The 6D system for prioritising

Organising yourself  can be a very overwhelming thought at first. Many
people who have desks, work areas or a head full of clutter might want to get organised but simply don’t know where to start. The first step for getting organised might seem daunting – but it doesn’t need to be. The secret to beating the feeling of being overwhelmed is to learn to break down seemingly unmanageable activities into smaller steps, then to tackle those steps one at a time. One way to do this is by using what I call the 6 D method.

You should set aside anywhere from ten minutes to sixty minutes to start this process. The time you need will depend on how much of a back-log you’ve got to sort out. The 6 D method can be used with paper, or electronic information. Here’s how it works.

D1 = Delete/ Dump
This is the ‘round filing cabinet’ that sits on the floor into which you should place anything that you won’t need ever again. Many people are hoarders and can’t bear the thought of throwing things away. The fact is, the only way you’ll clear a cluttered desk, overloaded in-tray, or email in-box is to bite the bullet and get rid of anything you will never read or look at again. In the case of hard copy files – if this junk includes anything with your name, address or other personal details on it, you should shred it.

D2 = D-Box
A D-Box is either a physical box or a folder in your email program that is used to place things in that you might possibly want again, but in all probability you won’t. It’s a temporary holding place for things that could come in handy in the near future. If you have a piece of information that you think you won’t need, drop in (or move it) to your D-Box. After several months of items being in your D-Box, you can safely presume that they won’t be needed again. In that case, press ‘delete’ or place these papers in the recycling bin.

D3 = Delegate
If you are a supervisor, delegate any email or paperwork that can be done by someone else. Never do anything yourself that one of your team members can do. Remember, delegation is the skill of a leader - it’s not a cop out.

D4 = Divide
When you have a large project or file that requires hours or weeks of work, take the project or tasks and divide it into manageable sub-tasks. A good way to do this is to first of all place all of the related documents into a single manila folder. Then on top of the papers take a piece of A4 paper and draw 3 columns on it. In the first column, write down all of the things that need doing to complete the task. In the second column, number the tasks in chronological order. Finally, in the third column, write an approximate time frame for completing the task. The secret to achieving any task which is overwhelming is to break it down into smaller chunks.

D5 = Delay
Don’t sweat the small stuff or get concerned with things that can be put off until later.  Place any files, folders or documents that can be done later into a ‘Delay’  folder. They may be things that need worked on later in the month. Review the ‘Delay’ file weekly to ensure that you haven’t forgotten anything. It may even be a good idea to put a piece of paper on the front of the file with a list of documents and when they are due for review.

D6 = Do it!
Create a folder that has all of your daily and weekly tasks in it. The journey of a thousands miles begins with a simple step, so by focusing on each step and not thinking about how overwhelming all of this paperwork or email is, you can start to take back control or your time, your office, your email and your life!

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