By Aleigh Acerni
Assistant Editor

For the past few months, I’ve written this column sporadically at best. And it’s not because I don’t enjoy writing it.

It’s just that, to be honest, I haven’t had the time.

I definitely worked my fair share of overtime hours in 2004, something I’m looking to change in 2005, and not purely for my own work/life enjoyment.

This goal was generated about three weeks ago, when I received a flyer in the mail from a colleague, advertising a publication that promises to teach you how to get organized.

“Don’t just survive—thrive!” it says. “Organized executives don’t measure success by the hours spent working. Success today is the time you spend doing what you want.”

In effect, the flyer says, becoming more organized will make you more productive, allowing you to spend more time outside of work while still being a successful businessperson.

The flyer was accompanied by a sticky note reading, “Try this. It’s really good!”

I was not amused. But then I read the ad. Apparently, Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Vice Chairman Lucy Fisher’s four-day work schedule lets her “dedicate Fridays to her family.”

And Telecommunications mogul John Malone works only five hours a day, and he has time to drive home for lunch.

Not to mention, Mattel’s CEO and president, Jill Barad, “ritualistically watches ‘ER’ and ‘The X-Files’ with her husband and sons.”

Wow, I’m lucky if I can catch David Letterman.

For me, and probably most of you, deadlines and due dates are an everyday stressor. Weekend days and long hours just come naturally. You work regular hours and then some. So yes, it can be difficult to properly manage your time; especially when at any given moment you’re anticipating return phone calls from no less than nine people, all for different reasons.

Here are some tips I’ve picked up over the years through conversations with some very organized people. After all, it’s still the start of a new year, and everyone likes to start off (or attempt to start off) on the right foot.

Make prioritized to-do lists. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the ever-increasing piles on your desk, take heart. Making a list of to-dos will force you to focus on one task at a time, whether it’s checking your e-mail or returning those phone calls. Working on one task at a time will keep you from feeling like you’re juggling several tasks at once, and instead of getting a little bit done on several different projects, you’ll have a sense of accomplishment by getting a few projects completely finished. Plus, there’s always great satisfaction in crossing things off the list. Just make sure you don’t leave all of the difficult and involved tasks to the end. I organize my to-do lists with the most time-sensitive tasks at the top.

Establish a routine. Whether it’s as simple as always checking your e-mail first thing in the morning or starting your day with a newspaper, routines help you stay productive and organized. You’ll be able to ease into your workday without a frantic pace, and you’ll be more relaxed and feel more capable of handling the interruptions that inevitably occur.

Minimize interruptions. When you’re working on a really difficult project and need the utmost concentration, put your phone on “do not disturb,” and ignore that flashing “new e-mail!” box on your computer. Every phone call that interrupts your train of thought and workflow makes it that much more difficult to remember exactly what you were doing, and at what point you were doing it, before the phone rang.

Learn how to say “no.” It may seem like always saying “yes” will get you places, but if you don’t learn to decline extra work when you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’ll never get to drive home for lunch or have a four-day workweek. You must be able to recognize the projects and assignments that are worth the extra work and decline (or offer to collaborate) on others.

Establishing good organizational and time management behaviors can be difficult. Try initiating one new good behavior a week—you’ll see a major difference in a short time. Instead of feeling like you’re always treading water, you’ll start to feel more in control, and as a result, you’ll be more relaxed and better able to enjoy that time off.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to work. I have some phone calls to return.

Aleigh Acerni is assistant editor of the Business Journal. E-mail her at aacerni@crbj.com.

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