Being organized means more than just having an organized space that supports you. It means that your time is organized well too. A well organized space has a place for everything, everything in its easily retrievable place and systems that keep you on point and organized.
The example that I like to use to illustrate what I mean by that is a well organized closet. Think about an empty closet. Within it you have a limited amount of space to place your items. You have at least one rack to fill and shelves as well. Each hanger on the rack can hang a specific item. If it’s overloaded, it’s likely that something is going to fall off of the hanger. Additionally, only a set number of hangers are going to fit on each rack. To better store items and maximize space you might even consider adding boxes or other storage containers which also have limited space.
Organizing time is like organizing space. Each day is a container; a storage unit that has a definite capacity. Just as you have a limited amount of space in your closet, you have a limited number of hours in every day. What are you doing with the items you add to your calendar? Are you randomly jamming them into your day at any available point in time like you might jam items into your closet?
Obviously, this is not the way you want to organize your calendar. You want to strategically place items into specific slots of time just as you would want to place items into your closet in a way that they are easily visible and easily accessible.
When you go to add something to your calendar, stop for a moment and think about where it logically fits. Are you getting ready to place it into a slot that allows you enough time to finish it, or are you getting ready to place it on top of something else simply because you don’t know where to place it or don’t have anywhere else to place it. If your calendar is that jammed, it’s time for a complete overhaul. Make the time to reorganize your calendar like you would reorganize your closet. Look at everything that you have on hand as well as the time that you have available (the space) to get things done. Are there things that you can get rid of or delegate? Are there things that no longer fit? Once you’re done reviewing everything, only place the remaining items on your calendar and organize them just as you would a closet. Additionally, be realistic about the amount of time that things are going to take you to complete. Don’t just shove things into your calendar, place things where they fit. If they don’t fit, find an appropriate place for them. Doing so has you respect your time.