Being Organised Vs Winging It
How many times have you heard that you need to be organised to get ahead?! Are you getting Time Management tools advertised to you as you navigate your newsfeeds?! It’s a topic that comes up often in my coaching world! Whether I am being asked to present on it to a group, or if it’s with one of my 121 clients. It’s a BIG topic. In fact if you Google (or Ecosia for the tree lovers) “Time Management tactics” (or tools), there are a number of different suggestions that will come up that will (in theory) enable you to use your time more effectively. The big question is, does it work in practice?
The answer is that it depends on how you are wired!
If you are someone who thrives on being organised, loves lists, spreadsheets, logging things and ticking things off and does this naturally, then employing time management techniques and tactics is definitely good for you. If you aren’t already doing it all already! You probable love the adverts that pop up letting know about the latest software you can put to work. What’s more, you probably struggle to understand why everyone else doesn’t just adopt the same organised approaches that work for you!
If, like the rest of us, that doesn’t come naturally to you, then to look at a vast array of suggestions on how you can be more effective will likely have the opposite result! These organisation strategies and time management tools either become another golden bullet to try, that all your hopes and dreams are then hanging off as you spend time and money putting them into place, only to find a few weeks down the line that you are forgetting to use them at all. OR they are just a source of overwhelm, another thing to add to your already extremely long to-do list (mental or written!) that you might one day get to if the world could just stop for a few hours/days/weeks and let you catch up!
Resonate? Stop for a mo and breathe.
If you’re the first person I described, lucky you – enjoy having a brain that is wired that way, but keep reading as this will help you to know how to support others who aren’t wired in the same way as you.
If you’ve stopped to breathe, good. Keep doing it. 😊 I have plenty of support and advice for you, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Firstly, know that you are okay. That is of fundamental importance. The feeling of overwhelm is connected to a niggling idea that you are not and that is just not true (check out some of my other blogs to explore this topic further). Secondly, if there is something you are trying to achieve, remember your Why. The reason/motivation that you want to do this thing. Make sure it resonates and is authentic – rather than something you are trying to do because you think you should. Once you are all good with that, the final suggestion is that you clarify your direction and make a decision to take one step in that direction every day. That way, as long as you take responsibility for doing one thing, you can’t fail to make progress. You have the freedom to wing it and be creative with the approach that you decide to take.
Winging it has lots of benefits by the way:
- It’s more flexible and relaxed. This feels good emotionally if that is the way you are wired and doesn’t create a sense of urgency and burn out.
- It allows creative solutions, as you are not taking a rigid approach.
- It’s more organic and you can position yourself to welcome ideas from your subconscious mind and to notice opportunities around you.
- If you are a winger, you are also open to bouts of extreme organisations when it suits you to get a task done!
- Along the way, you might just pick up the odd organisation tool that sticks, because it feels right for you.
If you really need to get things done, you can always hire a coach (like me!) to keep you accountable, or outsource/delegate the nitty gritty of what needs to be done. If the thought of winging it gives you the heebie jeebies, that’s okay, but get curious about why that is!
Found this helpful? Check out some of my other blog posts, or get in touch for a free initial exploratory chat!