A question that I’m asked with some regularity is, how do I keep all of the projects and priorities I’m supporting in a given time frame in my head? My answer is that I don’t keep it in my head. In order to keep all the plates spinning, I rely on systems of organization so that I don’t have to rely on memory (because memory is fallible) and aide me in organizing information and tasks over the near, medium, and long terms.
In this post, I’ll dive into the systems I leverage to manager information and tasks, the tools I use to do so, and the principles/framework that guide the evolution of those systems over time.
I make no claims of being a productivity expert. In sharing, I hope readers will gleam ideas for iterating on their own systems.
There exists a polarity between getting organized and getting things done.
<aside> 💡 The right level of organization is that which costs a little bit of time up front and makes subsequent time more effective.
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Too much time spent organizing eats into time that would be better spent actually getting things done. Too little organization, however, and commitments start to be missed, balls get dropped, etc.
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Update 11/30/24: I came across a quote that offers a great definition of success,
You're succeeding at all of this if on any given day and any given time, what's in front of your eyes is what should be in front of your eyes. That's what all of this is about. If an operational distinction is not aiding you in that effort, it's not worth doing.
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So the aim is to be organized enough that I can trust my system.