Since then, I\u2019ve made a 180\u00b0 degree turn \u2014 and realized something profound:
Being disorganized is sh*t, being organized is \u201cthe sh*t.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine for a second what your life would look like. No more stress being late, panic over a lost document, or apologies because you forgot a meeting (again). Instead, you\u2019ll be organized, productive, and have a lot more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, most people disregard a core element of being organized. They spring clean, write fancy to-do lists, and get Marie Kondo<\/em> tattooed on their forehead. But after a few weeks, everything\u2019s back to chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizing isn\u2019t hard. Staying organized is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any system, your life included, is subject to entropy <\/a>\u2014 an always-increasing measurement of disorder. Like cream<\/a> spreads in coffee, the thoughts, things, and people you hold dear spread throughout your space. Meetings fill your calendar, Amazon orders your cabinet, and thoughts your cerebrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why organization isn\u2019t a one-time thing. It all comes back tomorrow. To keep the chaos at bay, you\u2019ll have to cultivate small, sustainable habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What You Can Learn from Beaver Dams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beavers are fascinating. They build dams transforming entire ecosystems, some of them big enough you can see<\/a> them from space. Not bad for a mammal not much larger than<\/a> a rolled-up yoga mat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their dams are sophisticated structures, put together from trees, branches, leaves, stones, and mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building these takes great organization. If they just threw everything into the stream and hoped for the best, they couldn\u2019t even clog a bathtub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, they start with a couple of big trees and build everything around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like beavers, organized people have a solid base they build their days on. They find their unshakable ground in routines and rituals, whether it\u2019s a glass of water and five minutes of stretching in the morning, a short walk at lunchtime, or a bit of reading at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Establish a small, achievable routine and stick to it like clockwork. It will become a solid and reliable structure to build your days on.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ultimate Weapon for Lazy People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n MMA fights are brutal \u2014 and so is the training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contestants harden their shins by rubbing hardwood over them, again and again. It\u2019s painful, but it\u2019s still better than having their leg snap in half like a twig during a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preparation is a key element to being organized. Accumulate resources now and draw on them when shit hits the fan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As Benjamin Franklin said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to rub a broomstick over your shins every night in case a brawl breaks out at the office, but a few small tricks go a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preparation is the ultimate weapon for lazy people in the fight against chaos. It not only saves you time, effort, and stress, but also puts you on top of your shit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If You Fail To Plan, You\u2019re Planning To Fail.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n 2 Simple Rules for an Efficient To-Do List<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Call me a weirdo, but I like trains. They get you from A to B, they\u2019re reliable and more eco-friendly than cars, and in every country but Germany, they\u2019re on time. I\u2019m waiting for a delayed train in a cold and dreary station as I write this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trains are great because they run a specific schedule. You know you\u2019ll arrive at your destination. There\u2019s no risk of taking the wrong highway exit and ending up in Albania instead of Alberta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you want to quickly cover a lot of ground, you can\u2019t stop at every small village or wait for delayed passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organized people are like trains \u2014 their to-do list is their schedule and nothing gets them off track.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, most people do to-do lists wrong. They write random tasks on a note and tick them off one by one. They get things done, but they don\u2019t make progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are two quick tips to turn your to-do list into an efficient operating schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use Electronic Help<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever since the invention of the wheel in 3,500 B.C., humans have used technology to make their lives easier. The steam engine in 1698<\/a>, the household fridge in 1913<\/a>, and the massage chair in 1954<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, smartphones can take a ton of liability and cognitive stress off your brain.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I use alarms for all my recurring tasks. I\u2019ve got one to turn off my internet at night, another one for my weekly review session, and a few to check in with my accountability partners. Don\u2019t stress your brain trying to not forget. Just wait for the ring ring.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the biggest electronic game changer I\u2019ve encountered is Evernote.<\/em> To say it\u2019s a note-taking app would be an extreme understatement. From archiving documents and photos over automatically sending meeting notes as emails to tracking your habits, there are very few things Evernote can\u2019t do. They\u2019ve even got a bunch of templates<\/a> to use free of charge, whether for meetings, project management, or creative writing. Today, I use it as my go-to note-taking and organization tool and it has saved me a ton of headaches and frantic searches for lost notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/the.coach\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/giphy-2.gif\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/the.coach\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2021-11-02__152204.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n