Not Naturally Organized? No Problem
A little bit of chaos every once in a while can be fun, refreshing even. However constant chaos, especially in your work, can hemorrhage your time and efficiency.
You don’t have to be naturally organized to get everything under control. Here are some quick tips for creating order and harmony in the face of chaos.
Remember these three foundational steps. Return to them day after day when a sense of chaos or overwhelm begins to creep in.
Minimize: Break up big tasks into little tasks. (Just one of the amazing ideas we love from this professional organizer’s blog post.)
Categorize: Group your tasks into categories that make sense to you. (Example categories: Urgency, deadline, project, goal area, importance, difficulty, etc.) This exercise works a bit like the “chunking” learning methodology. When you group your tasks into categories, you turn a haphazard mass of information into chunks your brain can more easily process.
Prioritize: If you have too many tasks on your plate, then you’ll find it challenging to keep them organized. (Some experts recommend limiting your list to just 9 items.)
Use the tools and resources you find enjoyable to make organization a fun and natural part of your day.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Integrate all your calendars, notes, and to-dos into 24Me so you can look at everything at once.
- Use Jour to easily keep a daily journal that helps you wrap your head around everything.
- Experiment with Onenote templates to organize your to-dos, calendar, notes, and anything else you want.
- Use Toodledo to set up tasks and to-dos and then get reminders so you don’t have to keep anything in your head.
- Put everything in ink using a pretty organizer pad.
- Use project management software, such as Microsoft Planner, Asana, or Trello. (You can even read about how a professional organizer uses Trello for daily task management.)
- Use Celoxis to upload all your documents, emails, and spreadsheets and organize them in one place.
- Declutter your mind to make it easier to declutter your work.