I recently had a discussion with a friend about organisation and deadlines. We both
look at distant deadlines as things that don’t need to get started right away.
If you’ve got two months to do it, then that means you don’t have to start yet.
After all, two months is a long way off.
As
someone who works a day job as well as trying to build my writing career in my
free time, it means I usually have deadlines and projects coming at me from all
angles, and the mountain of tasks culminates in the result that I usually want
to take a big nap rather than start, but maybe procrastination isn’t the only
answer. Step in, organisation!
Step One: Stay Calm
I’ve got a bajillion things to do. I don’t know which to start with,
so I do little bits of each and nothing seems to get done. Argh! Okay, take a
breath. There are only a finite number of workable hours in a day. I need to
sleep and eat. I don’t have time to be overwhelmed, so step one is to stay
calm. You have to take it one thing at a time, so don’t concentrate on the
mountain, focus on the first step. Panicking doesn’t make it easier. It just
adds to the stress. Remember: one thing at a time.
Step Two: Absolutely Not
Do you have time to take on anything else? No? Then say that! If
you can’t handle anything else, if you don’t have the time, if it’s too much
then say no. It’s worse to miss a deadline or a goal because you can’t fit it
in than to tell them you can’t do it in the first place. Let them find someone
else. Also, if there’s something you can delegate then pass it on to someone
who has the time, and if you need help, ask. So focused on their own work,
people aren’t always aware that you’re struggling, and if your way of telling
them is ranting or crying, (like me) then it might be better to say it outright.
Step Three: What To-Do
To-do lists, baby. Is there anything better than striking an
accomplishment off your to-do list? Write down everything you need to do,
whether it’s that day, that week, overall, write it down, keep track, and
scratch it off when it’s done. Item number one can be 'Write a to-do list' and
then you've got your first accomplishment right there.
Step Four: Prioritise
What is the most important? What will take the longest? What needs
to be started right away? What has a strict deadline and what is scheduled for
whenever you have the time? Look at your to do list and work out which tasks
need to be done first. We’re taking it one item at a time so figure out what
number one is.
Step Five: Keep a Diary
I’m not asking you to fill in a journal, unless that’s something
you want to do, in which case, go ahead. These diary entries are about
scheduling your time. Whether you record it in your phone, your computer, your
email calendar, or like me, an actual diary. Make sure you’re keeping track of
dates, appointments and deadlines.
Step Six: Setting a Goal
What do you want? Where do you want to reach? How are you going to
get there? Set yourself a goal and then make a plan. Whether it’s a word count
to hit, a date by which to accomplish something, a deadline; whatever you
choose, make it realistic. Make sure it’s achievable. There’s nothing more
disheartening than realising you’re not going to succeed because you were
unrealistic about what you could do.
Step Seven: Organisation not Procrastination
I’m a big fan of being organised. It’s easy to pop along a social
media site or to clean the oven, maybe rearrange your desk, or even write a
blog post about writing; all with the plan of putting off your current WIP. For
example, I am supposed to be tunnelling through a writing slump, but I
scheduled in time to write this blog. As soon as it’s complete, though, I’ll be
back at work. I plan my time using the methods I’ve already described: To-do
lists, diary scheduling, reminders. I track my time. Organisation doesn’t come
naturally to me so it’s something I have to work hard at.
Step Eight: Stay on Top of things
Try not to let yourself get overwhelmed, and don’t use the method
that my friend and I are such fans of: A distant deadline with time to spare.
It only takes falling behind on one thing for it to snowball and soon you’re
sitting under an avalanche of work about to topple on top of you. Get things
done when you can.
These are the tips I use to stay on track, but I want to reiterate
step one. Stay calm. I know it’s easier said than done, and if you’re like me -
prone to anxiety - when things go wrong then someone telling you to stay calm
only makes things worse. The words ‘calm down’ have never made anyone calmer,
but if you can go in with a cool, organised head, then maybe you can beat back
the stress before it gets its talons in.
Happy organising. I hope these tips have helped you, even if in
some small way. Now I’ve got a book to get back to.
