I’m writing this as I have just completed my daily routine to start my day. Now when I say daily, I mean the days when I work from home and I’m in my home office. On the days when I am out to a customer site, or even working from the actual RBC office, I have no chance of doing this as I normally bombarded or working to a set agenda. I’m talking about the days when I should be my most productive and have full control of what happens.
So, why do I often on these exact days, get to the end of the day and think…. where has my time gone?! I’m never lazy and never not working so why can, on occasion, time control me?
Now, as the ambitious woman I am, I always have great plans for my time when working from home. On average I work for 10 hours and other than the pre-planned Teams meetings I normally have free reign to plan my day.
So here is my question; to create control, or what I feel like control is, are my organisational habits good practice, or do I have OCDs.
My wife came into my office today as I was counting my emails and making a 5-bar chart and said, “Oh you are doing your thing again”. Is my thing weird? Or does she mean “Hey look how you are organising yourself to motivate yourself”. Doesn’t everyone start their day creating purpose and control?
- Today I started at 8am and went straight into my normal routine. First, I cleansed all of my email boxes - I have 5. You may think 5 is a lot, or maybe think I’m a bit dodgy…am I pretending to be 5 people? The answer is no. I simply like all my emails in one place so that I can react to personal as quickly as work. I mean, a Vinted “sold” notification is as important to me as a new lead. I am money and task obsessed remember!
- Cleansing an email box to me isn’t just about the inbox, oh no its about clearing the archive, which I am always shocked at how many emails come in after 7pm! Its then about the junk as it drives me mad when people don’t clear their junk. Its then the inbox where all rubbish is deleted and the “to do’s” go onto a post it…. I will come to that shortly. Finally, I clear the unread from the deleted as I may need things read. The end results it two things. A fully cleared inbox, with all “to do’s” organised in email folders awaiting action and a written post it with the “urgents” placed on my desk so I can’t get distracted or forget to do them. Oh, and my 5-bar gate sheet as I like to work on emails in 5…. again, is this an OCD or good concentration?!
- I then move onto my desk top as I download things which are needed or I start work and don’t finish it. That gets cleansed and, yes you guessed it, all outstanding added to my “to Do” post its. Cue all of the IT “cloud” people getting angry. Nothing wrong with a written list in my opinion as its good for my mind when I cross them off. The sense of achievement is a motivator for me.
- Finally, I go to my WhatsApp as that is now busier than my emails. I work through that and write “To Do’s” so I can call people back.
- The end result… today is 143 outstanding emails, 91 things on my big “to do” list and 26 “urgent to do’s” on my post it...don’t avoid me notes.
So, after reading this, if indeed you did get to the end, do you think I’m mad, super organised or have OCDs linked to control? Honestly, I would say it’s a mixture of all 3. The key thing about this routine is it makes me feel like I am in control and for me that’s important. I have loads of projects ongoing, a big sale deal close to completion and all the normal, marketing, sales and day to day tasks that come with running a business. I suppose some could call it plate spinning but I believe its productivity. I’ve always been self-motivated and competitive and the biggest element of this is challenging myself. I believe a big part of happiness is fulfilment and this is how I get mine.
I may be surrounded by post it notes, but my inbox is empty, I know what’s urgent, I will get satisfaction with each thing I cross of my list and at the end of the day I will be able to identify what I achieved.
I’ve mentored many a senior leader in my time so if you’re sitting at your desk and need self-motivation, I’m only a message, call or email away.
