Not an organised person? That’s a myth. Feel organised even when you’re not.
Sometimes you have to fake it till you make it, right? I know people hate that phrase but hear me out because this is something I’ve done in every element of my life with great success.
Have I always loved networking. No! I’ve stood outside the rooms afraid to go in, I’ve made excuses to not go and I’ve not booked on events I know I would love because I was too nervous.
Was I naturally confident at standing up in front of people training them? No! I nearly jacked in my entire job after day one!
Did I know what I was doing when I started my VA business? Of course not! I didn’t even know what a VA was 3 months before I started.
Now, I adore networking and have made some awesome connections, I wouldn’t be without it. I naturally would take the lead or volunteer to speak in any situation without any preparation at all and my VA business goes from strength to strength each month.
The only thing I did, I faked it. I acted as the person I wanted to be (the one I am now) and I did this until the confidence came naturally and until I was doing things like they were second nature. You almost don’t notice the change until you reflect back and I encourage you to do this because you feel so chuffed with yourself and if you are feeling a little lost, low or unsure of your progress this reflection can really boost you!
But, today I want to chat to you about how you can feel all the benefits of being organised, even if you’re not an organised person. Those benefits are
⚡Feeling in control
⚡Making decisions with ease
⚡Approaching situations with confidence
⚡Enjoying productive work time.
When you’re not feeling organised you approach your days and tasks on a wing and a prayer never 100% confident what the plan is or what might happen next. You feel embarrassed because you miss appointments and/meetings, you feel unprepared for calls. All of this leads to a lack of drive in your business meaning you don’t propel forwards as you know you could if you were just a bit more organised.
It comes naturally to some people, you know the ones, the friends in the group who always book the flights and make the table reservations, the family member who knows the kids schedule like the back of their hand, the other business woman you met at networking last week who just had it all together. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, not all is lost, this is where you can fake it till you make it. Trick yourself into being organised.
3 things that can help you.
1- Stick to as LITTLE things as possible.
When you’re ‘faking’ it it might be tempting to have a diary for meetings, a journal for planning, an app for meal planning, Alexa lists for food shopping, to do lists on your phone and iPhone reminders for tasks. Streamline as much as you can. The winning formula for me is
Google calendar- that I access through (Artful Agenda to replace my need for pretty stationary) that EVERYTHING goes in. Work, appointments, calls, meetings, reminders for myself, blocking out deep work, cleaning tasks, morning routine, evening routine- you name it, you’ll find it in there. TIP Remember to include any travel time/prep time too.
Trello- I have a few boards now I have the hang of it but just have ONE. ONE board which is where you put everything, my ELLENS WEEK board has work stuff, days of the week with tasks on, home life tasks, shopping lists and then individual lists for anything bigger going on like a work project or a holiday or a DIY need.
That should be all you need, but because I am a pen and paper fan I also have a paper business planner. I don’t use this as a diary for appointments but more as a goals planner for the week so I can make sure I am hitting my actions. I also plan my monthly social media on the calendar pages.
2- Diarise EVERYTHING.
So if you’re putting a holiday in the calendar- go back 3 days and put the passenger locator form in. Go back one week and put PACK in- including a list of what you need. Emptying these tasks from your head and into the diary means you don’t need to worry about getting it on a list or forgetting things. Imagine, for instance, you have a presentation to do. Great move to stick it in the diary but think about prep time, travel time, practice runs, follow ups etc. You now have the full process in your diary and get prompted to do what you need to. This eliminates panic and last minute rushing, making you feel organised when it’s the diary doing the hard work.
3- Act like an organised person.
Keep your handbag clear, your desk tidy and have business cards easy to reach so you’re not fishing through a messy bag or them when you want to share one! Every morning after you brush your teeth, check your calendar and Trello for the day- it’ll soon become as instinctive as brushing your teeth. Each night check the Trello board and if you need to block some time out in the diary for the key tasks. Having things clear and simple will make you appear organised and ‘together’ and you will soon truly start to be just that!
Trust me, it’s time to trick yourself into being organised.
And if there are some tasks you just don’t want to fit into your schedule my team and I are waiting!
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