Organization

A few weeks ago, I was so far behind that I was ready to nail the door shut on my office and never go in again. But I took a Friday and got everything caught up and was happy -- for a weekend.

On Monday morning, the requests to speak and to give online workshops and to send books and to buy ads all started again. Add that to art fact sheets, titles, facebook, twitter, blogs, registering for conferences, sending books out for review, ad creation, book giveaways, my poor, nearly forgotten newsletter, goodreads, my website, books I want to read, books I get asked to read...I'm shuddering.

I have a rule that writing comes first and it has served me well. But it doesn't get the minutia done. And small though some of that stuff may seem, it all has to get done.

So on that Monday morning when my clean desk began to get cluttered again, I did something smart. I created a file. I wrote "Do this on Friday afternoon" on the file and printed every email that was a request to speak, request for an ad, request for info about an ad I'd already bought, art fact sheets,  etc. etc. etc. and I put these emails into that file. On Friday afternoon I handled them all and once again I had a peaceful weekend.

Why am I telling you this?

Because we all have our own personal organizational bugaboo. If you don't get it straightened out it will steal the focus and concentration you should be giving your books.

So create a Friday afternoon file for the little things. :)
Create a file for each of your projects and slide all your research notes, your could, might, must and should list, your editor emails and everything else that pertains to that book into that file.
Put your receipts into an envelope.
Have a  file folder for new ideas.
Create a file folder for new blog ideas.
Put all your passwords in the same place. (I have a notebook.)
Actually create a calendar and keep it updated.
Create a to-do list. (I do one for each week and one for each individual day. That's a real time saver!)

Get all this little stuff off your brain and free it to write!

Happy Monday -- Oh, btw, it's my birthday! And the best gift I gave myself this year was to get organized. LOL (That and four new pair of shoes... :) )

susan