Jaye Lentin: Organise, don't be aimless!

Being a scatter brain comes naturally to me. I can easily spend a day pacing vigorously while I worry about the different tasks I need to complete. I'll lose hours trying to organise thoughts rattling in my head, while achieving nothing except a little wear and tear on my favourite sneakers.

Through trial and error I've found some simple ways to cast out these demons of disorganisation and have a productive day. What helps is the process of objectifying your goals. This applies to regular routines as well as any tasks that need to be completed.

For my routine I'll have a short list that doesn't change much: exercise; eat well; rest. My tasks list will change constantly, but could look like this: pay bills; clean apartment; buy fruit; return movies.

By doing this you can immediately see if your goals are realistic, instead of trying to recall the schedule in your head, you'll have a visual list.

If you've got 70 tasks staring you in the face, you'll see that your expectations are ridiculous and you can ruthlessly prioritise.

Once you have a clear idea of your day's activities, it's much easier to start implementing other time saving practices. You can prepare for the day ahead by having the right documents, the right clothing, enough food and water, enough money and whatever else you may require.

Sure, there will always be unexpected twists, but it's much easier to adjust to a pre-existing plan than to wander aimlessly.

So, nowadays, instead of surfing the net while I wonder how I'm going to finish all my work, I take a moment to jot down my goals, make a few preparations that will help along the way and then I set myself a routine to follow. I'm then left with a good bit of time all for myself.