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Be
Cool. Be Organized.
It Really Is Possible to Stay on Top
of Things
by Mike St. Pierre
As you look back over the past week, can you
count on one hand the number of activities
that were done in a planned and organized
way? On two hands? If you’re like me, then
you had to think for a minute, sorting
through the sea of busyness and to-do lists
that fill each week. Then, it hits you- I
did do some things this week that were more
than just reacting to the environment around
me. You get that peaceful feeling once
again. If only that sense of being
in-control could stay with us for more than
a moment.
The information overload that we so often
hear about is not just for the non-believing
crowd. Since most of us Catholic young
adults work in the secular arena, we aren’t
immune from the many things to do and the
need for an "on the go" style and system for
handling all of the things which come our
way. Can you relate? Does mail come in and
then get put somewhere, only later to sort
through it and find that you missed a
deadline or engagement because it had come
and gone, unbeknownst to you? Or, have you
ever carried something over from your to-do
list to the next day or even the next week?
I know that I have and it feels terrible.
In spite of the occasional detail which
falls through the cracks, there are some
things which I have learned about time
management. I have found, through week to
week experience that it is not only possible
to be organized and "stay on top" of it all,
but that it’s just plain cool. There
is a tremendous feeling of being at peace,
knowing that things are getting done when
and how they need to be and by whom. You
can relax because you periodically
review your commitments and plan out the
desired outcomes. Finally, there is a
tremendous amount of work that gets
done, all because it really is possible to
be an organized Catholic young adult.
From the perspective of our faith, there is
no official Church document on time
management or personal organization.
Rather, we draw from certain principles that
pepper our Catholic tradition. Principles
like stewardship, respect for the
environment, and making the most of one’s
talents all are applicable to our situation
in daily life. To be a good steward of my
time involves more than just avoiding
sloth. Rather, it gives me the vision to
see “my time” as “God’s opportunity” to do
something great in the world.
In this era of increased bits of information
and downloadability, I feel that the
Catholic young adult is one who needs to
develop a system for handling responsibility
and the day to day work which needs to get
done. I have had several people who have
taught me what it means to work hard and
maintain balance in my life and every single
one has had a system for getting it all
done. None have been burnouts and all have
led very balanced lives which find time for
prayer, service and family. Some areas that
they excel in are as follows:
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Paperwork: they try their best to touch it only once.
-
Phone calls: they are prompt and if they cannot respond in a
timely fashion, they make sure that you
know when they will get back to you.
-
Self evaluation:
they ask for your feedback and don’t
forget what you have shared with them.
-
Program evaluation:
they keep a file of "things which might
be done better next time" and then act
upon them when the program returns in
the cycle.
-
Honest and direct communication:
they tell you the truth in a timely
fashion and when you ask for it.
-
Idea gathering:
they don’t let good ideas slip into
oblivion but write them down for
eventual revisiting.
-
Follow up: they forget only rarely because they have
disciplined themselves into a regular
and thoughtful process of following up
meetings, appointments and calendar
items.
This spring, do your best to stay on top of
things. A regular review of your tasks and
commitments will be key. As you get a handle
on the blur of activity that is your daily
life, you’ll get a lot done and you’ll feel
pretty cool.
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