Are you one of those people who struggle to keep it all together when it comes to organization? Work itself, brings its own level of strain. To help ease the stresses of your everyday job, it only makes sense to try and keep yourself organized.

When it comes to organization there are plenty of ways to get it done. Here are 5 practices we love best to get you started on the road to productivity…

ORGANIZE YOUR DESKTOP:

You have probably heard the comment “A place for everything and everything in its place”. That statement has never been truer than when it pertains to your desktop.

When your desk is cluttered with items you don’t need, or a paper supply in random order you will find yourself feeling more frustrated. This is due to how clutter affects our emotional state. Even more so with how we have to take the time to go on a hunt every time we need to work with something. Your time is valuable and when you waste it looking for missing items you are throwing money out the window.

 

ORGANIZE YOUR DESKTOP BY…

• Use small shelving units for your paper supply
• Have a pencil holder on your desktop for scissors, pens and pencils
• Set up a file folding system in one of your desk drawers. (If your desk does not have a big enough drawer or any drawers at all, consider purchasing one of those small stand alone filing cabinets that you can keep under your desk. (or beside depending on how much space you have)
• Keep a coaster on your desk as the home for any drinks. This will alleviate the chance of something important being ruined by watermarks.
• Did you bring a snack to your desk? Keep it in your top drawer for easy access but still out of the way so it doesn’t get buried under something.

 

DIGITAL ORGANIZATION… 

Electronic organization is just as important as organizing your physical space. Do this by creating different folders and sub-folders on your computer for each project. This way when new files arrive you can easily file them away quickly.

This same concept applies to your email inbox. Try not to treat it as a storage space. Instead put everything in its own folder and only keep emails that require immediate attention in the inbox for easy access.

Do you have limited file file space? Why not give the cloud based option a try? This feature frees up your hard drive space while giving you access to files no matter where you are.

USE A PLANNER….

Today’s world offers both technology and good old paper and pen for this step. Depending on your organization preference there are many options to choose from. I personally like to use both in my every day. I love how the calendar on my phone will send me notifications. While at the same time there is something to said for writing your tasks out. The act of writing something down solidifies the thought into your memory better than our reliance on electronics.

At the start of your week it is best to go over the plans you have coming up. This will help you to be aware of what is due and in turn help you to keep things organized.

You don’t want to be missing appointments do you?

DO NOT MULTITASK…

Now I know you are probably thinking, but this will only hold me back. I am a super person when it comes to doing more than one thing at a time. Sorry to burst your bubble but no one, not even you can succeed well when you are multitasking.

Focusing on one task at a time will have them completed quicker than if you were doing more than one thing at a time. Multitasking is not your friend if you are trying to bring in a standard of organization.

According to an article out of the University of California; scientist Gloria Mark found that it took an average of 26 minutes to recover from trivial interruptions. It is therefore better to plan your day out ahead of time so you don’t have to work on more than one thing at once. This will not only have you working more productively but feeling less stress.

TAKE BREAKS …

There is a common belief that taking a break will cause us to lose productive work time in our day. However, taking that 30 minute lunch break is what actually keeps you sane. Neuroscientist David Levitin says that, taking a break actually allows us to daydream. Daydreaming frees our minds from the stress of responsibility. This can then actually work to give a boost to our productivity when we return back to business.

Next time you feel guilty for shutting off for a few minutes, just think about how effective you are making yourself in the long run.

IN CONCLUSION …

The skill of organization will not necessarily come easy for everyone. It can take intentional effort on an ongoing basis before it becomes a habit. In order to help with this progression it is a good idea to end your day with prep for the next one. Update your to-do list and file away projects that are completed. Check in with your planner so you don’t miss any important upcoming engagements.

Ending your day with organization prep for the next one serves to increase your productivity. As well as lessening the stress that comes with working a 9-5 job.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get to organizing.