Total, Relaxed Organization, The Blog

The president of a large organization once related that Frances, his beloved wife, fell down the stairs and lapsed into a coma. He was gravely concerned and took up vigil by her bedside. For about 18 days she lay motionless, not moving a single muscle. He cried, as did the children and grandchildren. Then one day her eyes opened, and he raced to her side. He said, “You’re back. I love you.” She replied, “I love you, too, Tom, but we’re in serious trouble.” He thought, What do you know about trouble, Frances? She said, “I forgot to mail in our fourth-quarter income tax payment.”

If tasks are constantly on your mind or cause stress, your time management system needs adjustment. Tasks weigh on your mind when you aren’t confident that you will be reminded at the right time. In GTD or TRO parlance, that particular task still isn’t collected or processed adequately. What can you do about it?

You don’t need to fear losing things in your lists! A trusted system like GTD helps. However, for completely stress-free thinking, you need correct habits and the added benefits of an approach like Total, Relaxed Organization. When you handle those tasks properly, with appropriate tools, everything will finally be off your mind.

Peace of Mind

A client once asked:

A “mental piranha” weighs on my mind—a bill that’s not due for at least another month (business needs). I have regular “Bill paying” time scheduled and a “Bills” desk tray to hold those items. However, I’m afraid of putting it in the “Bills” tray and still not paying it on time. I’m also afraid I could lose sight of where I put it as I get used to the system with “Bills” tray and a “Deferred” tray. Any suggestions?

Answer: To keep the “mental piranhas” at bay, you have to have absolute confidence that the task won’t slip through the cracks in any way. In your case:

1) You already have Bills time scheduled in your calendar. Good. Make sure it is scheduled with a Reminder.

2) In addition, add a specific task for that special bill in your task list.

3) Fully process that task when you add it, setting a “hard” date for it. (This is a “must-do” date. TRO allows you to do that.)

4) Check the Reminder Alarm box on the task for an advisory reminder on the “must-do” date.

5) In the Notes, jot down where the paperwork was filed.

This keeps all those fears at bay. If all your “Bills” appointments get canceled and you don’t work that item from your lists, the Reminder will still trigger another Bills appointment, or you’ll pay that one bill on that scheduled day. The Notes keep track of which slot holds the paperwork. The task will even show up in your Weekly Reviews, which are under 10 minutes using Total, Relaxed Organization so they are more likely to happen.