"Stepping into a gift shop recently, I came across a pin-up poster that read,
""If it wasn't for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn't get done !""
It may sound funny, but it is very true. Most of us, instead of starting a task ahead of time, put it off till the very last minute, and then rush through it. This results either in a badly done job or an incomplete one.
There are people who always put off things, for different reasons. Some lack the will to get started. Others cannot get started because they keep changing their plans. There are yet others who are plain lazy and want to put off hard work. The word to describe all such people is 'disorganized'.
Take a minute off to think about yourself : do you get your books together and start sorting out badly jumbled notes just when the exams are round the corner and then burn the midnight oil trying to memorize a year's worth of material in a week ? Do you go hunting for clean socks and ironed uniforms only when it's time to leave for school? Are you the sort of person who promises to see a friend, and then decide to go shopping instead, even as your friend waits for you?
Lack of mental organization is unhealthy. Badly done or incomplete tasks put your reputation at stake. You could lose trust and goodwill, and worse still, good friends. Planning is essential if you want to get ahead in life. There have been instances where businessmen have lost valuable contracts and armies have lost battles due to mismanaged affairs.
But such disasters can be averted if you decide to convert yourself into an organised person. It is easy enough if you follow these four simple steps :
1. Plan your course of action: For instance, if you are studying for an exam, gather your books and notes well in advance, make a time-table for daily studies and set a day and time to start.
2. Get started: Start studying the day you've decided, Don't put it off. Remember the proverb ""Procrastination is the killer of time.""
3. Stick to your plans : Don't change your plans along the way, except when it is absolutely necessary.
4. Never give it less than your best : Study as hard as you can and leave the rest to luck. If you've done your best, success will certainly be yours!

- Ashwini Parulkar"