Many of my clients do too. If you're like most busy professionals, the thought of sitting in meetings with consultants, or in day-long workshops to learn How To Be More Productive is not the highest item on your priority list.

You'd rather explore new ideas, create products and services, develop a new relationship, or work with your clients... and the wrong tools and systems divert our attention and we loose track of what we're trying to accomplish.

In conversation with one of my clients this week, Sarah's trying to find the perfect tool, the best system, the most productive way to stay focused on her goals and achieve them... and her biggest concern is that she's 'supposed to' keep herself organized with a specific system so she stays on track. I understand her concern.

I relieved her of that tension. The fact is: It Depends.

To be successful in business, you must have systems in place. And the world is filled with systems 'guaranteed' to keep you focused, on track, and roaring ahead to success.

Since the mid-1980s there have been a flood of systems - everything from cute little cards that go in your shirt pocket, sophisticated computer systems that 'ding' to remind you of your next item on your calendar, and enormous expensive 'organizers' that every single thought, meeting and commitment are captured in.

You can even use your organizer to bench press during meetings to keep your upper body tone!

There are just 2 problems they don't mention in fine print on the cover of the latest books, or the advertisements for workshops and other productivity tools. The reality is those systems are NOT meant for everyone! And, once people pay for them, they feel trapped into using them even if they don't work well for them!

They're meant for the people who that particular tools or approach works for. Take me for example: I want to see my entire week at a glance, so that I can change and update it anywhere, anytime. That means using paper-based calendars that show my entire week, not just the day, and that I can write note on. So PDAs don't make me happy. If I have a busy day and everything doesn't fit on one screen... "Poof, Gone!"

The organizer system worked when I was in corporate environments, going from meeting to meeting, assigning and keeping track of multiple complex projects... but that's not the work I do now, so it's waaaay overkill!

And color-coded file folders perfectly labeled and stacked in a rack are the same as "poof, gone" for me!

I use 'kangaroo' pouch folders (product 515 from www.walshenvelopes.com) and now several of my clients do as well. They're designed so that I can see the top 1/3 of the items in each pouch. I can cram things that relate to the topic or project in the same folder without them slipping out, stack them in a single pile, or line them up like a row of cards where I can see the top 2 inches of each down the side of my desk.

I can grab one to take with to a meeting as well. When I'm done with them I empty and reuse them or use the holes at the top of the pouch to fasten them in classification folders and put them in storage.

There are two keys to using a system that improves your productivity.

1 - Systems Need to Be Useful

And "useful" changes. Sarah isn't planning on taking the plan to her bank. The good news is she doesn't have to write a formal business plan to keep her business on track.

She works out of an office that no client will ever enter, so she doesn't need a system that looks good for the public, she needs one that makes her personally more effect. Period.

2 - Systems Need to Be Used

And so back to 'business plans.' I used computer-based documents and systems for years... when I needed to share that information with other people it worked great!

Yet, when I laid out the new plan for my personal business last year, the moment I closed the document on the screen, or printed it out and put it between other documents... you guessed it, "Poof, Gone!"

I tried the project style To Do list in a spreadsheet. It was fabulously detailed, organized and complete. And "Poof, Gone!"

Then I used flip chart pages taped to my walls and created a "sticky note business plan" with six colors and 3 sizes of Post-It® Notes. I was able to keep track of my business goals and plans and activities with a quick glance. Every single one got done.

Sarah's giving it a try this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Don't get vested in a system just because you invested in it! Just as I've changed and adapted the tools and systems that I've used, I encourage you to take a fresh look at whether the formal tool or the "sticky note life" is the one that fits you best today.

Find the systems that work best for YOU, rather than the purveyors of specific systems. It's a permanent cure for the "Poof, Gone Syndrome!"

Copyright (c) 2008 Linda Feinholz