Getting Organized
In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World" I made the statement "Getting organized is much like exercise and healthy eating. It is something you incorporate into your daily living." Immediately one attendee sighed loudly and blurted out, "I'm doomed!" Many people feel the same way, but based on my own experience with incorporating exercise into my daily life style, I can offer new hope.
I have never enjoyed any kind of physical activity. In fact, it has always been a great source of embarrassment and frustration. I was born with crippled feet and as a child had to wear special (translation: ugly!) shoes. I did not run and play with other children, and when I graduated from college with honors, I had to go back to summer school to complete my physical education requirements about which I had procrastinated for four years because I kept praying I could escape the torture!
In 1994, I heard Dr. Stephen Covey make the statement, "Name one thing that if you did it consistently, it would improve the quality of your life." My response without hesitation (along with hundreds of other attendees!) was "Exercise!" At that moment it became clear to me that until I solved the problem of how to incorporate exercise into my life, I would never have the respect for myself that I needed to accomplish my life's goals. With my 50th birthday just around the corner, and based on my family heritage, the anticipation of living another 50 years, I had to find a solution.
So I turned to what I know -- getting organized. In my experience, there are five essential elements to successful organization: (1) a clear vision, (2) a positive attitude, (3) the right tools, (4) adequate time, and (5) regular maintenance. I became determined to apply these elements to the exercise habit.
My vision was to continually improve my physical condition -- as opposed to comparing myself with someone else's ability. Even the most disorganized person can become better organized if they apply our organizing process, and I was confident that I could apply the same process to exercise!
Up to this point, having the right tool was illusive. I tried a variety of equipment -- some of it very expensive, and none of it consistently successful. A big factor for me was finding something I could do in the privacy of my home -- the thought of paying to go to a health club was outrageous -- I wouldn't exercise in public if someone paid me! Another factor was my extensive travel schedule, which brought up the issue of portability and safety. Then I heard about a program developed by former professional football player Dave Hubbard (www.fit10.com) - one I could do in my own bedroom - or hotel room.
As for finding the time, I was intrigued -- and relieved-- to hear Dave say that I could stay in shape in 10 minutes a day. So much for the excuse of not having enough time to exercise! I committed from that moment forward that I would spend 10 minutes six days a week to exercise. Dave commented that a major part of success was being committed to the 10 minutes - making it a habit, so in the beginning, sometimes all I did was watch the video for 10 minutes! One by one I added the exercises.
And finally, there was the issue of maintenance. With all the other factors in place, there was no excuse for not maintaining the program. It took me nearly a year to overcome my own resistance, but after five years, exercising is now a natural part of my routine. I vary the kind of exercise I do, and actually work out in a public facility weekly with a physical trainer now-- and I have never felt better.
If improving or maintaining your physical body is an issue for you, consider how organizing for exercising can make a difference -- whether you ride a bicycle, pull on ropes, walk on trails, or lift weights with a trainer.
And, by the way, the seminar participant I mentioned at the beginning -- she not only organized her office, but she has learned how to keep it that way! And, she tells me she has lost 30 pounds!
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
Latest News
Business Coalition Opposes Union Organizing Bill Women's Wear Daily - by Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON — Labor groups and the business community are preparing to square off over a bill that would make it easier for workers to ... |
Research and Markets: Community Organizing and Youth Advocacy Is a ... MarketWatch - Community groups examined in this volume advocate for and with youth in a variety of ways: through youth organizing, parent organizing, more traditional ... |
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Launches New Print ... MarketWatch - More aptly titled the Employee "Forced" Choice Act, the legislation will effectively remove secret ballots for workers in union organizing elections and ... |
Moscow Sees No Obstacles in Organizing Supreme State Council of ... istockAnalyst.com (press release), OR - Dec 1 (Interfax) - Russia sees no obstacles in organizing the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in the near future, ... |
Culinary sees opportunity after Station makes its move Las Vegas Sun, NV - Barack Obama, lost the popular vote in Nevada’s presidential caucus this year, the union outlined to membership a series of goals, including organizing ... |
Why Liberals Need Labor: The Upcoming Battle over Labor Law Reform Huffington Post, NY - These numbers show the tremendous power of grass-roots organizing. Nationwide, according to Molyneux, 67 percent of union members of all races -- and 69 ... |
NAG Organizing Agenda Streetsblog, NY - ... areas of the neighborhood that will affect what kind of development can happen in the future. Come prepared to roll up your sleeves and start organizing! |
 PakTribune.com | India to taste its own medicine Pakistan Daily Mail, Pakistan - He is also working for RAW’s cross border operations wing, (19) Vivek Santoshi, resident of Calcutta, wanted for organizing terror attack on some US ... US, India Pressure Pakistan to Cooperate in Mumbai Probe WORLD at 0400 GMT Empathy and fear of fallout in Pakistan |
 National Clothesline | Get ready for union organizing National Clothesline, PA - The cover of this week’s Economist, an international magazine I read every week, has a photograph of President-Elect Obama with the caption: “Great ... |
 Cleveland Leader | Simply Sarah Handy Hold All is Perfect for Organizing Purses Cleveland Leader, OH - Does your significant other just have way too many bags and purses lying around the house? To declutter all that mess simplysarahshaw.com has come up with ... |
Resources
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Organizing Your Youth Soccer Team
Youth soccer coaching book of over 100 drills, and exercises for beginning and experienced youth soccer coaches.
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Becoming a Professional Organizer :: Homepage
BecomingaProfessionalOrganizer.com offers a helpful resource for becoming a professional organizer.
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MP3Must.com : Unlimited Music and Movie Downloads
kazz LITE is related to a software program for trading songs. They system behind kazz LITE aims at solving problems other programs generate like slow search results, failed downloads and limited search results. kazz LITE is distributed, self-Organizing n
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Wedding Planner The Simply Organized Bride Weddings By Deborah
Wedding Planning and Organizing Guide.