is better than none (Done gets paid)
 Limit email and messaging distractions
 Bonus Tip: Complete dependency tasks first
Typical US workers are
interrupted by communications
technology every 10 minutes.
- Institute for Future and Gallup

17. Organize Your Information
 Employees spend roughly 25% to 35% of their time
looking for the information they need to do their jobs.
- Document Magazine
23% of adults pay bills late with fees because they can’t
find their bills.
- Harris Interactive

18. Tips to Organize Your Information
The Rule of One (1 calendar, 1 device, 1 email)
Keep only what you can’t access elsewhere
Create handy cheat sheets for occasional notes
Purge every 30 days (papers, email, efiles)
Bonus Tip: Make friends with the hoarder

19. Want More Free Time?
Implement systems at work and home
Repeatable process for everything
Technical or non technical, free or paid
Use for Time, Space, Activities, and Information
Go to www.NancyGaines.com/systems
Download 100 systems You Must Have List

20. Closing Thought ….
What would YOU do with an extra hour every day?
40% of adults say they would spend it
with family and friends
- Day Runner Survey

21. Where to Find the Slides
Download at:
http://www.slideshare.net/NancyGainesMBAPMP

22. Connect with Me!
www.NancyGaines.com
Nancy@NancyGaines.com
@NancyLGaines
Linkedin.com/in/NancyGaines
The Nancy Gaines Show on iTunes
(800) 360-8694