Too busy to get organized?
What a conundrum.

Contrary to what we think when there’s a massive to-do list stacked in front of us, taking the time for thoughtful planning and organization will ultimately give us more time, it does not steal it away.

It can be difficult to make that judgement when we’re in the thick of things.
Rapidly checking tasks off of our list seems productive, but not if that precedes the building of a quality system.

If the process is inefficient or unorganized, the time and work committed are no good.

The following (TESO) is totally arbitrary.
I made it up.
And I don’t actually plug numbers into the equation every day, but it’s a great metaphor,
and I LOVE metaphors.
I think you’ll get the point.

T E S O

t + (e × s) = o

t  =   time (in days for this example)
e  =   effort (percentage based, “1” = 100% effort)
s  =   system design (efficiency of the process)
o  =   output rating

“o” is the only thing that matters. Maximum output.
Productive. Efficient. Successful. 

Jakob when he’s working so so so hard and not thinking straight (very common):

Mentality: Tireless worker. Head down. “Finish the task at hand.”
Daily: Little initial planning. Lots of effort. No retrospective evaluation. Constantly burned out.
t = 10 days     e = 100% (1)     s = 2
10 + (1 × 2) = 20
OUTPUT RATING (o) = 20

Jakob when he’s on top of his game (trying to spend more time in this place):

Mentality: Sharply intelligent. Likes taking days off. Works smarter than harder.
Daily: Takes time to design process initially. Less effort (70%). Evaluates the day. Meditates. Rests. Loves his life. Time for his wife. His “s” is a 3 because he builds a better system.
t = 10 days     e = 70% (0.7)     s = 3
10 + (0.7 × 3) = 21
OUTPUT RATING (o) = 21

Take the time to get organized.
Take the time to build a better system.