Dilemma
Pat, a technical writer and juggler of multiple tasks throughout the day, learned how easily important information got lost as messages continued to pile up and she was draw in different directions.
She frequently retrieved voice mail/text messages at different times throughout the day when it appeared she had a quick break from her work. But, when she got busy, she totally forgot what she was suppose to be doing with those messages. They kept building up until she was overwhelmed with the various requests and information. It was especially difficult to maintain important information when traveling. Most often, she wrote down names and telephone numbers on scraps of paper or backs of envelopes with the intentions of returning the call or perform an important task later. Stress built as she frequently forgot about those messages as life got busy.
Solution
Pat called my office and said, “Help, I need an organized process that will nudge me to deal with important voice mail and text messages so that I don’t forget to tackle the task.”
To stay in line with remaining paperless as much as possible, I provided her with a simple habit to build upon. That habit, which only takes a minute or two, is the practice of scheduling time on her calendar. This action not only provide the necessary block of time to accomplish the task but created that nudge to ‘just do it.’
The organizer’s secret to control voice mail/text messages is to establish the habit of scheduling, always!