The New Year usually entices people into talk of "getting more organized," but then the ox gets out of the barn and your crops get too much rain, and so you just put the organizational goals on hold until later, until next year's resolutions.

I'm here to tell you that it is possible to get organized and to do it in a way that works for you.  Getting Things Done by David Allen provides a perspective that works for a variety of personalities.  I'm a believer in the truth of his title, although the promise in his sub-title may be overstated - getting organized may itself be stressful; once you have the system up and running, it can definitely reduce your stress.

Here are my summary points combining insights from David Allen with my experience and a few thoughts from other sources I've read through the years. 

1. You're not going to change who you are fundamentally - you need to make who you are work for you.
2. Clean out your work area regularly (no less than once each month).
3. Close open loops in your head by putting items on paper or into an organizational system.  Whatever you do, don't try to track items by memory.
4. Always think in terms of next actions and categorize items accordingly (e.g., calls, e-mails, errands, proposals, etc.).  Include a category "Waiting for" in which you put delegated items or items requiring a response from someone else.  Don't categorize by person, event, or other non-action categories that make you revisit items repeatedly - always having to ask yourself: "Now, what was I going to do about this?"
5. Have a single informational filing system arranged alphabetically - keep as much or little as you find necessary, but file it.  You may need separate filing system for clients or financials, for example.
6. Consider having only the following three e-mail folders rather than a complex hierarchy of mail folders: a) "Inbox" - to be dealt with soon and currently arriving mail items, b) "Waiting for" - items you have sent to which you are waiting for a response, and c) "To be archived" - all other items.  Use your e-mail program's search feature to find items in these three folders as needed.
7. Only put dates on tasks with actual deadlines.  That way you won't lose items that actually must be accomplished today among all the things you wish you would get done today.
8. Follow the two-minute rule - if you can handle something in two minutes or less, do it now (there are obvious exceptions to this and you must avoid falling into the trap of tyranny of the urgent).
9. Develop the habit of reviewing your task list, e-mails, in/out basket daily or weekly.  Consider having a task that repeats every Monday that prompts you to review your calendar, tasks, and "waiting for" items for that week.

I'm here to help you clean and organize your stall in 2011.  You can do it - you just need some help and encouragement.

(Click here for a link to the book on Amazon.)