The New Rules for Getting Organized

4. Set a High Standard

We live in an age of plenty. The challenge is to keep all the stuff in our lives to a manageable level. This means actively restricting the flow of new objects into your world, such as mail, email, magazines, newspapers, and things you buy. Before giving anything a space in your world, think about whether it has earned that place-does it add enough value to your life, compared to everything else you already have?

Unfortunately, some of this stuff comes in all by itself without us seeking it out, so you need to actually expend energy to keep it out. It's like bailing an old, leaky boat-you try your best to plug the holes, but there will always be some bailing to do. But the less that comes in, the less you have to deal with.

5. Keep it Moving

Once something enters your life, there will come a time when it needs to move along. (Say goodbye to most of those old CDs.) Some things may not last a day, like that catalogue that gets a quick flip-through while you're watching TV.

To stay on top of it all, you need to make time on a regular basis to go through your stuff and get rid of the items that have become unnecessary. The occasional big purge is helpful, but along the way, get rid of those old things that are lying around taking up space. It may feel like you don't have time to sort through things on a regular basis, but you ultimately don't have time not to, since you will waste more time from the inefficiency that comes from being disorganized. This applies as much to tangible items as it does to digital items like emails, recorded TV shows, etc.

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Showing comments 1 to 10 of 35 | Next | Last

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Reply #34 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 20:11:14

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Looks are part of business. A businessman should never stand out more than his customers. His mannerisms, his clothes, everything about him... Moderation is the key.

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Reply #33 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 20:07:24

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No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded.

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Reply #32 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 20:03:28

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Well done is better than well said.

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Reply #31 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 19:59:34

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Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty... Were it otherwise he would never have been able to find those words.

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Reply #30 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 19:54:56

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The first duty of a leader is to make himself be loved without courting love. To be loved without 'playing up' to anyone - even to himself.

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Reply #29 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 19:54:26

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Depend not on fortune, but on conduct.

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Reply #28 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 19:53:52

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Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.

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Reply #27 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 19:53:00

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Worries go down better with soup than without.

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Reply #26 on : Wed September 01, 2010, 16:44:24

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You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.

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