Top 5 Reasons to Organize All Your Information and Knowledge
Like everyone else, there seems to be no end to the amount of information and knowledge you’ve acquired through interesting articles or blog posts you’ve read, courses or e-courses you’ve taken, and all the other types of information research you’ve done.
You’re absolutely sure you've stored all of this somewhere… but where? Can you easily find it when you need it? And… you may be wondering why it really matters if you can find this or not.
Well… just in case you are wondering, here are the top 5 reasons why you really DO need to organize all your information and knowledge:
5) How Do I…?
You’re stuck… and you know you have the answer somewhere in the information you’ve gathered… but where? Make your organizational system searchable so you can find the exact info you need, when you need it.
4) Content Creation
You’ve got blog posts and articles to write. What about that e-course you planned on releasing? Researching all the information you have is a great source for content. It’s right under your nose. Again, organize it and make it searchable.
3) Customer Support
Your customer or client has a question. It may be something that will make or break your relationship with them. Customer service is, after all, of utmost importance to your business success. By organizing your information, the answer to that question is readily available.
2) Answering Questions
You’re connecting on Facebook, Twitter, on your blog, or… you have a Q&A session for your e-course… and someone asks a very good question. To be seen as the expert, you need to be able to have an answer. If your information is organized in a way that makes sense to you and is easily retrievable, you can have the answer in front of you in a matter of seconds.
1) Repurposing
You have content from a few previous courses you did and bits and pieces here and there from blog posts and articles you’ve written. If you have all that content and information organized, you can mix and match it to repurpose it into an entirely new course, post, article, or whatever you wish. If you can’t find it or retrieve it, you may have extremely valuable information that will remain dormant… not helping anyone at all.
Having your information and knowledge organized and managed to be easily found and retrieved is important to you, the people you connect with and your customers and clients. Do you agree?
In case you're wondering… we use a software called “The Brain” to organize all our information (just like the picture in this post).
To find out more about the software itself => Go To This Site!
Pat & Lorna
2010-01-30 @ 1:12 pm
Hello All,
We have made organizing all our knowledge and the information we’ve gathered a major priority. It makes our lives so much easier and has saved us a ton of time.
Do you agree that organizing your information is important… and is your information organized effectively?
We would greatly appreciate hearing from you!
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Glyna Humm
2010-05-31 @ 7:13 am
Pat and Lorna – Once again you have made a very good point for all of us to follow. With all of the information we are receiving everyday, it is imperative to be organized! I always thought of myself as being organized until I got into network marketing:) Thank you so much for mentioning PersonalBrain – I am definitely going to check it out!
.-= Glyna Humm´s last blog ..Are You Using Appreciation Marketing to Build Your Home Business? =-.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:27 pm
Glyna,
There seems to be areas in all our lives where we just don’t seem to be as organized as some of the others 🙂
And we definitely recommend PersonalBrain… let us know how it works for you.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Emma
2010-05-31 @ 7:18 am
You two are so right! Being organized cuts work in half and is certainly worth the effort!
Thank you for you cool tips, I’m certainly going to check out the recommended programme, can never be too organized!
Kind regards,
Emma 🙂
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:29 pm
Emma,
Being organized does save time. The time we spend actually organizing, we get back 10 times when we need to find something.
Let us know what you think of PersonalBrain… would love to know.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Nelson
2010-05-31 @ 10:17 am
Pat and Lorna, I need help and an occasional kick in the “you know where” Thanks for the push, I needed it. My network resembles an unraveled ball of yarn. The Personal Brain would do well for me as I have plenty of room for another Brain.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:32 pm
Nelson,
We need a “kick” sometimes too… although a gentle nudge would feel better.
If you happen to check out PersonalBrain, would love to know what you think.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Alan Jenkin
2010-05-31 @ 3:55 pm
Pat and Lorna, you must have been looking at my computer desktop! I cleaned it up recently, but until then it was full of tiny icons for all sorts of miscellaneous information. My method of organizing it was to trash everything I couldn’t see an immediate purpose for and store the rest in a single folder.
I knew there had to be a better way – thank you for showing me!
Alan 😉
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:38 pm
Alan,
There are many methods for staying organized… we’ve found that for us PersonalBrain makes so much sense, and has for the past 10 years or so.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Edward
2010-05-31 @ 5:58 pm
Hey Pat & Lorna,
Thanks for another great post.
I have tried many ways to organize my things.
I take a lot of notes and write a lot so I have binders, books, and pads that I put the information into in an organized way.
I have not been able to get into the cyber organizing systems yet.
Make it a great day!
God Bless,
-ed
.-= Edward´s last blog ..The DREAM Project Begins =-.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:45 pm
Ed,
Organizing can be a very personal thing… everyone works with what feels right to them. Let us know if the “cyber” bug bites 🙂
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Dr. Erica Goodstone
2010-05-31 @ 7:28 pm
Wow, Pat and Lorna, you keep taking technology another step further.
That is exciting to see Alex’s favorite books listed so clearly.
One thing I realize is that organizing takes time – and organizing online also takes time. In the process of organizing, it feels as if I am not accomplishing anything, but of course I am. Right now, I have recently reorganized my file boxes and labeled the content. I have lots and lots of folders for each new training, new project, etc. But every day I add more information and notes that need to be organized, both in my computer files, my online favorites and my home files.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:53 pm
Erica,
Organizing does take time, but wow, it so saves us time when we need to find something. There have been several occasions in the past when we weren’t organized that it took a long time to find certain things… and oh how much time we wasted then.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Jennifer Akers
2010-06-01 @ 12:33 am
Pat and Lorna,
Thank you for giving us the real reasons for organizing our information. As a writer, I have organized my contacts, writing, etc. As my social network expands (with more contacts and even more information to categorize), I struggle with keeping everything more efficiently.
Your plan sounds like a godsend. Thank you for reminding us the importance of this step.
Best,
Jennifer
.-= Jennifer Akers´s last blog ..Article Marketing Questions – What is Article Marketing? (Nice to Begin With the Basics) =-.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:55 pm
Jennifer,
It is quite overwhelming at times how much information we get in today’s world of social media. A whole new dimension in keeping organized.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Eiji Morishita
2010-06-01 @ 1:00 pm
Wow! This is great Pat & Lorna.
I’ve used mind map software before, this takes it to another level by drilling deep and also having the links to the resources.
How cool is that! Not a surprise from The Coolest Couple!
Thank you for sharing!
To Your Genius,
Eiji
.-= Eiji Morishita´s last blog ..Genius Squared May Update =-.
Pat & Lorna
2010-06-03 @ 8:57 pm
Eiji,
We’ve also used (and still do) mind map software. We find it is good for some things, and PersonalBrain is definitely our program of choice for organizing all of our information and social networking contacts. Couldn’t live without it.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
Alan Jenkin
2010-06-01 @ 1:05 pm
Thanks so much for sharing this information, Pat and Lorna. One of my biggest challenges is “finding things”! “I know I filed it somewhere – now where was it?”
When I think of all the hours I spend hunting for “stuff”, I realize that anything that can help me with that is worth whatever it costs.
So I plan to check into that program right away (before I forget where I saw the information!)
Alan
Dr. Adam Sheck
2010-06-01 @ 6:04 pm
Pat & Lorna,
Thanks so much for this great post on organization. It’s really my personal kryptonite, so I appreciate even more compelling reasons for me to get with the program. I’m always collecting websites, blogposts, emails that inspire me to write more, blog more, create more content. Usually, I just bookmark them and then I just have a big bookmark list that I have to plow through! Doesn’t work so well. Will definitely check out your tool.
Thanks again,
Adam
.-= Dr. Adam Sheck´s last blog ..Ever Wonder, “Why Are They Together?” =-.
Mark Hiatt
2010-06-01 @ 9:16 pm
Hello Pat & Lorna,
We hear about organizing the office but not as much about organizing the computer – which now practically is my office. Good stuff – makes me ponder how I might organize my bits and bytes more efficiently.
.-= Mark Hiatt´s last blog ..Networking Lessons Learned From Leads Groups-Part 3 =-.
Garfield
2010-06-01 @ 11:19 pm
Nice moves!
I love the one about re-purposing content. This is such an overlooked strategy and is a great source of income.
I love using mind mapping software to plan out campaigns and also to create plans for specific objectives. I could definitely benefit from keeping all my ‘data’ organized though. I tend to be quite good at retrieving info from my sub-conscious though….that ‘never’ gets me in hot water! 😉
Garfield
.-= Garfield´s last blog ..Monique MacDonald Reveals Your Sacred Gifts So You Can Live On Purpose =-.
Clare
2010-06-02 @ 7:47 pm
Hi Pat & Lorna,
You have truly hit a home run here with this article on organization! In our world of over-load, no organizational systems equates to FAILURE – period!
it is also amazing how much value we have lying around on our computers that should be shared with others!
thanks for reminding me of these points, especially re-purposing content!
Dr. Erica Goodstone
2010-06-02 @ 10:25 pm
Pat and Lorna,
For me it is a continual challenge to keep my papers and files organized and easily accessible. Some of it is online. Much of it is paper in file folders. The trick is being able to access exactly what I am looking for in the moment.
Erica
Melodie Kantner
2010-06-03 @ 10:15 pm
For me organizing is essential. Otherwise I think I’d go buggy. Since I have been in this business for 15 years and writing newsletters and articles for over 12 years, I have collected loads of files in notebooks and on my computer. I have several main file folders on my desktop, then as I have more folders inside. Backing up became a problem after a while because the files required several cds then dvds. Now I use external hard drives and double backup.
If I wasn’t organized and able to search, I’d never find anything. ; )
Melodie
.-= Melodie Kantner´s last blog ..Quick Tip To Make Approaching Your Warm Market Easier =-.
Lori Robertson
2010-06-04 @ 2:14 pm
Hey guys, being organized is so important. There was a quote I heard, “Show me an organized work area and I will show you an organized mind” If someone some my office they would think that I was crazy! LOL! Organizing every aspect of your life and business will help things go a lot smoother and you will get more done.
So I’ve heard. Thanks, great post.
.-= Lori Robertson´s last blog ..Ask And It Is Given – There Is No Such Thing As NO! =-.
Joanna Sayers
2010-06-04 @ 2:51 pm
I totally concur with Lori’s previous remark. I felt a little guilty reading your post..I admit it..I live in disorganised chaos. Your 5 points reminded me of the need to address this area of my life…urgently! Thank you 🙂
.-= Joanna Sayers´s last blog ..Nokia’s Fitness Guru At Your Service =-.
Jacqueline Green
2010-06-04 @ 8:08 pm
Great post as usual. I use the free version of the Personal Brain, thanks to taking the course you and Lorna did. I highly recommend anyone who wants help to take your course! You two are natural teachers, and the brain is an amazing tool.
.-= Jacqueline Green´s last blog ..Beyond Praise: Building Character, Encouraging Positive Behavior and Increasing Resiliency =-.
Christine Casey
2010-06-04 @ 9:45 pm
Pat & Lorna, what a great tool you’ve shared! I am one of those people that collects such info & knowledge, and then at a point in the future, will spend way too much time trying to remember where I stored it away at…lol! Thanks so much for the info 😉 Christine
.-= Christine Casey´s last blog ..Consistency is Key =-.
Allie
2011-09-27 @ 7:45 am
Time to face the music armed with this great inofmtraion.
chocolates delivered
2012-05-25 @ 3:55 pm
Hey, just looking around some blogs, seems a pretty wonderful platform you are using. Im currently using WordPress for a few of my sites but looking to change 1 of them over to a platform similar to yours as a trial run. Anything in particular you would recommend about it?