The second step in my pursuit of moving my career along is improving the thing I think most people overlook, self organization. From the simple things of doing what you say you're going to do to the complex like staying on top of your email I reviewed them all. The first thing I did was to seek help from the pros. Of all the books out there I landed the one that has helped me more than I could have ever imagined and hoped,Getting Things Done by David Allen. This book alone has made me more productive, more in control and in the end in control. Getting Things Done develops a strategy of getting everything out of your head onto lists. You use these lists to conquer your day to day work. It helps you to be able to keep track of issues and understand what work needs to be done with the information you collect ie email, calls, projects, etc. It also offers a great deal of tips on getting things done. The single most important tip I've taken away is how to deal with email, which I mentioned in a past blog entry. This tip alone gives me huge amounts satisfaction in controlling my tasks. It empowers you to feel in control. I never have more than 10 emails in my inbox at a time. The only reason I have something in my inbox is because it is on my immediate action list and I want it in front of me. It is amazing how these simple tricks and tips allow you to gain control in organizing yourself. It gives you more time to be more creative and allows you to concentrate on the meat of the work to be done.