4 Steps to Organize Your Day

Over the years I've tested and used a variety of tools and methods to be organized, whether it's in my personal or work life. There are two reasons that I have continued to work at improving on my methods of organization - because I want to make the most of my time and be my best, and because I want to prevent others (family or coworkers) from being frustrated with me. 😂

Here are some key methods I've learned through trial and error that might be of help to you

1. Write it down - but NOT on a sticky note! Ok, so I do have sticky notes and there are times I use them for quick note, but they do not play a part in tracking project or to-do lists. Instead of sticky notes, try out a notebook and keep trying out different sizes or formats until you find the one that fits you. Each day start a new page in that notebook (depending on your workload, you might used a page a week) and write down everything you need to accomplish that day or week. Here are four tips that work for me: 

• Think projects first. A mentor in the workplace taught me this years ago and it made a big difference. Always list your projects at the top to keep them in front of you. Projects should drive your to-do lists. It's great to mark off an item off your task list, but seeing a project marked off is even more gratifying. 😊
• Keep track of conversation topics you need to have by writing down team members' names with a growing list of agenda items so you are ready next time you meet. This also keeps down the number of meetings needed, benefiting both of you.
• Keep notes of conversations you have in the notebook and highlight it at the top of the page for an easy find later. 
• If you have to use a sticky note because you don't have your notebook handy, transfer the info over to the notebook later. 

2. Think through your entire day first thing each morning, but also plan out the week on Monday morning. When are your meetings or appointments that will determine the flow of your days? When are the blocks of times where you can accomplish tasks that take longer periods of time? When are you more productive and what needs to get done during time? For example, I set aside longer blocks of time for projects that require writing. 

3. Analyze your use of time. Are you spending extended time each day on time-wasters such as scanning social media, news sites, or checking up on your favorite teams on ESPN? We all like to be caught up on what's happening in the world, but if your time invested in that makes your work day longer or causes coworkers frustration because you are holding them up, then maybe you should move scanning the web to the evening. Is there something else that distracts you such as talking on the phone, hanging out in the break room too much, or even daydreaming? Think about what distracts you during the day - identify it and make some adjustments. 

4. Exercise. Yes, exercise. 😉Exercise reduces stress, increases energy, makes you more alert, and just makes you feel better. Exercising in the morning starts your day off with all those benefits and prepares you for a productive day! Google it and see for yourself, but better yet... give it a try for a week and prove it. 

There are so many more ways to improve on productivity and I should probably be better at working toward short term and long term goals, but these four changes helped me. I hope they encourage you! Do you have any tips to share?