Time Management, Organization and You (and ME!)

My office is a fright. Some days it looks as though a door blew open in a derecho and a strong wind came in and placed things, large and small, around my desk at random. In library school, they made us read a paper arguing that--research showed this!--that messy people use "unconscious organizational schemas" and that they, when timed, have no more trouble finding things than neat freaks. My life doesn't bear this out, I assure you. Start a timer and ask me to find my cell phone charger. There had better be a darn good battery in that stopwatch.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use some help with organization and time management issues, so here are some links that might help anyone who has to go home three times to get things they forgot before they make it a mile.

Websites

Zen Habits--Zen and organization have become linked in popular consciousness, and this is a website that, from what I've read, really puts things in perspective. Well-written and enjoyable.

Time Management Guide--Links to tips and ideas to help you manage your "time, stress and energy level."

Timemanagement.com--Includes freeware and weekly email ideas.

ADD Coach: Time Management--Even if you DON'T have ADD or ADHD, the coping techniques that folks with ADD use to manage their time and surroundings might be useful.

Books

Using what we librarian-types call a "citation index," these are the three books most commonly cited when people write about getting organized and managing time:

1) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey--Which quadrant do you live your life in? Urgent/Important? Not urgent/Unimportant? Why? This seems to be the Bible, Koran and Bhagavad Gita of getting one's life in order.

2) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen--Jacket blurb: "Overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed." Dibs!

3) Organizing From the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern--Highly recommended, cited frequently.

4) Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy--Seems to be more for the business/government world, but still highly cited.