Setting Priorities and Maximizing Productivity

Women’s Initiative Team 03 2008
www.andrewskurth.com
Setting Priorities and
Maximizing Productivity
Be the Boss of Your To-Do List,
Not the Other Way Around
Miller recounts how, when she was raising children, building
her career and commuting two hours a day, she gave up
regular trips to the gym, picked up fast food for her family two
nights a week, and swapped her in-person classes for CDs she
listened to during her commute—all so that she could do the
other things that were important to her. Miller advises
women to shake off those duties that are robbing their lives of
joy and get to a place “where you’re experiencing life, not
just moving from task to task.”
“It’s a destination worth planning for,” she says. Management
guru Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People,” advises us to “put first things first.” The best
way to figure out what those priorities are, he says, is to ask
ourselves these two questions:
If you’re like most professionals, your daily to-do list
probably looks a little bit like this one, a mixture of the
mundane and the lofty. Closing a billion dollar deal,
followed by calling every bounce house vendor in town
to find one with blue and green dinosaurs for your son’s
birthday party in three weeks. A trip to the vet for your
cat’s annual check-up (where you can’t forget to ask about
that annoying carpet rubbing thing), followed by a
conference call with your client in Brussels.
And if you’re like most of us, you do a lot every day.
The trouble is, our “must-dos” tend to crowd out our
“should-dos,” those little things like taking care of ourselves,
investing in our most important personal relationships,
and “big picture” professional development typically get
postponed until tomorrow, or whenever you can work
them into your schedule.
1. What one thing could you do (that you aren’t doing now)
that if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous
positive difference in your personal life?
“Can you have it all? Of course
you can! Just not every day.
And not in every life stage.”
bring similar results?
Important
Once you’ve figured out what those “positive difference”
activities are, you need to make them a priority over other
less important (albeit sometimes urgent) activities. Covey’s
well-known “Time Management Matrix” lays out daily
activities this way:
URGENT
NOT URGENT
1
2
U
Crisis
UÊMedical
emergencies
UÊPressing problems
UÊDeadline-driven projects
U Last-minute preparations
for scheduled activities
3
Not Important
Then, “whenever you can work them into your schedule”
frequently becomes “never.” So the things that can make
the biggest improvements in our lives—both personal and
professional—frequently are left undone.
“I try very hard to live the motto ‘work to live not live to
work,’ but it is almost always a struggle,” says Partner
Marty Smith. “I’m rushing from one deadline or meeting
to the next, and I’m not always sure I am attending to
the important stuff that I want and need to be doing,
whether it is connecting with clients and colleagues,
having lunch with close friends or just taking time for
myself.” Working the “truly important” into your day is
key, say management consultants. If you don’t schedule
the things you really want to do—and make them a
priority—you’ll probably never get around to them.
Compounding the problem is that most women simply
spread themselves too thin, says Ellen Miller, a technology
executive and proprietor of EllenMiller.com. They try to
do too much, please too many people, and end up shortchanging their health and sanity in the process, she says.
“Can you have it all? Of course you can!” she writes in her
online blog. “Just not every day. And not in every life stage.”
2. What one thing in your business or professional life would
Interruptions, some calls
Some mail & reports
U Some meetings
U Many “pressing” matters
U Many popular activities
Preparation/planning
Prevention
U Values clarification
U Exercise
U Relationship-building
U True recreation/relaxation
Welcome to
Straightline
Welcome to Straightline, the Andrews Kurth
quarterly publication for women, by women.
We will give you the bottom line on women’s
issues, be on the front line for timely substantive
legal topics and serve as the hotline for firm
news. We’ll introduce you to fresh faces at
Andrews Kurth, provide a pipeline of topical
legal updates, and promise to infuse some
fun features, facts and resources along the
way. So join us for what promises to be
Straight Talk on women’s issues. No lawyerspeak. No double talk. Just the most direct
line between you and our women lawyers.
To maximize effectiveness and put your priorities in
action, resolve to spend as much of your time in Quadrant 2
as possible and minimize the time you spend in the other three.
U
U
4
Trivia, busywork
Junk mail
U Some phone messages/email
U Time wasters
U Escape activities
U Viewing mindless TV shows
U
U
U
U
How to do that? Weekly planning is key, say Covey and
David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done: The Art
of Stress-Free Productivity.” Daily planning doesn’t give
enough perspective, and a month is typically too far in
advance. A week is a discrete enough unit of time to allow
for advance planning but still maintain a sense of immediacy.
In order to plan your week, you need a system to collect
and record those things that need to be done, whether
it’s making a dentist appointment or starting a massive
project that requires coordination with team members in
three different countries. To make such a system work,
Allen says, it needs to meet these three criteria:
Continued on page 2
© 2008. Produced by Andrews Kurth’s Women’s Initiative Team. For more information please contact Courtney Culver at 214.659.4689 or courtneyculver@andrewskurth.com
Sidelines:
What’s New
The firm is proud to announce that Donna
Kim and Jong Kim have been elected to the
partnership effective January 1, 2008. The
addition of these talented lawyers to the
partnership will benefit the firm and our clients.
Elizabeth Campbell has been named to the
Executive Women’s Partnership Committee
of the Greater Houston Partnership. The
Committee works with the organization’s
executive team to craft the strategies and policies
that shape Houston’s future. The group is
comprised of more than 70 members from the
region’s leading energy companies, financial
institutions, health care providers, professional
service firms and other corporate entities.
Gail Merel has been asked to serve as a
liaison from DirectWomen to the Harvard
Celebration 55, a Women’s Leadership
Summit to be held at Harvard Law School.
Gail Merel has been asked to serve as a liaison
from DirectWomen to the Harvard Celebration
55, a Women’s Leadership Summit to be held at
Harvard Law School on September 19-21,
2008. She will also serve as moderator/organizer
of the “Leadership Strategies for the Corporate
Board” panel. DirectWomen is an initiative of
the American Bar Association and Catalyst
to assist experienced women attorneys in finding
positions on the boards of directors of public
companies. Gail has been serving as co-chair
on the 2007 Development Committee of
DirectWomen. In addition to her work related
to DirectWomen, Gail was a Co-Chair and
speaker at the third national Working Group
on Legal Opinion Seminar held on October 30,
2007, in New York, where attorneys representing
more than 100 firms and bar association groups
from around the country were in attendance.
The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer
Lawyers Project (VLP) has recognized Lynn
Judell with the prestigious Terri and Nick
Letica Award for Outstanding Support of Pro
Bono work. Lynn received her award during
the group’s 2007 Volunteer Recognition Night
on December 6, 2007. The VLP is the only free
legal services program that operates boroughwide, offering pro bono representation to all
Brooklyn residents, including those who are
not eligible for or who cannot be served by
Legal Aid or Legal Services.
Shae Wilson spoke on “Demonstrative
Evidence and Courtroom Technology—On a
Reasonable Budget” at a University of Houston
course given in Dallas in November 2007.
Ebon Swofford participated in a panel
presentation on “Balancing Your Career
with the Rest of Your Life” at the Texas State
Bar CLE in Houston on October 26, 2007.
Georgia Adams spoke at the National
Business Institute’s seminar “Fundamentals of
Trust Administration” in Houston on December
7, 2007. Georgia spoke on three topics: “The
Laws and Rules Governing Trustees”; “Non-
continued on page 3
Productivity
Continued from page 1
• Every “open loop” (i.e., critical task) must be in your
collection system and out of your head (these are the
thoughts that keep us up at night and can leave us feeling
overwhelmed and out of control);
• You should have as few “collection buckets” as you can get
by with (a notebook you can carry with you combined with,
say, your computer calendar. Ideally, you would have a single
collection bucket);
• You must empty your collection buckets regularly, i.e.,
schedule a time every week to review your projects and
those “positive difference” activities Covey mentions,
and plan your upcoming week accordingly. This weekly
review is key to reducing stress and anxiety over
dropped balls.
When tackling projects, it’s helpful to boil them down to
the simplest, most concrete units, starting with the next
action that needs to be done to get (or keep) the job rolling.
So rather than schedule a time to “figure out PR
campaign,” which feels amorphous, put “call Mark to
schedule meeting to discuss PR campaign.” If, however,
you need to do some prep work before you can call Mark,
put “review PR campaign notes” on your daily to-do list
instead of “call Mark.” Of course, if you don’t know
where your notes are, put “find notes re PR campaign” on
your daily list. You get the picture.
By including only next actions on your to-do list, you’re less
likely to feel intimidated by it and to postpone getting big projects
started. You will need to keep a master list of projects that keeps
track of the various components of big projects, and review that
master list during your weekly planning session.
“It’s crucial to have a central
organization point to store all
your tasks.”
The type of planner you use is up to you. Techies might
opt to use a PDA or the “tasks” feature in Microsoft Outlook
(Michael Linenberger’s “Total Workday Control Using
Microsoft Outlook” is a good guide to maximizing your use of
this practically ubiquitous software), while others might prefer
the pen and paper variety. Either way, it’s crucial to have a
central organization point to store all your tasks, whether
they’re urgent, must-do-today chores or aspirational, I’ll-getto-it-someday tasks. Just as important is a regular weekly
planning session to make sure you’re getting to what you
need to do as well as what you want to do.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that
face us all. But with a little planning and soul-searching, you
can ensure your days are both productive and meaningful.
Incidentally, your son probably doesn’t care what color the
dinosaurs on his bounce house are, but you should definitely
get that carpet rubbing thing your cat does checked out.
Charitable Organization
Dress for Success
Does a closet full of unused clothes make you feel guilty
and crowded, and just throwing them out make you feel even
worse? Have no fear. Do good and de-clutter by giving them
to Dress for Success (DFS)—an organization that helps
disadvantaged women take charge of their lives.
Dress for Success promotes the economic independence
of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a
network of support and the career development tools to help
women thrive in work and in life. Andrews Kurth supports
this mission and consequently has been involved at a Guild
level for over five years.
Founded in New York City in 1997, the international
not-for-profit organization offers services designed to help
its clients find a job and remain employed. Each Dress
for Success client receives one suit when she has a job
interview and can return for a second suit or separates
when she finds work.
Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000
women around the world. Each year the organization
reaches more than 40,000 women in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and
women must have an interview scheduled before receiving
clothing. More than 2,500 organizations throughout the
world send women to Dress for Success for professional apparel
and career development services.
For the fourth year in a row, Dress for Success has been
named a 4-star charity—the highest rating—by Charity
Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities.
This rating indicates that Dress for Success excels in successfully
managing their finances, as compared to other organizations.
Only 5% of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator have
successfully achieved this recognition for four consecutive years.
The Dress for Success annual national suit drive in March
coincides with Women’s History Month. S.O.S. – Send One
Suit – Week® is a great opportunity to share your professional
attire with a woman returning to, or entering the workforce.
You can participate in this effort even if you do not have a
Dress for Success in your community—dressbarn’s 800
stores nationwide serve as drop-off sites and ship the clothing
they receive to affiliates across the country. To date, more
than 99,000 suits have been donated by consumers through
dressbarn during S.O.S. Week. The Style Network is also
a national sponsor of S.O.S. Week.
So clean your closet and your conscience, while helping a
woman return to the workforce.
DFS Clients Represent:
s Single mothers (70%), raising an average of 2-3 children
s All ethnicities and races
s Ages 18-60, with the majority age 18-38
s Women who have lived under the poverty level prior to
receiving Dress for Success’s services
Ways to Support the Cause:
s S.O.S. – SEND ONE SUIT – WEEK, March 30-April 5, 2008
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/supportdfs_SOSweek.aspx
s THIS IS NOT A SCARF. IT'S HOPE, CONFIDENCE, AND SUCCESS.
Women’s scarf (pictured left) - $30 Men’s pocket square - $25
100% of net profits benefit Dress for Success
www.somethingtoshare.org
©2008. Produced by Andrews Kurth’s Women’s Initiative Team. For more information please contact Courtney Culver at 214.659.4689 or courtneyculver@andrewskurth.com
Top of the Line
Everyday Objects to Organize Your Life
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AT WORK
1. ORGANIZE YOUR FAMILY. MomAgenda Mini by
6. ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE. Uten.Silo by Vitra. $360.
MomAgenda. $40. With space enough to keep track of
all the little ones, and Mommy too, the MomAgenda
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Organization never goes out of style. Vitra Design Museum’s
Classic 1969 Uten.Silo turns your clutter into a work of art.
7. ORGANIZE YOUR PAPERS. Clipiola Spiral Paperclips by
2. ORGANIZE YOUR PURSE. Monogrammable Desk Accessories
by horchow.com. $34 – $80. No more digging for stray
business cards, or scribbling notes on a napkin. De-clutter
your life with stylish accessories in fresh spring colors.
3. ORGANIZE YOUR VALUABLES. Valuables.doc from Buttoned
Up. $24.95. Prepare yourself for the unexpected with the
Valuables.doc binder. Everything you need is included in
this kit to record valuables room by room.
4. ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE. Life Organizers by Knock Knock. $21
each. From warranties to birthdays, use the Life Organizer
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5. ORGANIZE YOUR RECYCLABLES. Recycling Bags by Design
Within Reach. $22 for 4. One person uses two pine trees
worth of paper products every year, and recycling cans saves
74% of the energy used to produce them. Use the Design
Within Reach Recycling Bags at the office or in the home
to separate recyclables and make a difference.
Monetary Aspects of Trust Administration”;
and “Keeping the Books—Accounting in
Trust Administration.”
Kathleen Wu’s article “Big Bucks v. Baby Bottles—
Finding Balance in the Legal Business” published
in the October issue of Texas Lawyer was the topic of
a blog entry in Counsel to Counsel titled “One
Partner’s Thoughts On Balancing Motherhood
With Law Firm Life.”
7.
AT HOME
continued from page 2
Elizabeth Campbell has been named to the
Board of Directors of the National Diversity
Council. The Council serves as an informational
and educational resource for corporations seeking
to strengthen their efforts in promoting diversity
and inclusion in the workplace. To further support
the organization and to strengthen our relationships
with the corporate members, Andrews Kurth
hosted a holiday reception for the Texas chapter at
our Houston office on November 29, 2007. Doris
Rodriguez is a member of the board of directors
of the Texas Diversity Council.
6.
3.
Sidelines
Cavallini. $9.50. “Keep it together” in style with 125
Clipiola Spiral Paperclips in a reusable tin.
Laura Trenaman has been selected by The
Foundation for Women’s Resources to participate in
the 2008 Leadership Texas program. Since 1983,
Leadership Texas has been providing valuable
education and training to Texas women leaders who
seek to improve their leadership skills and expand
their knowledge of the diverse issues, dynamics
and cultures that impact the State of Texas. Sylvia
Matthews, Cassie Stinson and Liz Wiley are
graduates of the Leadership Texas program.
The American Law Institute (ALI) recently
announced the election of 47 new members,
including Robin Russell.
Carroll Ray has been selected for a seat on the
University of Houston System’s nine-member
board of regents. She is one of four Houstonians
chosen by Texas Governor Rick Perry to sit on
the board that will assist in the oversight of the
UH System’s $1.1 billion budget. She will serve
through August 31, 2011.
On January 29, 2008, Grace O’ Malley presented
“Ethical Considerations for Wind Development” to
the Wind Energy CLE at the Omni Hotel in Austin.
Andrews Kurth was a sponser of the
National Asian Pacific Bar Association’s
19th annual convention in Las Vegas
8. ORGANIZE YOUR CORDS. Cable Turtle by Cleverline Design
Group. $12. Simply genius, Cable Turtles allow you to
keep up to 36" of cords and cables under control.
9. ORGANIZE YOUR TRIP. “Pack This!” Pad by Knock Knock.
$6.99. Eliminate the pre-trip scramble with the “Pack This!”
Pad. An easy-to-follow checklist prevents you from
forgetting your toothbrush (or even worse, your shoes!).
10. ORGANIZE YOUR DESK. Desk Dots by Terrence Kelleman.
$22. Create desk art with a set of six ceramic magnets while
organizing files, business cards or pictures.
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On November 16 and 17, 2007, Elizabeth
Campbell, Jong Kim, Alison Chen, and
Gogi Malik attended the National Asian Pacific
American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 19th
annual convention in Las Vegas. NAPABA
advocates for the legal needs and interests of
the Asian Pacific American (APA) community
and represents the interests of over 40,000
attorneys and approximately 50 local APA bar
associations, with practice settings ranging from
solo practices to large firms, corporations, legal
services organizations, non profit organizations,
law schools, and governmental agencies. Andrews
Kurth was a sponsor of the event and joined in
recognizing the Asian American Bar Association
of Houston as NAPABA’s Affiliate of the Year.
©2008. Produced by Andrews Kurth’s Women’s Initiative Team. For more information please contact Courtney Culver at 214.659.4689 or courtneyculver@andrewskurth.com
Finding Success by Being
the Authentic You
By Andrews Kurth Partner and Chief Diversity Officer Elizabeth Campbell
We may define our dreams and
goals differently. We may pursue
different paths to achieve the same
goal, especially as professionals,
but there is one common element,
I believe, present in all successful
people, and that is authenticity.
We can spot a phony a mile
away. But when someone relies upon his or her own
genuine character and real strengths to move forward
to a goal, we know it, and even though we may not
embrace the image, we respect the person.
To be sure, authenticity is a characteristic to be valued
in both genders. It is still worth emphasizing that today we
have several public role models of truly authentic women
who demonstrate this point. For example, Newsweek reports:
“[t]here are more female governors in office than ever
before, and they are making their mark with a pragmatic,
post-partisan approach to solving state problems” (October
15, 2007, p. 66). These women receive high marks for, and
in my view, rely on their authentic qualities of “honesty,
cooperation and caring—as well as toughness.” (Id.)
“There is one common element,
I believe, present in all successful
people, and that is authenticity.”
My experience has shown me that women are not
monolithic. We vary in the degree to which we are
“comfortable” advocating what often are considered
women’s issues (e.g., education and healthcare) and
boasting about what generally are perceived as women’s
strengths (e.g., multi-tasking, collaboration, consensus and
team building). A recent Catalyst study found that women
were subjected to the extremes of perceptions, but were
never “just right.” If women leaders act consistent with
gender stereotypes, they are perceived as being “too soft.”
On the other hand, if they behave in a fashion that goes
against gender stereotypes, they are considered “too tough.”
Finding a balance between “too tough” and “too
soft” can be a frustrating and daunting mission, but
relying on your authentic self can lead you to a successful
and rewarding career.
3 Tips for Finding your Authentic Self:
1. IN BUSINESS, “THE BUSINESS” COMES FIRST
No matter how worthy the cause, unless it is a purely
charitable pursuit, organizations are not going to invest
time, money, and effort into an endeavor or a position
that is not related to advancing “the business.”
2. COMBINE A BUSINESS INTEREST WITH YOUR OWN
LEADERSHIP STYLE AND PASSION
I am a lawyer, but have I found even more satisfaction from
leading a human resources team. As an HR executive
and employment law policy leader, I have steered clients
beyond what is merely legal to what is profoundly right.
3. SEARCH FOR THE GREATER GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS
I have found working for the greater good for the business
has led me to the realm of diversity and inclusion strategy,
which finds its beginning, and only its beginning, in equal
opportunity and related compliance matters.
As a leader, I look beyond compliance to that energetic
framework of strategic goals that seek to make organizations
qualitatively better—in their people management and in
the delivery of their products and services to their customers,
clients, stakeholders and communities.
Remaining authentic to yourself and to your work
will lead to a more gratifying and fulfilling experience.
Ultimately, this authenticity will benefit you and
your organization.
Professional Integrity:
Fresh Faces
With much excitement, we welcome the following
lawyers to the Andrews Kurth team:
Alison Chen (Houston), has joined
our Tax section as an Associate.
Her experience includes federal
income taxation of corporations,
partnerships and limited liability
companies. Alison received her
LL.M. from the New York University School of Law
in 2004 and her J.D. from the University of Houston
Law Center in 2003.
Allison Estin (Washington, DC),
has joined our Energy section
as an Associate. Her practice
focuses on energy regulation before
the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission and her clients include
regional transmission organizations and electric utilities.
Allison received her J.D. from the Syracuse University
College of Law in 2002.
Rachel Spears (Houston), has
joined our Tax section as an
Associate. Her practice focuses on
trust and estate matters, including
estate planning, probate and estate
administration. She also advises
clients on related matters involving fiduciary law and
estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
Rachel received her LL.M. from Southern Methodist
University Dedman School of Law in 2005 and her
J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2003.
The Dallas 25th
Anniversary Party
The Dallas office celebrated a big birthday—25 years in Dallas—
with a big party. Over 600 guests joined us for the anniversary
festivities on Friday, February 22, 2008, at The Apartment. A very
How One Woman Stayed True to Herself
special thank you to our Dallas office clients for making our first
25 years so special. We look forward to the next 25 years!
Following the same principles outlined by Ms. Campbell,
Susan West Kurz, co-founder of Dr. Hauschka Skin Care
Line, found success through being her authentic self.
Her Experience:
In 1976 Susan Kurz began importing the Dr. Hauschka
line of skin care products from Germany. With strong beliefs
and good business sense, she grew the company from a small
import business to a $50 million company, growing at an
average rate of 17% a year. Ms. Kurz feels strongly about
sustainability and established the company’s mission: “Heal
the Earth and humanity.” Every action taken by the business
is meant to have a positive, healing effect on the world.
Maintaining Authenticity:
During the 1990s, organic and sustainable products became
increasingly popular, and inevitably, the successful product
line has been under siege for over a decade from cosmetics
giants offering top dollar for the company. As an owner
Ms. Kurz was able to fend them off, but this wouldn’t be
the case forever.
When it came time to retire, Ms. Kurz wanted to ensure the
company’s mission would continue, and this would not be so
if the company were purchased. In order to forfeit ownership
and maintain the ambitious goal of sustainability, Ms.
Kurz entrusted the profitable business to a non profit
holding company, despite guidance from advisors.
The Reward:
By taking a non-traditional business route and listening to
her heart instead of her advisors, Ms. Kurz was able to make
Hauschka as profitable and sustainable as ever. Articles of
incorporation bar the board members from gaining
financially, and there are no owners collecting dividends
so all net profits are reinvested to sustain development of
the company.
Source: Fast Company Magazine, December 2007
600 Travis Suite 4200 Houston, Texas 77002 713.220.4200 Fax: 713.220.4285
www.andrewskurth.com
© 2008.
What to Toss, What to Keep
KEEP IT
TOSS IT
KEEP FOR SEVEN YEARS:
TOSS EACH MONTH:
• W-2 and 1099 forms
• Year-end statements from credit card companies
• Phone and utility bills (if you deduct any portion
for business, have more than one home or have moved
within the past few years)
• Canceled checks and receipts/statements for: annual
mortgage interest and property taxes, deductible
business expenses, child-care bills, out-of-pocket
medical costs, or any other tax-deductible expenses
• ATM receipts, bank deposit slips, and credit card receipts
(after you check them against your statements)
• Sales receipts for minor purchases (unless it has a warranty)
KEEP INDEFINITELY:
• Annual tax returns
• Year-end summaries from financial services companies
• Confirmation slips listing the purchase price of any
investments you own
• Home-improvement records
• Receipts for major purchases
Note: These are only guidelines. Check with your
accountant to ensure these pertain to your finances.
Source: Real Simple Magazine, April 2000
TOSS AFTER ONE YEAR:
• Monthly bank and credit card statements (if you don’t
itemize deductions)
• Monthly/quarterly brokerage and mutual fund statements
• Monthly mortgage statements (if your year-end statement
shows the total amount of interest and property taxes
you’ve paid throughout the year)
• Phone and utility bills (if you don’t have a home office,
use the phone for business calls or anticipate any need
to prove long-term residency)
• Paycheck stubs (after they are reconciled with your
annual W-2 or 1099)
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Book Nook
These books provide a great roadmap for getting more done, both
personally and professionally, and
for organizing your physical space
to ensure productivity.
Total Workday Control Using
Microsoft Outlook: The Eight Best
Practices of Task and E-Mail
Management
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People: Powerful Lessons in
Personal Change
by Stephen R. Covey
Organizing from the Inside Out:
The Foolproof System for
Organizing Your Home, Your
Office and Your Life
by Julie Morgenstern
by Michael Linenberger
Organizing for Dummies
Getting Things Done: The Art
of Stress-Free Productivity
by Eileen Roth and Elizabeth Miles
by David Allen
Team WIT
2008 Co-Chairs:
Howard Ayers
howardayers@andrewskurth.com
Meredith Mouer
meredithmouer@andrewskurth.com
2008 Members:
Melinda Brunger
Elizabeth Campbell
Deborah Grabein
Amy Hancock
Sylvia Matthews
Shemin Proctor
Robin Russell
Marty Smith
Laura Trenaman
Lynne Fischman Uniman
Kendall Wade
Liz Wiley
Kathleen Wu
2008 Advisory Members:
Courtney Culver
Emily Demmeck
© 2008. For more information please contact Courtney Culver at 214.659.4689
On the Clean Scene
Three Steps to a Clutter-Free Life
If you’re like most mere mortals, you have piles on your
desk. Perhaps many piles. Maybe there are more on the
floor next to your desk and others lining the wall. And
the prospect of conquering those piles—or your bulging
file drawers, or whatever it is that’s bugging you—is so
overwhelming and anxiety-inducing that you never
seem to get to it.
If this describes you at all, you’re not alone. You’re so
“not alone” that a cottage industry of professional
organizers is doing quite well these days helping people
like you (okay, us) wrest control over our piles (and our
closets, playrooms, offices, craft rooms and everywhere
else our nation’s growing pile of stuff accumulates).
The good news is that for most people, getting organized
is simply a matter of analysis, strategy and attack. And
the maintenance portion of the program can become
so second nature that going back to your “old ways”
is inconceivable.
“And when you’re in attack mode,
remember the three D’s: distribute,
donate and dump.”
The Three Steps to Any Organization Project
Analyze:
The first step to any organization project, whether it’s
your office, your kitchen or your garage, is not to rush out
to the Container Store, as tempting as that may be, and
purchase hundreds of dollars worth of shelving and nifty
containers. According to Julie Morgenstern, author of
“Organizing from the Inside Out,” the first step is to
analyze your current situation, what’s working and what’s
not, what’s keeping you from tackling it (whether it’s time,
not enough space, or a psychological attachment to too
much stuff), what your “ideal” organized scenario is, and
why you want to make a change.
Strategize:
Once you’ve analyzed the situation, it’s time to plot a
strategy for success. That means creating a plan of
action for the physical transformation of your space,
including a realistic schedule for making it happen. As
with all other priorities, you have to physically make room
in your schedule for organization, whether it’s 15
minutes at the end of your day, three hours several days
in a row, or an entire weekend.
Attack:
Dive in. This is the time to sort through your stacks, donate
what you no longer need but is still usable, trash/recycle
what’s appropriate, file what needs to be filed and generally
find homes for the stuff that’s taking over your life.
As you’re sorting, Eileen Roth, a professional organizer
and author of “Organizing for Dummies,” suggests
having three containers on hand: a “distribute” box to
collect items, files, etc., that belong to somebody else or
that are away from their rightful home; a “donate” box
for appliances, orphaned electronics chargers, and
anything else that somebody could use that is taking up
space in your office and psyche; and a “dump” box,
which is self-explanatory. Keep a bag next to your dump
box for recyclables, like paper, glass, etc.
Now you can go to the Container Store
You’ve sorted and you know what you need to find homes
for—now is the time to find your containers. You may
already have what you need, but if you don’t, you now
have permission to go shopping.
If you’re buying containers to store non-paper items, keep
these two things in mind:
Clear is better, because it allows you to see what’s inside
before you open it. If aesthetics is the bigger concern, feel
free to go with an opaque container, but weigh the cosmetic
appeal against the convenience of clear.
Square is better than round. This is just simple
geometry. When you put two round items next to each
other, you’re losing the use of all the space in the corners.
If you’re trying to maximize your space, go with
square-shaped containers.
Getting Past Obstacles
It all sounds simple, right? If you’re like most people, staring
at their piles or their bulging closets, it sounds about as
simple as finding a needle in a haystack.
The biggest impediment to getting started on any
organization project is getting past feeling overwhelmed.
Roth recommends two tactics to get past feeling besieged
by the task ahead.
Chunk your chores:
Do a single file drawer, one stack of papers, or a single
cabinet. Sometimes just clearing one stack of paper or
culling one drawer is enough to keep you motivated and
give you a sense of accomplishment.
Set your timer:
Allot 15 minutes, or one hour, or however much you think
you can manage, and dedicate yourself to getting started.
Allow 10 minutes at the end so you have time to put away
everything you’ve “de-cluttered.”
Staying Organized
Let’s say you’ve reached a state of at least semi-organization.
How do you maintain this state?
ROTH RECOMMENDS THESE SIX TIPS:
1. Clean up clutter as soon as you create it.
2. Spend 15 minutes at the end of each day putting things
away so tomorrow is a brand new start.
3. If you haven’t used something in a year—whether it’s a
document or a blazer—get rid of it.
4. Schedule your tasks in your calendar, particularly big
projects that need to be handled in chunks.
5. Establish routines, like cleaning out your file cabinets
every six months, or purging your closet once a year.
Again, put it on your calendar.
6. Delegate appropriate chores to colleagues, staff and
family members.
An organized office and home is within your grasp. But as
with anything else, it’s only possible if you make it a priority
and find time for it in your busy schedule. Remember the
three steps: analyze, strategize, attack. And when you’re in
attack mode, remember the three D’s: distribute, donate
and dump.
It’s work, true, but the payoff is a desk you can actually
work on, a closet you can actually use, and ultimately, a
more productive day and a less hectic life.
© 2008. For more information please contact Courtney Culver at 214.659.4689