Organizational disorganization.

warning: this is a rant.

I don’t pretend to be the most organized person on the planet. The techniques I use have developed over the years as a result of wasted time and energy and an overall dislike for inefficiency. I’m often impatient, and that quality helped me become a more detail-oriented, organized individual.

Perhaps it was my education in English or my studies in communications that further perpetuated this attitude, but the daily redundancies in email communications in the “corporate” world have begun to drive me bananas.

At the start of my “working life,” I heard our president lament about the frequent misuse (abuse) of the “reply all” function.

Today I joined the choir.

I volunteer with a group that shall remain nameless. At the start, after not replying all to an email, I was told that as a part of their team, I am expected to use the reply all function. I told my friend (also the ED) I thought this was absolute foolishness and that I would only use it as needed but, alas, I did as I was told.

Today my blackberry was having seizures from the number of reply alls I got – and I thought that perhaps, at the tender age of 23, I may go into cardiac arrest out of sheer frustration.

It was blatanly obvious that these ‘team members’ were NOT reading these messages, as we attempted to coordinate a conference call and meeting.

It would just make so much more sense if we just gave our information to ONE person, who would then coordinate the detals accordingly and fill us all in at the end.

Perhaps I will get my way if I volunteer my time to such a task?

With today’s technology, this really shouldn’t be a task at all. I remember reading (somewhere) about a great program that coordinates these sorts of details.

Alternatively: how about something straightforward like a Google doc? Simple. Effective. Accessible. Awesome.

This time last year, when I was not a gmail user and still had a strong aversion to blogs, I might have raised some questions. But, I’ve seen the light and will never waste my time again.

I know there are others out there who share my frustration. I’d love to hear your tales of organizational disorganization – whatever that beast may be.

the return…

Back to life.

I tried to write this Monday but it disappeared. This will surely not be as cool as I originally thought.

(Or maybe it will be?)

Moving on…

I’ve never been big on the New Year’s resolution.

As my friend Taylor Barr puts it:

“I think I am not alone in saying that many of us make excuses to change things about our way of living or to instill in us, an activity that makes us happier or more comfortable with who we are.”   – The Immaculate Ball Drop & Resolutions

I think I approach the new year similarly to the way I approach Mondays.

New Year: It’s a new year! This is a great chance to make it better than last year!
Monday: It’s a new week! This is a great chance to make it better than last week!

Besides, I think resolutions are better made on Sundays. You have a chance to break it down to realistic pieces! AND if it doesn’t work out, the next Sunday is just a week away!

If you botch the new year’s resolution, you’ve got to firstly realize that it is a fail and then wait until December to start brainstorming the next one!
(Let’s be honest: who really has time in December with all the goings on!)
The holiday season is not the time to feel down about failing at last year’s resolution (it’s bad enough you’re eating coma-inducing turkey) and, well, if you hoped to lose weight, checking in Dec. 31 will likely not bode well – especially if you have a large family (by choice, divorce or a disbelief in the value of contraceptives) and are on your third, fourth or, heaven forbid, some other numbered turkey dinner!

If asked, I’m probably going to reuse my 2007 resolution. Progressive living for 2007 will become Progressive living for 2009

Meaning: When presented with a choice, pick the one that is the most progressive – even if it is more difficult. Do this as often as possible.

ex: Exercise or sit in front of the TV

Exercise is 9/10 times the more progressive choice.
(UNLESS you chose exercise the day before, overdid it and pulled a muscle making TV the more progressive choice!)

Choice: write more or get up from my desk and stretch my legs?

hmmmmm tough choice ………