If so, ask yourself this: Was that day all about checking your emails, answering the phone, and spending time in marathon meetings? Such situations can happen often in this fast-paced world. It is so full of different distractions. This is why we must take care of our productivity. Productivity is not about working more. It is just the opposite: working less, in less time, with more effect. In this article, you are going to learn how to be more organized at work to boost your productivity.
How To Stay Organized at Work
Organizing Your Time
Organizing your time is the first crucial step to take in order to boost your productivity. Using your time wisely means that you have time for work, leisure, along with also having time for your family and friends. At the end of the day, we all have 24 hours each day. It is up to you how to become more organized at work to achieve your goals.
1. “Eat That Frog”
“Eat that frog!” simply means you do your most important task first. After completing your most important task, you will fill fulfilled and satisfied for the rest of the day. By practicing this habit, and learning how to get more organized at work, you will also avoid one of the biggest enemies of productivity — procrastination.
2. Put Time Limits on Your Work
No matter what I do, whether writing an article, shooting a video, or working on a marketing campaign, I always put a time limit on my work. That means that I decide in advance how much time I am going to spend writing an article: I set it to a certain number of hours and not a minute more. If you want to increase your productivity before you start writing a letter to your customer or learning online skills or any new task you start, put a time limit on your work. You will see how effective you will become after setting a specific amount of time to do the job.
3. Break Your Work Down Into Sessions
How do you stay organized at work? Your brain and your body are impressive machines — but don’t overuse them. Studies show that your brain’s effectiveness significantly decreases after 45 minutes. Make a habit of having five- or ten-minute breaks every 45 minutes. Stretch your body and allow your brain to regenerate. Doing so will help you to start each hour fresh and increase your productivity.
4. Don’t Be Addicted to Your Mailbox
Checking your mailbox every 30 minutes or setting an automated email checker makes you completely reactive — as opposed to being proactive — and thus significantly decreases your productivity. Tomorrow, when you go to work, resist checking your email as the first thing you do in the morning. Instead, learn how to organize your office work more efficiently and work on your most important task first. After that, you have plenty of time to do all the little things.
5. Choose 5 Priorities Each Day (And No More)
Multitasking is another thing that can greatly decrease your productivity. The best way to avoid it is to learn how to get organized at work and be more productive. Start by choosing only five priorities each day and stick to them strictly. This will make you a proactive person — you won’t be distracted by 100 other “urgent” things.
Organizing Your Mindset
Your mindset can do wonders for your productivity. With the right mindset, you just know what’s the right thing to do and what has the best effect on your life. Mindset can have the biggest impact on your productivity, so it is well worth working on.
6. Use Affirmations
Actually, we all use affirmations all the time. Different thoughts are crossing our minds constantly. The question is: are you using the positive ones? Start telling yourself things like: “I am successful,” or “I attract ______________ (insert whatever it is that you are dreaming of).” Use positive affirmations first thing when you wake up and repeat them throughout the day. They will affect your confidence — the more confident you are, the more effective you are.
7. Imagine Your End Result
Before you start your workday, don’t just rush into your work. First, imagine the end result you wish to have. By doing this, you will tap into your subconscious strength and empower your productivity.
8. Read Inspirational Books
Inspiration is food for your mind. Just as you shower every day to cleanse your body, you should shower your soul with inspiration every day. Read inspirational books, watch inspirational videos, and listen to inspirational audio. When you are inspired, you work with ease and your productivity will rise substantially.
9. Think Good Thoughts Before You Go to Sleep
I am sure you have already experienced having bad dreams after watching a horror movie before you went to sleep. Why? Because your subconscious mind is very receptive to your thoughts in the last 45 minutes before you go to sleep. So, before you go to sleep, think of your next day’s goals, your life dreams, or read a good motivational book. In that way, you will fill your subconsciousness with positive thoughts. Your subconscious will reciprocate by helping you to have increased productivity.
10. Create a Morning and Night Routine
To boost your productivity, you need to be organized. And the organization is all about creating order. If you don’t have a routine to start and end your days, now is the best time to create one. Creating a routine and following it is one of the best ways to form new positive habits. A good morning routine should give you ample time to ease into the day. You can start by waking up ten to fifteen minutes earlier every day to have some personal time every morning. The majority of successful people wake up twenty to thirty minutes earlier every morning to exercise, meditate, or read to prepare their bodies and minds for the busy day ahead. At night, you should focus on the activities that help you unwind from your day. You can have a relaxing shower, a cup of green tea, or read an interesting book. By doing this, you’ll not only form good night-time habits but also promote sleep which is essential for productivity.
11. Set Clear Goals
Setting clear and achievable goals every day will prevent you from being distracted. This exercise will keep you focused on the most important things. For instance, instead of setting a goal to lose weight, you should consider eating more fruits and vegetables during the day. Instead of focusing on being more productive, you can set a goal of working on a big project for at least thirty minutes every day. You should keep in mind that organization is all about forming good habits. Adding good habits to your daily routine will pay off in spades.
12. Use Your Calendar
A calendar is one of the best tools for anyone who wants to boost their productivity and performance in the workplace. You should always keep your calendar where you can see and access it. If it’s on your phone or computer, keep its icon in a visible place. With a calendar, you should avoid memorizing your tasks and deadlines. Whenever something important comes up, add it to your calendar without hesitating. Avoid filling every empty slot with a task. You need free time and flexibility to be productive in the workplace.
13. Delegate Tasks
Being productive means knowing what to do and what to avoid. Don’t try to do everything alone. Delegate some tasks if possible. Ask your child to do the dishes. Or have your boyfriend do the shopping for you. You need to distribute work fairly to have time for the most important tasks.
Organizing Your Space
There are many studies that show how to be better organized at work, the right lighting, and temperature can affect your productivity. But don’t limit your thinking just to your physical space. Think of space as your entire working environment, including your virtual space.
14. Keep Your Workspace Organized
If you want to boost your productivity, you should always keep your workspace organized. A messy workspace will waste your time when looking for the materials that you need to start working. Clean up your workspace after use to avoid wasting time and energy the following day.
15. Write Things Down
What I learned from reading the biography of Sir Richard Branson years ago is that he always carries an old-fashioned paper notebook with him. Why is this habit so beneficial and why it can greatly affect your productivity? When a new idea pops into your mind, you can quickly write it down in your notebook. So, write those ideas down in your paper notebook. That means all of your ideas — otherwise, you will just forget them (yes, your smartphone will also get the job done). These little ideas can make a big difference in your work.
Bottom Line
Learning how to be more organized at work and boosting your productivity is not a walk in the park. There are a lot of things that demand our attention from the moment we get up. Since time is a precious resource, it’s important that you organize your activities according to priority. Consider delegating or eliminating less important tasks. By having a routine and keeping your workspace organized, you’ll save a lot of time and energy in the long run. Featured photo credit: Marta Filipczyk via unsplash.com
