It’s a New Year…Time to Get Rid of the Clutter!

January 08, 2018

Happy 2018!  The start of a new year comes an opportunity to begin again.  Whether you are one who makes resolutions or chooses to ignore the time-honored tradition, January offers us a chance to take stock.  Is there something you want to do differently in 2018?  Do you have a change you would like to make?  Here are a few simple steps to help you make some progress.

Name it.

Identify what it is you would like to change or do differently.   Do you want to be more organized?  Do you want to dedicate more time during the day to strategic work instead of “busy” work?  Or maybe, as my colleague David noted in last week’s blog, you strive to be better about meeting with donors this year? 

Take stock.

Start by taking stock.  Allocate some time to determine what is standing the way of achieving your goal.  My guess is that you are experiencing some sort of “clutter”.    

Perhaps you have…

  • a messy desk or briefcase
  • too many “to-do’s” in your head instead of in writing
  • been preoccupied with a business problem or personal issue
  • a tendency to respond to every email as it lands in your inbox

Move forward.

Whether the clutter is physical, mental or emotional, tackle the clutter.  Perhaps this means allocating a few hours to clean and organize your work space, taking time each day to identify your top 2-3 priorities for the day, addressing that problem or issue that is draining your resources or simply giving yourself permission to only respond to emails at designated times throughout the day, devise and execute a plan to deal with the clutter.  From my personal experience, acknowledging the issue and  a path forward eases the burden.  So get out there and tackle 2018 head-on!