Learning how to organize effectively in 3 Easy Steps

One of the most important determinations of success is the ability to organize effectively. Two people can have ten equal chores but the one who is the most organized will complete these chores in a shorter time. The success of any team is based on how well organized they are and every coach takes the time to try and instill the discipline of an organized system.
In order to be well organized there are a few things that one must be aware of

1. Always start with the goal in mind

What + why = (how, when, who)
Know what you want to do and why you need to do it. Asking yourself what and why can better prepare you to know the following
• How should it be done
• Who should do it
• When should it be done
These questions will point to a question on resources, a bit of self-introspection will guide you in terms of being organized enough to do what needs to be done. Organization is about having the right resources at the right place, with the right person, at the right time such that whatever it is can be achieved.

Also read Five Reasons People Are Always Late

2. Always ensure your resources are in place

Disorganization starts when the resources are not in place or adequate. So imagine trying to bake a cake but not having the flour at that time such that you now need to go look for it; already you lose valuable time if you had a deadline. A team that wants to win a soccer match needs to have all the right players for the different positions that are required. You can have a goalkeeper but if the goalkeeper is not the right resource in terms of adequacy then though the numbers seem enough in a team of eleven, the organization will prove to be the team’s downfall.
Time is always lost when there are not enough right resources on the ground. The quality of which can be the determination of who wins and who loses. Inefficiency occurs when a person is not prepared for the job activity that they need to do.

3. Work with time as your primary target

In the absence of time then organization does not need to be effective or efficient. Think of a journey that needs to be done. If there is no deadline or time target then that journey does not need to be organized it can happen in any way that it can. You can buy the ticket at any point, you can prepare in whichever way you need to.

If time is the target then the order of preparation or execution of your activities is very important. Order is about putting things in the right place at the right time. Things can be at the place but if they are not there at the right time then the race is not won.

Think of a relay team with four people for a 400 metre race. Each member of the team is only allowed to run 100 meters, not less or more. Each person must pass the baton to the next person who then runs 100 metres. If one of the persons is not there at the right time the baton is never passed. So let us say of the four people the third person is not in place. Assuming that their target is to run the race in 50 seconds, the first person runs in 12 seconds and passes the baton to the next person who then does their 100 metres in 11 seconds and gets to the spot where the third person is supposed to be but is not there. The third person is still on the side putting their shoes on and takes another 15 seconds. On finishing putting their shoes on they then go to their spot, meaning they are now there at the right place but its not the right time because the right time was 15 seconds ago. The third person then runs another 12 seconds and passes the baton to the last person who then runs the last 100 metres in 10 seconds. All in all the race took (12+11+15+12+10)=60 seconds. Now if the third person had been at the right place at the right time the race would have taken 45 seconds and they would have met their target.

This is the same thing in life, where most people run their race in an efficient way but do it at the wrong time. So the third person ran the race in the expected time of 12 seconds but in the overall organization of things by the time the third person got to the fourth person the time was exactly 50 seconds at that moment the 50 second had been met but was met at the wrong place at the wrong time. When the third person reached the fourth person the time consumed was (12+11+15+12)=50 seconds hence their effort was late.

Anyone can learn to be organized in these simple 3 steps; it just takes decision making and commitment.