Overwhelmed? Try the Red Zone Tactic

Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember them from school: the ones who always had well-organized pencil cases equipped with erasers, sharpeners, pens, scissors and glue-sticks (probably in duplicate). Their hair was always neatly done; their clothes ironed and bearing a full complement of buttons.

Grown up and in the work force, The Organized Ones highlight the deficiencies of the rest of us. They have neat desks. They have coordinated diaries, Palm Pilots and computers. Worst of all, they have to-do lists that actually end up with all the little boxes checked. I may have been born a Virgo, but I was not born organized. My life seems to have been a constant battle with missing buttons, uncooperative kids, piles of paperwork, and endless lists.

Ah, lists. Now we're getting to the bottom of things. I've bought and read books about getting organized, but none of the advice works for more than 48 hours. I know all about making a list of things you need to do and ranking them A, B or C. I know you have to do the A things first. I know it helps to do the small tasks first (do them in five minutes, cross them off, and hey! you bask in a sweet glow of accomplishment.)

Then you have the "Do the hardest thing first" advocates. Tackle the biggest task while you're fresh, they say. It's so much easier. But what if it takes 2 days to do the 'big task' - and meanwhile, the other 37 tasks awaiting attention loom ever more ominously?

Two weeks ago, the crunch came. I was swimming my early morning laps and mentally scrolling through all the tasks I had to do that day. Then I thought about the projects that had to be done the next day.... then the projects that were coming up Real Soon Now.

It wasn't long before I concluded that I needed at least 36 hours in every day (for the next six weeks) to get through the pile. And that's forgetting about sleeping and eating.

It seemed like a tempting option to just sink to the bottom of the pool and stay there. Let someone else run the business. ;-)

Nope. There had to be a way. I turned and swam another lap. There had to be a method of turning my piles of paper, my endless, unfinished to-do lists and my looming deadlines into a workable system.

That's when I came up with The Red Zone.

The Red Zone System

The Red Zone system is dead simple. It's based on the to-do lists and the organizers we all know so well. But it's tactile. It's in-your-face. And because it's stuck to the wall, I can't lose it.

This is what I did.

I drove to K-Mart and bought:

  • A large cork noticeboard.

  • A box of square notelets.

  • A packet of push pins. I divided the noticeboard into three sections and painted one-third red, one-third yellow and one-third blue. Red Zone means "Urgent. Needs attention ASAP."

    Yellow Zone means "Start work on these. Will need to move to Red Zone soon."

    Blue Zone means: "Think about these. Be ready to move to Yellow." Feel free to choose your own colours. I already had paint - you may have to add that to your shopping list.

    Then I hung the noticeboard on the wall right near my computer.

    I sat at my desk and (one per notelet) wrote down all the tasks, projects, and deadlines I had pending. Some were urgent. Some needed to be done soon. Some were due in a week... some in two weeks... some were not due for a month but needed thinking about now.

    I divided the notelets into three piles, then started pinning them up on the noticeboard. Red Zone filled up pretty fast. Yellow wasn't far behind. Blue Zone actually had some space.

    I phoned people and emailed contacts to let them know that I needed two full weeks to clear the decks. If they needed information, they could contact Rob, my husband and business partner.

    I looked at the Red Zone notes, picked the one that absolutely couldn't wait, and started work.

    Has it worked? Well, I'm ten days into my new system. So far, yes, it's working. Better than the endless to-do lists that got lost in the paper storm on my desk... this is on the wall and immediately visible. Better than electronic organizers (for me - I'm the hands-on type, obviously).

    I've removed a dozen or so 'urgent' notes from the Red Zone tossed them into the wastepaper bin - mission accomplished! I've moved others from the Yellow Zone over to Red, and one from Blue to Yellow. I've even had people look at the board and offer to take over a task - things I would never have thought of delegating. Another notelet gone!

    I'm getting back some control.

    Best of all, I can see how this system would work for anything. Household organization. Family budgets. Writers' deadlines. Craft projects. Business tasks... and a whole lot more. I've got my life back!

    (c) Copyright Marg McAlister

    Marg McAlister has run a successful home-based business for the past 12 years. For the past four years this has gradually moved to being totally internet-based. Marg has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/ and get tips and advice for online business at http://www.writing-for-success-online.com

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Stress Management: 10 Universal Laws to Get and Stay Organized

    1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More

    Your Organizing DNA

    Do you like storing your papers on top of your... Read More

    Can You Make a ?Torpedo? Out of Personal Junk? How to Optimize What You Have

    "Junkyard Wars," a TV series showed two teams of experts... Read More

    Organize (and Decorate) Your Home on a Budget with Baskets

    What's an item that can help you organize every room... Read More

    Clear Your Clutter and Free Your Life

    Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make... Read More

    Declutter for Sucess

    Finish each day and be done with it. You have... Read More

    Getting Things Done: A Guide To Next-Action Lists

    Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by... Read More

    Ending The Morning Madness

    Back-to-school time ? what does that mean to you? For... Read More

    10 Simple Steps to a More Organized Household

    1. Divide big jobs into smaller jobs. Make a list... Read More

    Essential Tips for the Kitchen

    * Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped... Read More

    Too Many Unfinished Projects? 7 Time Management Strategies to Move Stalled Projects to Finish Line

    Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More

    The Psychology of Being Organized

    Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More

    Without a Plan, You?re Doomed to Failure

    "My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More

    Change the Way You Think and Change Your Life

    Dennis is working as a factory worker during the day... Read More

    It?s Spring Cleaning Time? Let?s Make Room For Abundance!

    I gathered some things you can do this spring while... Read More

    Organize Your Desk ? Live Longer!

    It may seem far-fetched, but by organizing your desk, your... Read More

    Is Your To Do List The Problem?

    You start each week with great intentions. You are determined... Read More

    The Balance of Balance

    Life is about maintaining a balance of all aspects. At... Read More

    Organisation - Getting Back To Basics

    If you look at any major organisation, there is this... Read More

    After the Clutter: 5 Steps to a New Daily Routine

    I've noticed that in the two years since the major... Read More

    10 Myths of Clutter Clearing

    1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More

    Organizing - Time is of the Essence!

    What does "time" have to do with getting organized? Everything!... Read More

    Clutter Clearing Tips that Work

    Coping with clutter is rarely easy. There's more involved than... Read More

    The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Organizing Your Kids Rooms

    1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More

    Time for a Clean Out

    Time has flown. It's been six months since you came... Read More

    Compartmentalize

    The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More

    5 Tips to Banish Clutter From Your Life For Good

    Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More

    Clutter Campaign - Select Your Tools

    Have nothing in your houses that you do not know... Read More

    9 Simple Strategies for Home Organization

    Home organization means being able to find your stuff when... Read More

    Letting Go Of Your Excuses

    At this point, you have probably run across some belongings... Read More

    Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards to Organize Your Life

    Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards... Read More

    Life Lessons - Get What You Want; A Lesson from a Green Sea Turtle!

    Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of... Read More

    Managing Mealtime Madness

    It is 5:00 pm and Cindy has no idea what... Read More