THE guiding principle in getting organised, I believe, boils down to three words: Write it down. Write it down anywhere - on a Filofax, a legal pad, a scrap of paper, or the palm of your hand - but get it down in writing.
Writing it down is the first step of any action. It articulates your desire to do something. It is a reminder when you get swamped. It eliminates the excuse that you forgot.
But most important, writing it down is a commitment - a signed contract that gives you the momentum to achieve your immediate goals.
Writing things down is also crucial for fulfilling long-term goals. Goals give you a reason to compete and do more. Without them, you just wander in the woods.
A sports psychologist I know took a company's executives bowling, dividing them into groups to assess their teamwork and competitiveness.
Halfway into the experiment, when the bowlers' competitive spirits were peaking, he lit the lanes in such a way the bowlers could not tell how many pins they knocked down.
