Keys, Phone and Wallet: Are These The Basics of Getting Your S#@t Together?

The book of the same name (Getting Your S**t Together) by Sarah Knight is all about having these basics in tact, when it comes to actually being acutely aware that for the first time in your life, you are either well organised, or on the contrary an epic fail. With ebbs, flows, distractions, and life's unpredictable moments; even the creators of kaizen can fall into the trap of not completely having their ducks in a row on that embarrassingly odd occasion.

The short answer to the question that is (appropriately) the title of this article on being organised (in more fun words, in having your s**t together) is that remembering your keys, phone and wallet when leaving the domain is a great start, yet there is more to having you s**t together than what meets the eye. And those eyes can burn, with or without those trusty specs.

If you live in an apartment building with a concierge who has that spare set of keys on hand for those unexpected s**t hits the fan, oh-no-I-forgot-my-keys kind of moment, then you are covered. That concierge person is like that human form of insurance if that desk with a silver bell is attended to. If not, then you are in a boatload of trouble, and that gets even worse if you forget your cell phone. Not only the expense involved in making it inside your home (especially on an icy cold night), but also the sheer embarrassment of not only forgetting your keys, but your phone as well.

I get it. Smartphones can be a real pain in the rear end sometimes, and most of all addictive, with what feels like a gazillion fancy functions. This is all well and good when any one of those functions helps you to actually be really productive - in smashing that to do list out of the ballpark; yet it is all too common for us to fall into the trap of having that phone glued to your hand (metaphorically speaking, and ever so real) for what feels like five minutes of mindless scrolling, when it is (in actual reality) hours on end, or minutes on end. Just imagine how much more productive you can be when you are aware and conscious of that fact.

Unless you remember your phone and your keys, then it feels like the world is like your "having your stuff together" oyster, thanks to the easier than easy conveniences of Apple Pay to name. Best to have a debit card saved, rather than an actual card that makes plastic meaner than mean, so to avoid any form of plastic surgery at the most inopportune time. This will only work, provided the battery is charged up. Keys will only work when you have the right set of keys in the first place. Your phone needs more juice than we do sometimes, and the wallet only works when it is full of the card/s you actually need to use, together with a bit of actual cold hard cash (see, cash is definitely king) for those just in case moments when technology decides to have a mercury retrograde like hangover.

It goes to show that having your stuff together is not finite. It could be an art and a science combined, yet more so an art where it can either be a masterpiece, or it can be messy...no different to spaghetti bolognese and red wine being yuck spilt on the most plush carpeting in an expensive estate. The basics can be a good start, yet adulting 101 is next, and that is like handling a broken compass, where sometimes you do not know which way is up. And that is not knowing that the compass is actually stuffed in the first place.

The solution? Yes. Just say yes to being organised. We can go on and on about the problem, yet that is not making real progress. When time poor as it is (especially those of you who have a full-time job, and yes that can and does include parenting); you need to tie a healthy treat that you normally do not enjoy on a frequent basis upon accomplishing an important task. For example, completing this article will enable me to have a mini treat, and then walk a few blocks to burn it off. Whatever is going to rock your boat and motivate you, and no longer treat your butt like superglue on a comfortable surface.

Write it down, however way you choose. Write your list down, those things you have to do, and need to do. Then prioritise them from the easiest to the hardest. For example, booking a trip (although more pleasant) is harder than making that phone call to confirm an appointment with a client. A cause causes a certain effect, and that trusty phone call to that client is the tonic that helps support that holiday in Hawaii surfing those big waves, and in enjoying the gift of acai bowls. Just saying. Then prioritise from the fastest to the slowest. Next is from the least expensive to the most expensive. In your own business, this can also mean prioritising those tasks that earn you more, from the most to the least urgent, and then anything else will feel like dog scraps...yet with a will, there is always a way. Confession: there are times when my writing on this platform comes second best to other writing projects that bring home the bacon way faster. That then frees yours truly up to add some value on this platform, of which is like planting seeds to turn into flowers. Yep, each article is a seed, that then blossoms into a portfolio to be proud of. And you never know where such labour of love can lead.

The key (no pun intended) is to be grateful for your progress, and to cut yourself a bit of slack for the periods where you go off the rails. What do I mean by that? Simply put, if you leave something behind. Go easy on yourself, you are only human. If you procrastinate for whatever reason; doing such crimes against time management once in a blue moon is fine. For example, an employer (having been a manager myself, I can vouch for this school of thought) is not going to fire a staff member just because they were a few minutes late to work on one occasion, considering that their punctuality record is a strong 99.99% otherwise.

Us humans are very good at judging ourselves too harshly. If we treated our close friends the way we sometimes treat ourselves...the proof is definitely in the pudding. We would automatically gain entry into the no friends club. This is why you need to cut yourself some slack if you do not have your s**t together 100% of the time. Setting that target for ourselves will (sure) enable us to reach for the stars, yet it can also set us up to fail if we do not have a buffer for those unexpected and unplanned moments. Judging by what is going on all around us (again, no judgment) it is impossible for us to have our stuff together full-time, 24/7. It cannot be done. Accidents happen, and so does life. When you have accomplished what you need to on your list (give or take a couple of items), then you are right up there when it comes to having your stuff together, and you should be proud of that. Realise what not really having your stuff together is costing you (not just financially, but in friendships as well for example), and your perspective will change. Having those basics is what is needed, yet having your stuff together goes beyond those three basics of keys, phone and wallet, and in actually achieving those tasks that align with your personal values. Then the world can be your oyster, because you are then in harmony with who you truly are.

Like that saying goes...if you reach for the moon...even if you miss you will land among the stars. Now that is cool. You've got this. Hey, even making it this far means that you get it, and that you do have your stuff together - more than you might realise and care to appreciate. Thank you for paying attention. You're welcome.