It's time to clear your desktop....

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone.  

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." 

Lin Yutang

I spent an entire morning last week clearing off the top of my desk, including my vertical file caddy filled with files with labels like Action File, Board of Directors' Agenda, Current Projects and others with similar "get-it-done-style" names!


It seems, that in our world of multi-tasking and constant interruptions, it's easy to end up with a stack of files needing attention, a list of phone calls to return, and a "to-do" list with priorities that we actually keep moving to a new list because we are unable to finish them throughout the course of a normal day!


While it seems to be a very good idea to track a "to-do" list, many people spend so much time organizing and tracking their lists, they end up with no time to accomplish the task at hand!


I have to wonder, if something is an "A" priority and it doesn't get checked off the list for days on end, was it ever really deserving of the "A" status?  


A lengthy "to-do" list can be very overwhelming, and wearing on the mind, so take a look at your list and be honest with yourself.  Divide the list into sections, or organize by categories,  then eliminate the unnecessary tasks.


A very good friend of mine once told me her secret of going to bed each night with every task of the day completed.  She had discovered, after being diagnosed with cancer that her priorities looked very different when she held them up to the light of what would be truly important in her world. As a result, she would sit down each night and write down everything she had accomplished that day.  When the list was finished, she would then place a check mark by each finished task.  In her words, "You always remember to do the really important things, and I've learned that going to sleep at night knowing everything on my list is checked off, helps me relax, sleep better and be more rested for what the new day will bring."


So clean off your desk. Delegate when needed. Eliminate if necessary!  


Blessings,


Sharon