Purpose or Pointless?

January is my organizing month, and I’m right now in the process of evaluating my goals, projects, and stuff with a professional eye. I'm asking myself the questions I pose to my clients like:
• Is this project or task really important as it relates to my “gold plated” goals?
• If yes, what steps are needed to get it done?
• When would be the best time to do it—what time of day, what day of the week—to get the greatest benefit or cause the fewest hassles?
• Should I be doing this, or can I delegate it to someone else, like my virtual assistant or housecleaner?
• Is there a way I can streamline this task so it's easier to do in less time?

The crux is this – I want to be able to distinguish what has a purpose and what is pointless, because life and our goals are constantly changing. We need to take the time periodically to re-evaluate. What once had a purpose may now be pointless.

I've designated one hour on Sunday afternoon every week to sit down and look over the week’s priorities. I re-arrange in order of importance, add new ones, and delegate or delete anything I absolutely don’t have to do myself. Some weeks I'll need the whole hour, others I won't. But my goal is for projects to get finished by deadlines and to accomplish the key tasks that are going to advance or enhance my professional and personal life.

And most important, I want time for me – for writing, spending time with my family, exercise, and just being able to spontaneously embrace opportunities I’d like to explore.

With the new year just beginning, now is a great time to examine your space, time, and stuff with a critical “organizing” eye. Does it have a purpose or is it pointless?