By Charlie Chapman

When charged with the responsibility of this topic I felt a little nervous about speaking on behalf of a sex that I still to this day struggle to understand. Do these two words even go together?

Where would I get my inspiration from? Allan Pease's book, “Lessons women need to know about men” was a good starting point but then I thought I need look no further than the men in my family.

1. I believe that men fall into two categories with organisation.
2. Men who would like to be better organised.
   Men whose wives would like them to be better organised.
   

So let’s start with the serious stuff – men who would like to be better organised. It comes down to a simple 5 step plan.

1. Establish where you are today and what is holding you back from getting organised
   
2. Establish where you would like to be – what does being organised look like to you
   
3. Set your goals for the areas you would like to get organised in your life
   
4. Work out an action plan to meet these goals with specific time frames. Use the SMART goals method – S = specific, M = measurable, A = achievable, R = realistic and T = Timed
   
5. Once you have achieved your goals – celebrate your achievements and review their effectiveness

The next area is a little trickier – men whose wives would like them to better organised. Taken partially from the book “Why men don’t listen” by Allan Pease, the master of the difference between men and women. I present to you five findings, (Allan Pease’s in bold) and how that relates to wives tapping into the male psyche.

1. Men use direct speech and take words literally. Note to wives – do not mince your words. If you want him to tidy the study tell him exactly which pile he needs to work on and let him off other duties to do it.
2. To motivate a man to go shopping give him clear criteria. If you say buy some apples he will come back with 5 apples for the whole week for a family of five. The instruction needs to be – 25 small sundowner apples, good for lunch boxes bought from Harris Farm markets at St Ives. Alternatively surrender to the fact that it would be quicker for you to do it!
   
3. Acknowledge that men and boys are last minute people and if something is not urgent it will not be done – make sure he has in his favourites list on the internet lastminute.com.au for that spontaneous booking.
   
4. The first rule of talking to a man: Keep it simple! Only give him one thing at a time to think about – note to wives – work out what the priority is and give him that job only until completed.
   
5. A man’s self-worth is measured by your appreciation for his efforts. When a man does something you have wanted him to do for a while make sure he thinks it was his idea and appreciate his efforts.
   

When all else fails – the following may be useful:

• Learn from footballers – have important information (such as children’s names and birthdays) tattooed. If you tattoo shopping lists, it works better if your diet doesn't change much.
• One should secure a wife – they can't help themselves. They keep one of those little pocket calendars with all the birthdays in their wallets.
• Wear a trench-coat with 30 pockets. That way you can keep everything you will ever need on your person, like a crossbow, a small dog, and 50c for the bus.
• Celebrate with a beer - every time you assess you are disorganised and/or when you have become noticeably more organised. Celebrate the progress, celebrate the successful assessment of the requirement to be more organised!

Need help creating a great plan to get organised?
Contact Charlie Chapman from the Organised Family,
M: 0411 236 585
W: www.theorganisedfamily.com.au
E: charlie@theorganisedfamily.com.au

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