How to organize your Outlook life?

There are many methods available in organizing your Outlook file. You can buy books about it, or go search online for any newsletter, or attend a training class (Productivity Pro for example), but I'm going to share with you what I have learned so far.

Many people think that they already have an organized-lifestyle. But take a minute or two right now and look at your bedroom at home, or your desk at work, or your kitchen, the lists can go on forever.

Maybe the first thing that will come up in your mind is, "Oh, it's a little bit messy, but I'll clean it later on." or "Well, person so-and-so suppose to clean that."

A lot of people think that desk, kitchen, bedroom or bathroom in their houses don't belong to them. Young people says that it's their parents. Parents say that they have assigned it to their children. So, where does this end? No one seems to take ownership. But, guess what, anything that you encounter on your everyday waking life is a part of you. It is yours!

Maybe, you're still not convinced yet.

What about life? Is this something that a lot of people don't take ownership on? It is true for some people. They feel that their life are hopeless; everything seems to go wrong; spouses don't love them the same way; work gives them too much headache. You understand my point. And what are some of the solutions they came up with. Drugs, Someone's spouse, Alcohol, Gambling, Television, Fighting, all can be summed up in two words"Running Away."

Who will take care of your life, if it's not Yourself. Will You?

Now, as we have decided just a minute ago to start taking care of ourselves and things that we encounter everyday, let's see what we can do.

At my job, I organize my Outlook file by Week, Month, Quarter, and Year. These folders are set aside under my Inbox. As I begin to get emails, I started to make decisions: whether the email is job-related related or just a junk mail (unrelated to your job). If I think it is related, then I drag it to my "Week 1" folder a subfolder of "Week", if it is not, then I leave it on my Inbox. So, next time I need to find an email I just go to the corresponding week which would take lesser time to search than my inbox. Now, they have what's called "Google Desktop Search" which could help a lot if you don't remember which week, your email is in.

All emails within that week should go to that week's folder. All next week emails should go to the subsequent week folder. I made 6 "Week" folders just in case there are six weeks in a month. At the beginning of next month, I just drag all emails I received last month to the corresponding month folder. For example, this past month is October, then I would just drag every emails in all my "Week" folder to "October" folder.

Now, my "Week" folder should be clean slate ready for November emails.

Then, you can just drag all four months worth of emails to a "Quarter" folder and to "Year" after the year is over. You can choose not to create the "Quarter" folder if you don't want to.

Ok, we're done about email. Now, let's see if we can apply this elsewhere.

Let's take kitchen as our example. In my apartment, I usually do the cleaning and my brother does the cooking. (It's just a different talent that God has given us :) and we are very content on our job)

That's what we do weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, I guess until he gets married and move to his own place. (He has to get marry first, since he's older :) )

However, there are days, where my brother had to come home very late at night. Does this mean, that I can't eat? Or, from my brother's example, if I went to a retreat for 3 days, does that mean no one is going to clean the dishes?

I guess my point here is that it's better to deal with what you have in front of you right then and there. And if you can't seem to do everything at the same time, create your own assistant. For example, the Outlook example mentioned earlier, or taking notes down and cross it out as you complete the tasks or copy it to the next note paper if you didn't finish it and add on the lists.

It sounds like the topic "Procrastinating" doesn't it? But, that's just a part of the bigger picture I will try to convey in a just a paragraph away.

Ok, now here we are, knowing that we need to take "ownership" and to be on top of our "responsibility". What is left is "expanding your ownership and responsibility."

"Email" and "Kitchen" is just two examples of things that we see everyday. What about your garden, your friends or neighbors, your cars? (Please don't say to your neighbor that you own them :) )

But before we can expand our ownership and responsibility, we have to know what we own and have to do at present.

Let me give you a simple illustration. If you live in America, you have to pay taxes. What if someone who came to America from a country who do get tribute from its citizen, does that person need to pay taxes once he become a citizen of America? Some people choose to own what they think or wish they own, like their rights in their old countries.

Let me ask you another question: do you "own" your brother, parents, or children if you have?

If you remember I said earlier that a lot of people do not take ownership of their life. Part of this "denial" or "irresponsibilities" can be attributed to their own decisions, while the other part goes to other people's decisions.

Draw a picture for yourself a group of people making decisions. Little circle represents each individuals. Then enclose three or four small circles with one large circle. Then enclose three or four big circles with one "venti" circle. (Coffee drinkers should know this term:) )

Take a few minutes to see the connection between this and the "Outlook" example. (Hint:Week, Month, Quarter, Year)

After that look at the "Kitchen" example (Hint:I wash dishes, my brother cooks)

I can see promotion knocking at your door once you understand and apply these two examples in your life :)

Let me ask you a question. Can you say,"No" to your boss at work. In other words, can you choose not to do the work your boss asked you without getting fired? (Or the company filing "Chapter 11" bankrucptcy for that matter) Read on and you will understand what I mean.

We have a job description at work, which gives us the "eye" to see what kind of things we have to look out for, to take ownership, or to do. That is why at work, we can know what emails to delete, which one to drag to "Week" folder, which one needs us to act upon, etc.

That is why we can't say, "No" to our boss, because he has given us our job description. We can say, "We don't understand" though, but after a while, your boss expects you to catch on.

As you can see, your "Eyes" will get used to your work. They will catch on things quickly. And if ceteris paribus - everything stays constant on an upward trend (no downsizing, economic crisis), most likely, your boss will promote you and give you a different set of "eye" to look after bigger things.

This is what I meant by "expanding your ownership and responsibility."

Well, what about our family, friends, or neighbors that don't clean up their junk emails. It is as a company losing profit as to a community losing its harmonious estate.

But this is not about telling people to clean up after themselves. It is about expanding our ownerships and responsibilities. It is about caring for things that people have left behind themselves, while constantly and gently reminding them that they have forgotten their belongings.

What can you say? Well, you can first say to them, "You know what, we are living under the same sky, it is yours and mine."

Or the next time around you can also say to them, "You know what, you told me last week that nobody loves you. I'd like to tell you that I care about you."

Or during a time of gathering, you invited him or her to dinner, and you can say to them, "You know what, you have amazing life ahead of you. It's not to late to start deleting your junk emails. Forget about what happened in the past it's all in the archive folders. You can start opening your email and then do the job well done. I know that sometimes you will say that you don't know how to do them, but that's why I am here for. Guess what, you are not fired yet, you are still alive. Let's work on it together."

To sum up: the answer to the question, "How to organize your Outlook life?" Are these: First, take "ownership". Claim your email, whether it's a junk email, whether it goes to Week1 or Week 2 folders. Second, be on top of your "responsibility". If I can do the job today, I'll do it, so that I can check it off. Third, "expand" your ownership and responsibility. This one translates to do the first, and second general rule of thumb consistently, then it will automatically come into place.

Make your decision! You can do it right now. Start deleting your junk emails, clean up your kitchen, do your homework.