Opinion

Aug 16, 2023, 13:28

Dr. Roupen Odabashian: Being organized is something I strive for every day!

In a LinkedIn post, Dr. Roupen Odabashian, Hematology/Oncology Fellow at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, shared some valuable insight on being organized and how to achieve it:

“Being organized is something I strive for every day! The organization has enabled me to overcome many of life’s challenges, assisted me when I relocated to three different countries, sharpened my thinking, and allowed me to access the information I need without having to memorize everything.

One of the most influential books I’ve read is “Building a Second Brain” by Tiago Forte. The essence of the book is that you can categorize any electronic content, be it folders or notes, into four distinct folders:

1 – Projects: This category is for tasks that have both a start and end date. For me, it includes research projects, presentations, YouTube videos, interviews, and video editing. Anything with a definitive start and finish falls into this folder or category of notes.

2- Areas: This encompasses subjects that don’t have a start or end date but are part of an ongoing effort or interest. Examples for me include medicine, entrepreneurship, and financial knowledge. For instance, I document every patient I see in the clinic, and these notes go into this folder. Similarly, teaching points I acquire from meeting founders or conducting due diligence are stored here. This is the repository for continuous knowledge.

3- Resources: Here, I store information I might not need immediately but anticipate using in the future. It could be an intriguing video about an innovative medical device I wish to watch later, a list of places I plan to visit along with activities to do there, or contact details of someone I might collaborate with down the line.

4- Archived: This is for content that’s no longer immediately relevant. Instead of deleting such items, I save them here, knowing I can retrieve them if needed in the future.”

Dr. Roupen Odabashian: Being organized is something I strive for every day!