If you want to be organized, here are some tips for being more organized and more happy!
1.
Start every today, yesterday.
Don't wait until today to begin planning your day. If you do, half the day will pass you by before you even get started.
Starting today, begin planning for tomorrow. Determine what should be on tomorrow's To Do List. Be sure to include both work items and fun items to reward yourself for all of your accomplishments, no matter how small.
Always look at your calendar to determine if you have to do something or be somewhere important tomorrow, so you know what's coming up.
While you're at it, do whatever you can do right
now to help you get an even more productive morning start. Decide on what suit
you'll wear to tomorrow's business meeting or wash and dry a load of clothes
before you go to bed, rather than during the morning rush.
2. Get some shut eye.
It's very difficult to find the energy you need each day if you don't get enough rest the night before. Determine how much rest you need to feel ready to go when you wake up.
I need a solid seven hours of sleep to be able to
give my important projects and tasks the focus and energy they deserve. Some
people may need more time; some may require less. Determine how much you need,
and make an effort to get that amount of sleep each night. In addition, avoid
going to bed at different times each night. An inconsistent sleeping schedule
can throw off your body clock.
3. Avoid de-energizing foods.
Pay attention to the types and amounts of food that make you feel tired and drained.
For instance, if I start the day off with a huge
breakfast, there's a good chance my energy will be pretty low around noon. So if
I have to do something important in the early afternoon, I start the day off
with a light breakfast. Listen to your body. If you're feeling tired, you may
need to avoid certain foods, or you may need to eat something that will boost
your energy. Come up with a plan that works for you.
4. Chart your course.
When you're ready to start your day, the very first thing you should do is look at your To Do List.
Choose your first item and begin working on it. You
can either work on this first item all the way through to completion. Or, work
on this first item for a set amount of time, such as an hour. Then, work on your
next item, and perhaps come back to your first item later in the day.
5. Don't overdo it or underdo it.
The majority of time, when someone asks me why he is having difficulties finishing everything listed on his To Do List, it is because there are too many things listed to complete in a given day.
Everyone has a personal threshold of how many tasks could realistically be completed each day. And, of course, the number of tasks also depends on the size, importance and complexity of each task.
For example, someone may be able to complete 10 very little tasks on her list in a given day, or a combination of eight very little tasks, and one larger, more complex and important task.
You are the only person who can determine how much you can realistically get done. Come up with a rough idea of what you think you can get done (number of larger tasks, number of medium tasks, number of smaller tasks) and include a mix of those items on your To Do List each day. If you can complete everything each day, great! If you can't, you have too much on your list.
If, by chance, you get everything done with plenty of time to spare, you may want to include a few more items on your list. Perhaps you can do a few more tasks each day than the average person.
6. Keep it clear.
Working on a project or task in a cluttered environment, no matter what that project is, is going to be more stressful and more time-consuming than if you were working in an uncluttered, clear environment.
When you're working at your desk, the only project opened up on your desk should be the one you're working on right now. Other projects should be in filing cabinets, in a file holder, or on a nearby table. There's no way you can be productive and focus on something when you're working amongst piles of mail, an inbox reaching to the ceiling and sticky notes all over the place.
Even if you're not working on something, it's less stressful to be spending your time in an organized place. Clutter equals chaos, and chaos equals stress.
7. Handle interruptions
immediately.
While some interruptions are unavoidable, the majority of interruptions put a kink in our schedules because we allow them to. Unless you must answer your phone when you're working on a project, let your answering machine or your assistant field your calls. A good excuse for answering your phone may be that your boss requires you to pick up the phone every time it rings. In that case, you may tell your boss that a particular project is going to take longer because of the constant interruptions. He or she may then allow you to let your calls go into voicemail for an hour or two.
Close your door when working in your office. Tell people stopping by to chat that you're trying to complete an important project and you'll get back to them later on. If employees are constantly interrupting, this problem can easily be eliminated. Most questions are not emergency questions and can wait until later. You may set up an hour each day to meet with your employees to answer questions. Or perhaps questions must be submitted to you via e-mail, so you can answer them in writing, and in the priority and time that you feel to be appropriate.
If your children keep interrupting you, set some
boundaries. For instance, if you must work on a project from 2-3p.m., tell your
kids that you cannot be interrupted during that time unless there’s an
emergency.
8. Make a comeback.
No matter how much you plan, something is bound to go awry and throw you off
schedule. The important thing is that you don't spend time fretting and
complaining that your schedule has been interrupted. This won't help anything.
Just take a deep breath, and then determine what
you have to do to get back on track. Make a comeback--and remember, the
disruption is rarely earth shattering, and you can usually easily get back on
track in a reasonable amount of time.
P.S. If you enjoyed these tips, get over 1,300 more in Gracia’s book, Finally
Organized, Finally Free. Every idea, tip and technique is simple, proven
effective and ready for you to use immediately. There are over 1,300 simple
organizing ideas in 60 chapters, plus fill-in-forms and checklists. For more
information, check out Gracia’s website, getorganizednow.com