Problems, People, Paper, and Plans
I looked at the calendar this morning. Roughly 6 weeks stand between me and the end of the year. I’m not much for New Year’s Resolutions, but I love the feeling of new beginnings when everything is cleaned up, put away, and ready to rock. On the other hand, I don’t like to make work, especially at holiday time. So this morning, I’m putting together a plan that I’m calling . . .
25 Days to Organize My Life in Time for Holiday Fun
At this time of the year, conflicting goals can intrude on the most uncluttered life. They can stress and overwhelm the calmest soul. Chaos like mine is already out of control.
This year, with that in mind, I’m organizing my life to avoid possible nuclear meltdown. I’ll do something each day to wrap things up so that I totally enjoy the end of the year fun.
I plan to clean up my live AND catch up with my friends as we make the season merry and bright.
I. Problems and Solutions
Day 1: Get help with common problems. I’m going to quit trying to figure out everything on my own. It silly for me to invest time digging up basic answers, when Simple Help has probably already figured most of them out. Simplehelp.net is a site that is both interactive and re-active; if you can’t find the solution to your problem, you can request content and the tutorial will be created for you. If I let other folks share what they know, I can save my time for the problems so unique to my situation that only I have the experience and detail to solve them efficiently. I have a couple that need attending to right away.
Day 2: Ask for help with my blog, too. I’m going to let more people know that I welcome guest posts on my blog. Though my blog can’t offer revenue it doesn’t earn, it’s got visibility and an intelligent, cool audience that’s priceless. AjaxNinja suggested seek out guest writers and I’m doing it today . . .
This is an invitation. . . . If you can submit an appropriate post by Friday morning, I sure could use your help. I’ll be in the UK Dec 1-9, 2007, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to blog while I’m gone. You’ll find my email address and topic ideas on the Guest Writer page.
II. Thousands and 150 Important People
Days 3-8: Update one of my “networks” each day from this group of sites:
MyBlogLog,
StumbleUpon,
Digg,
Facebook,
LinkedIn,
and Propeller.
When I find folks who have common interests, add them to my contacts.
Day 9-14: Review other “social networks” I belong to: Xing, Ning, Spock, Zude, Rapleaf, 8apps, Pownce, BlueChip, Zaadz, and Doostang. Decide which I should stay with and which I will resign from.
Day 15-17: Use MyLifeBrand or social url to incorporate the remaining Social Networks into one global platform. Make this a 15-30 minute part of each day moving forward. Place that block during a time that my mind needs a break from other kinds of work.
Day 19-20: Sort and group my email address book. Email is my most natural social network. Delete entries for folks I don’t recognize or haven’t corresponded with in less than 6 months. Email folks on the 6-month drop list that I want to keep current. Check my email settings. Delete old emails I no longer need need.
Day 21-22: Go through the contacts in my phone in much the same way. Delete those I don’t know and calling those I’ve not spoken to but want to keep on as a contact and part of my life.
III. Paper and Plans
Day 23-24: Clean off my desk and clean out my paper files. Maybe I’d better start doing a little bit of this one every day from day 1 . . . hmmmm.
Day 25:Develop an Editorial Calendar for next month using the form below. Allow for spur-of-the-moment ideas and variations.
Then sit back with a nice glass of my favorite beverage and listen to my favorite tunes. . . .
How would your 25 day plan to organize for some fun work out differently?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
