Tracy shares about the Process of ONE – having one system in place to organize everything in your home or business.
Deal with the one item and put it in the one place that it belongs. Don’t delay that decision, just take that step now (or mark a time on the calendar when you WILL make that decision).
What is it costing you to NOT have one system in place? Have that one big picture, the flow of how things are going to work, to make your business work and make more money.
Everything has a ‘flow’ or a process
For example, dealing with paper (whether it’s mail, invoices, an invitation, notes, documents, etc., there is a ton of paperwork coming into a business or home), paper comes in and you need to figure out where to put it.
There are places where paper is supposed to go – stored permanently, stored temporarily until you need it, dealt with now, and it could just need to be thrown away.
There is a flow to organizing your paper (or anything!). If you’re a data and charts type of person, or these things help you SEE the process, it can look like a flowchart. It flows into the office or home, follows the flowchart into one of the three or four options, and then flows out. If there is a clog or dam, then there is a backup – a huge pile on the desk.
You can listen (by clicking the arrow below) to the interview with Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel DMV with Food Safety University or you can visit the podcast here:
We aren’t born knowing how to organize
This flow or organization can be:
- LEARNED
- DOESN’T NEED TO BE DONE ALONE.
We weren’t born learning to ride a bike. We had someone show us how to ride or we put some time into doing it until we caught on.
That is why I started Organized Life Academy. I saw a need – people not knowing how to get organized – and I wanted to help them.
The skill of organizing starts with what we think.
If we think:
“I’m no good at this.”
“I should be good at this.”
“I might need this later.”
“My boss might be mad if…”
“I shouldn’t be attached to this.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
These thoughts paralyze us with indecision about what to do with the item. Maybe you spent a lot of money on something or your grandmother passed a whole box of items down to you.
What if you thought this instead?
“What if it is possible to develop this skill.”
“I can get help to learn this skill.”
“I don’t know how to do this… YET.”
“I am figuring this out.”
Clutter = delayed decision.
Try it with something small
Pick a task that is small that you can accomplish and then try it.
For example, decide you want to clear off one stack of papers from the table right now.
Follow the simple steps:
SORT
PURGE
ASSIGN HOMES
SET LIMITS
MAINTAIN
You can learn more about these 5 easy steps on this post (watch the 9-minute video).
There is no right or wrong decision.
If you let that old machine that you’re not using sit there and continue to collect dust OR you decide to see if you can sell it.
Neither decision is right. Neither decision is wrong.
Making a decision involves:
- Thinking about the decision you need to make.
- Making the decision to take action.
- Putting the date that you plan to get it done on the calendar.
- Following through at that time.
If you’re struggling with emotionally “letting go” of your stuff, watch this video where I address that.
You can be a successful person (of your home or CEO of your business) and still be learning to be organized along the way.ย
For more about Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel
Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel, CEO ofย Dirigo Food Safety, is a veteran veterinarian turned business coach and food safety strategist. Food Safety University is the place where you get everything you need to start or scale your food business and become HACCP certified.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points is a system that provides the framework for monitoring the total food system, from harvesting to consumption, to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. The system is designed to identify and control potential problems before they occur. Michele offers a free download of the 12 steps of HACCP.
You can also follow Michele on Instagram at @foodsafetyuniversity.
Permission was granted by Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel for the embedded audio for use in this blog post.ย
