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Mind Tools Newsletter 154 - May 25, 2010
Get Well and Truly ORGANIZED!
It's the end of a hard day. Jay sighs, surveying an ever-cluttered desk and a still-full inbox: "If only I was a bit better organized..."
If only. He'd have achieved more, wasted less time, and felt a whole lot better about his day's work.
It's frustrating to feel that you've wasted time and energy when you're already so very, very busy. So if, like many people, you aspire be better organized, this week's newsletter article is here to help!
Read the article How To Be Organized in full below. And then, for much more on this important topic, check out the Career Excellence Club, where we'll help you take your personal organization and effectiveness skills to a whole new level.
Also in this newsletter, find out about other resources at Mind Tools, including our look at the Betari Box. This is a simple, common sense model that helps you beat the cycles of negativity that damage so many good teams. If this is a problem for you, this tool could make a big difference to your workplace!
Enjoy the newsletter!
James Manktelow and Rachel Thompson
MindTools.com - Essential skills for an excellent career!
Featured Resources at Mind Tools
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How much time do you waste every day due to disorganization? This article covers best practices, tools, and tips for organizing your work life.
All Readers' Skill-Builder |
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How do you plan when your projects aren't big enough to justify a formal approach to project management, but you still need to complete a series of tasks? With an action plan! Find out more here.
All Readers' Featured Favorite |
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| Have you ever worked with someone whose bad mood affected the whole office? Learn how attitude affects behavior, and how to stop cycles of negativity. All Readers' Skill-Builder |
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... And from the Career Excellence Club
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Simple organizations waste less time, can be changed more easily, and are more rewarding to work for. This book shows you how to cut away unnecessary layers of complexity. Find out more about it here!
Premium Members' Book Insight |
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Good time management is the essential foundation to productivity at work. Make sure you're clear about the basics of this key career skill!
All Members' Bite-Sized Training™ |
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| Have you ever wondered what your true strengths are? Learn how to discover your natural talents with this popular self-assessment, based on Gallup research.
All Members' Skill-Builder |
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| Weisbord's Six-Box Model gives you a good starting point for evaluating your organization's performance, by looking at six areas that are fundamental for success.
All Members' Skill-Builder |
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| The author of "Beyond the Boys' Club" shares her tips for women competing for success in male-dominated fields. Find out how to raise your profile without raising hackles. Premium Members' Expert Interview |
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| Coaching is one of the most effective ways of improving an individual's performance. Learn how to use feedback as a coaching tool for developing talent in your team.
All Members' Coaching Clinic |
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Editors' Choice Article
How to Be Organized
Taking Control of Your Day
"Time is really the only capital any human being has, and the one thing he can't afford to waste."
- American inventor Thomas Edison
Do you waste much time during your day due to disorganization?
Perhaps you spend 5 minutes searching for a misplaced file, another 5 looking for an email detailing an important meeting, and perhaps 10 minutes more finding today's to-do list, lost in the piles of papers on your desk. Before you know it, you've spent an hour throughout the day looking for things you can't find. And that's just one day! Imagine how much time you're losing each week, each month, and each year!
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Time spent organizing saves more time in the long run.
©iStockphoto/scherbet |
Many people struggle with disorganization. And, while some think they can succeed amidst the chaos, this disorganization can end up costing a high price. Disorganization can hold us back from getting the promotion we've always wanted. It can block our creativity, add stress to our lives, and prevent us from being as productive and effective as we could be.
In this article, we'll look at some strategies for getting organized, so that we can start living and working to our full potential.
Organizing Best Practices
- Use a notebook - One strategy that many organized people use is to work with a notebook. This notebook is like a "catch-all" for your thoughts and for what you do during the day.
For instance, use your notebook to take notes when you're talking with a colleague or with a client on the phone. If you're working and need to remember to tell your boss something, write it down in your notebook. If you have a brainstorming session in the afternoon, your ideas can go in there too.
The advantage of a notebook is that you capture all of your thoughts, conversations, and ideas in one place. Also, once things are written down, you don't have to waste mental energy remembering everything!
It's helpful to start a new, dated page each day. This way, you can easily go back and find the information you need.
- Get organized during the first 15 minutes of your day - When you walk into the office in the morning, spend your first 15 minutes looking at what you need to do that day. Start with the "Next Actions" list from your Action Program, if you have one - or make a To-Do List, with your most important priorities at the top. This gives you a solid grasp of which tasks you need to complete first, and which you can complete later in the afternoon.
During this organization time, knowing when you do your best work can also be helpful. Find out more with our article "Is This a Morning Task?"
- Clear your desktop - Your desktop can often become a "catch-all" zone. There are old papers, future projects, files you're currently using, and a pile of papers you simply haven't put away yet. Although some people feel they work better with a cluttered desk, it's distracting and inhibiting for many of us.
If you want to get organized, then clearing your desktop is a smart strategy. This can be a time-consuming task, so it might be best to work on this at the end of the day or at the weekend.
Start by clearing everything off of your desk. File papers and reports that you've finished using, and recycle anything you don't need. Office supplies should go in a drawer or cabinet.
The items that are left are probably files and paperwork that you currently need.
- Create an "action area" on your desk - Use this area for the materials you need to complete the project you're currently working on. As soon as you complete each "action," clear this area off to get ready for your next task.
- Organize supplies or files you use often - The more often you use something, the closer it should be to you. Arrange your desk for usefulness, not for the way it looks.
How do you keep your desk organized? Spend five minutes at the end of each day clearing off your desk and keeping it organized. This way, you can come into work the next day with a clear, organized surface.
Organizing Tools
We live in a time of some amazing technology. Let's use it to get organized!
- Use digital calendars or planners - Many people use these to help organize their schedules. These can be very helpful for keeping you on task!
For instance, many digital calendars, like Outlook and iCal, allow you to color-code tasks. You could use red for urgent, green for extended deadlines, and blue for low-priority tasks. Color-coding your day helps you quickly see what you need to do first.
- Use a spreadsheet to track your progress - Spreadsheets are helpful because you can use conditional formatting that alerts you when tasks are getting close to their deadlines. As a result, you can see at a glance which items are, or are not, on schedule. This is especially helpful when you're working with a team, and when you have to be aware of people's progress.
Organizing Tricks
- Offer yourself a reward - If you're finding it difficult to stay organized, try offering yourself a reward. For instance, if you complete four things on your to-do list, reward yourself with a cup of coffee, or with 10 minutes of free time to surf the web.
- Use one calendar - If you enter some things in your PDA, some things on your desk planner, and some on a calendar at home, then you're probably going to miss key appointments and tasks.
- Schedule small tasks - If a task or project requires action beforehand (like picking up bagels and coffee for the staff meeting), then schedule these related tasks into your planner as well. This helps you set aside enough time to get everything done.
- Scan your documents - If you don't like having an office with lots of filing cabinets, then why not scan all of your documents and store them on your computer? If you have a personal assistant, this would be a great task to delegate. If not, then try scanning a few documents every day, and eventually scan all project documents over the long-term.
- Choose organizing tools that you like - Pick products that appeal to you on a visual or emotional level. For example, if you decide to start using a notebook on a daily basis, then purchase a nice one that you really like. When your tools are visually appealing and comfortable, you're more likely to use them.
Key Points
Disorganization can cost you career advancement, decrease your productivity, and add stress to your life. Devoting time and effort to getting organized can help you tremendously in the long run.
Start by using a notebook on a regular basis to keep track of conversations, ideas, and reminders. And begin every day with a clean desk and an organized to-do list. Use technology to keep your schedule and projects running smoothly. Features like color coding and audio alarms can help you ensure that you don't miss appointments or deadlines.
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A Final Note from James
With lots of tools and tips for getting organized, I hope you can look forward to a clear desk and inbox, and the satisfaction of a job well done! If self-organization is an issue for you, I really do encourage you to explore our Career Excellence Club. For just $1 for the first month, you'll learn skills that genuinely will transform your life for the better.
We'll be back in two weeks asking "What is Leadership?" And we'll also be finding out how the strange-sounding "blue ocean strategy" can help you find new routes to competitive advantage.
Find time in your well-organized week to visit Mind Tools often, and you'll learn many more great, career-enhancing techniques!
Best wishes, and have a great two weeks!
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James Manktelow
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Mind Tools
Essential Skills for an Excellent Career! |
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