Are you one of those working individuals with messy desks, lost phone numbers and forgotten invoices? Is your desk is almost puking with files and the dustbin near your feet is overfilled with waste papers? And on more occasions than one, your important documents are no where to be found and the cheques that were meant to be dropped at the bank remain in your drawer until the concerned person gives you three calls stating that if he does not receive the payment in another three days, the deal would be cancelled. Well, this is a usual scenario in the day to day activity of a disorganized person. Not that such people evade working, it is just that these people forget the organization part of working. Organizing the office desk can prove to be a daunting task, but can be easily done with little effort and control. Organization at office is all about handling papers, emails, phone, your time, and all the other tasks and responsibilities that make up your work day. Organizing is a learned skill and helps in working efficiently, which, in turn, ensures increased productivity. Read on to get tips on being organized.
Being Organized
Declutter
Are you in love with the mess around? Of course, not! So, why be amidst clutter? De-clutter your office space and surrounding by clearing off the table, arranging the drawers, tidying the desk, emptying the desktop and so on. This would not only help you getting more organized, but also assist you in breathing fresh. Every morning, being greeted with a tidy space is inviting and also fills each individual with a positive energy. Also, you do not have to have a war with the unnecessary stuff to find something important. And remember, clutter is enough to drain you out of your finances and schedule.
Create Few Manageable Lists
The key to being organized at work is to create few lists that are easy to manage. Make three lists, “To Do List”, “Waiting For” and “Someday”. You can also create more lists but try to keep them simple. The to-do list should contain all the urgent and important things that you need to get done. You can add a motivational quote in the starting of the list to encourage yourself. The waiting-for list should include all the things you are waiting for others to do. It can involve the stuffs you have delegated to others. The third list can include anything that you do not need to work on urgently.
Review Your Lists
Making a list does not end it all. You need to review it from time to time to actually look into the functionality of it. For the same, spend some part of your daily time in reviewing your lists. Just like as you attend your emails and perform any other task, your to-do lists also needs attention. By just spending 5 minutes at the beginning and 5 minutes at the end of each day, you would get a clear picture of what needs to be done. Reviewing also helps in keeping your lists up-to-date.
Limit Yourself to 3 Things a Day
Learn to assign yourself 3 things for the day. Limiting yourself to only 3 things is an important step in effective organization and leads to success. It means that you have gone through the lists and have decided what is most important for you. Be easy on yourself and don’t pick more than 3 things for the day as most days don’t go as planned. Picking only 3 things for the day provides necessary time to do other upcoming tasks.
Be Ready for Unexpected
Not each day is your own and not each day is favorable. Also, everything in life does not go as planned. So, it is advisable to not get discouraged if your plans don’t work out the way you want. Life is full of unexpected events and instances like these only seem to disrupt your plans. If you are in control, remember you can easily revert to the actual course of action.
Art of Multitasking
Gone are the days when working meant doing one task all through the day! Today, most working professionals are entrusted with more than one project and the deal is to complete all of them at a single go. Though this sounds impossible, it can be done by learning the art of multi tasking. Club some similar works so that they are done at go. However, make sure that you give undivided attention to important and critical tasks.
Discipline is the Key
To unlock the lock of disorganization, you need to have the key of discipline. All the above pointers would make no sense if you continue to procrastinate things, get swayed by distractions and keep ignoring the important stuff. If you have been cheating your to-do list, know that you are doing nothing but cheating yourself. So, instead of slipping things to the bottom of the list, get started and be disciplined, for only then, you can bring control and structure back into your life.
We hope that these tips on being organized would help you in learning this skill and you will be able to succeed in your life, without having to cater to any mess and chaos. Best of Luck!
