A Structured & Methodical Way to Success
A carefully arranged, spotless desk. A laptop with a logical filing system. An alphabetically organized cabinet. The above all sound like the signs of an organized person, don't they? While they do provide a basis, there is much more to being organized and methodical. These attributes go beyond a person's habits and everyday quirks, they become deeply ingrained, a part of the personality, thinking process and style of work. Small changes in your environment and becoming more organized can help you save time, work with greater speed, and with a clearer mind. However, to truly be structured and methodical, we have to delve deeper.
There are many tools and techniques that can help you become more methodical. Being methodical adds structure and focus while empowering you to manage your time and resources better for the future. But does this mean following a set of rules that work for everyone? Absolutely not. The concept of being ‘methodical’ is fraught with preconceived notions which aren't always true.
While we imagine spotless desks and clutter free desktops, adding structure to your work life should be done in a way that works for you, personally. So the focus should be on finding ways to streamline your work habits and thought processes to save time and energy.
As you contemplate which changes will work for you, here are some guidelines to get you started.
Prioritize – Being in a leadership role translates to an often overwhelming number of commitments, tasks and meetings. Organizing and allotting time in the order of priorities lets you focus on the important matters and give them sufficient attention. This is the time to delegate, evaluate and realign tasks to ensure they stay on track. Remember to review your plan as the day progresses as changes are inevitable.
Seek simplicity – Becoming methodical is a long-term process. To add structure to your work life, do not use complicated tools or methods. Increasing the complexity of the process means that long-term usage becomes difficult and cumbersome. Find ways that work for you and will continue to work for you, even if they seem old-school or technology-dependent to others.
Focus on maintenance – Once you work towards adding structure to your daily life, ensure that it becomes a way of life by periodically cutting out any clutter that may have accumulated. Whether it is a file on your desk or an unresolved tasks, it is best to deal with it as soon as possible to keep things from accumulating. Reevaluate your priorities and change your procedures as time passes to ensure that you make the necessary modifications resulting from changes in your role, technology, etc.
The Next Step
Making these changes is just the first step to becoming methodical and organized. Extend the same logic to the way you approach your tasks and projects. Adding a framework or structure ensures that you start with a macro view of the tasks, identifying requirements and bottlenecks at the beginning. A plan with clear milestones and goals, detailing the process of completion guides you through the steps and keeps you on track. It will save you from constant changes in the scope of work and delay in completion.
Apart from this when you start with a broader perspective and structured approach, it is easier to set realistic expectations and keep the whole team on the same page. Begin with determining the ultimate objective and periodic milestones. Chart your journey as you add requirements and tasks to be completed to reach each milestone and ultimately the overall objective.
Integrating a methodical and structured approach into your life and work is a long-term commitment. While it may seem like a daunting change, gradual steps will help you reach your goal of a more systematic way of functioning. The key is to find out the changes that seem feasible and embracing them with an open mind. The correlation between being methodical and lasting success is undeniable. To be able to revisit and reevaluate past strategies without wasting resources, planning future efforts in an organized, sustainable manner is a strength and a rare key to success. Start with a small change to begin your step-by-step journey to success.