Overwhelmed? Try the Red Zone Tactic

Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember them from school: the ones who always had well-organized pencil cases equipped with erasers, sharpeners, pens, scissors and glue-sticks (probably in duplicate). Their hair was always neatly done; their clothes ironed and bearing a full complement of buttons.

Grown up and in the work force, The Organized Ones highlight the deficiencies of the rest of us. They have neat desks. They have coordinated diaries, Palm Pilots and computers. Worst of all, they have to-do lists that actually end up with all the little boxes checked. I may have been born a Virgo, but I was not born organized. My life seems to have been a constant battle with missing buttons, uncooperative kids, piles of paperwork, and endless lists.

Ah, lists. Now we're getting to the bottom of things. I've bought and read books about getting organized, but none of the advice works for more than 48 hours. I know all about making a list of things you need to do and ranking them A, B or C. I know you have to do the A things first. I know it helps to do the small tasks first (do them in five minutes, cross them off, and hey! you bask in a sweet glow of accomplishment.)

Then you have the "Do the hardest thing first" advocates. Tackle the biggest task while you're fresh, they say. It's so much easier. But what if it takes 2 days to do the 'big task' - and meanwhile, the other 37 tasks awaiting attention loom ever more ominously?

Two weeks ago, the crunch came. I was swimming my early morning laps and mentally scrolling through all the tasks I had to do that day. Then I thought about the projects that had to be done the next day.... then the projects that were coming up Real Soon Now.

It wasn't long before I concluded that I needed at least 36 hours in every day (for the next six weeks) to get through the pile. And that's forgetting about sleeping and eating.

It seemed like a tempting option to just sink to the bottom of the pool and stay there. Let someone else run the business. ;-)

Nope. There had to be a way. I turned and swam another lap. There had to be a method of turning my piles of paper, my endless, unfinished to-do lists and my looming deadlines into a workable system.

That's when I came up with The Red Zone.

The Red Zone System

The Red Zone system is dead simple. It's based on the to-do lists and the organizers we all know so well. But it's tactile. It's in-your-face. And because it's stuck to the wall, I can't lose it.

This is what I did.

I drove to K-Mart and bought:

A large cork noticeboard.

A box of square notelets.

A packet of push pins. I divided the noticeboard into three sections and painted one-third red, one-third yellow and one-third blue. Red Zone means "Urgent. Needs attention ASAP."

Yellow Zone means "Start work on these. Will need to move to Red Zone soon."

Blue Zone means: "Think about these. Be ready to move to Yellow." Feel free to choose your own colours. I already had paint - you may have to add that to your shopping list.

Then I hung the noticeboard on the wall right near my computer.

I sat at my desk and (one per notelet) wrote down all the tasks, projects, and deadlines I had pending. Some were urgent. Some needed to be done soon. Some were due in a week... some in two weeks... some were not due for a month but needed thinking about now.

I divided the notelets into three piles, then started pinning them up on the noticeboard. Red Zone filled up pretty fast. Yellow wasn't far behind. Blue Zone actually had some space.

I phoned people and emailed contacts to let them know that I needed two full weeks to clear the decks. If they needed information, they could contact Rob, my husband and business partner.

I looked at the Red Zone notes, picked the one that absolutely couldn't wait, and started work.

Has it worked? Well, I'm ten days into my new system. So far, yes, it's working. Better than the endless to-do lists that got lost in the paper storm on my desk... this is on the wall and immediately visible. Better than electronic organizers (for me - I'm the hands-on type, obviously).

I've removed a dozen or so 'urgent' notes from the Red Zone tossed them into the wastepaper bin - mission accomplished! I've moved others from the Yellow Zone over to Red, and one from Blue to Yellow. I've even had people look at the board and offer to take over a task - things I would never have thought of delegating. Another notelet gone!

I'm getting back some control.

Best of all, I can see how this system would work for anything. Household organization. Family budgets. Writers' deadlines. Craft projects. Business tasks... and a whole lot more. I've got my life back!

Marg McAlister has run a successful home-based business for the past 12 years. For the past four years this has gradually moved to being totally internet-based. Marg has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/ and get tips and advice for online business at http://www.writing4success.com/

maide service in Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Overwhelmed? Try the Red Zone Tactic

Get Organized - Organization