Continuing from last month, after you've organized your environment, then it's time to move on to your WORK HABITS!

Sharpen your axe. Reminds me of a story. There was this woodsman who was hired to cut down trees. He was paid by the tree. So early Monday morning, energized and excited, he cut down 20 trees! The next day, rearing to go, he cut down another 20 trees. Wednesday, he once again rose early and began the process, but this day he cut down only 10 trees. Thursday he cut down 5 trees, and Friday it looked like he was going to cut down 5. What was his problem? Most people in my seminars don't get the right answer. They suggest that all the trees are gone, or the other trees are in his way, or he has lost energy, he is tired, or whatever. Rarely do they guess the real reason- his axe is dull. In order to return to cutting down 20 trees, he must take the time to sharpen his axe. But to sharpen his axe, he must stop his producing and maintain good equipment. The problem is, he says, that he doesn't have time, so he continues to work with a dull axe and continues to cut down only 5 trees a day. Organizing is investing the time on the front end to reap the time on the back end.

Do right things as well as do things right. We are notorious at spending time on the peripheral. We know how to do things right, but spend most of our time majoring on the minors. You've heard the saying, "Efficiency is doing things right, effectiveness is doing right things." It's true.

Know your limitation, by recognizing co-workers' and spouse's strengths. This is a hard one. Many of us, especially women, tend to do it all ourselves. We are like the Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor. She stands with outstretched arms saying "Give me your tired, your poor." We find ourselves doing too much and we do tasks that we are not well equipped to do. Consequently, we don't give the people who are gifted in those areas a chance to operate in their strengths. We end up operating in our weaknesses, and we get burned out.

Develop standards, fences and boundaries. This is another hard one. In order to accomplish more and become better organized, we must become more in control. Developing standards, especially for our schedules, will lend itself to less stress, more control, less confusion, and more time. What do I mean by developing standards or boundaries? Take the example of supper. Most American families have lost the art of having a relaxed supper with the full family. It has disappeared from the American landscape. It is a strong tool to bind and hold families together, yet we have succumbed to soccer, ballet, and whatever, and have relegated family supper to the ash heap. Let's set some boundaries. Let's begin to say enough is enough. Let's take back our families. Let's take back the quiet, peaceful time of gathering around the supper table for food, fun and fellowship. Let's set some guidelines and boundaries and then stick to them.

Be content with your present lifestyle. I have found that one of the reasons it is so hard to get organized is that we are discontent. Our society teaches it, the TV applauds it, our nature revels in it. We are a nation of discontent. The more content you are with your environment and your stuff, the easier it is to get organized. Reject distractions that hinder you from reaching your goals. Again, we are a nation of distractions. We love to have it this way. When we are torn in a million pieces, we cannot concentrate on anything effectively.

The KEY: Being ORGANIZED IN YOUR WORK HABITS means you will be more productive in your workday.