7 Ways to Get Organized at Home and Work
With our crazy busy schedules, it is not uncommon to get lost in the chaos. From being a parent, running a home, working, and being present at extracurricular activities, we barely have time to get organized. It is no surprise that most people suffer from being unorganized and deal with issues staying focused. Below are 7 ways to get organized at home and work, resulting in more productivity and peace.
7 Ways to Get Organized at Home and Work
Benefit From Technology
There are several applications and tools that can keep you organized at home and on the job. The following apps are some of the most popular for organizing work, handling travel plans, freeing you from text message overwhelm and helping you in other important aspects of your personal and business lives.
- GroupMe
- Track My Life
- Dropbox
- HabitList
- CamCard
- Expensify
- Tripit
- MailTime
- IFTTT
- Toodledo
- Trello
- Omni Writer
- Cold Turkey
- ProcrasterApp
Clean Your Workstation
Research about clutter reveals a simple way to organize your life. Everything in your field of vision is being processed by your eyes and brain. You may be consciously working on a project or listening to a conference call, but at the same time, your brain is trying to handle all visual data that your eyes are processing. Clear your workstation of everything but the essentials you need to do your job and you will find your ability to stay organized and focused improve.
Focus On Your Big 3 Daily
Write down your top three tasks for the day. Complete these first, before you do anything else. If your top three tasks can be broken down into three mini-steps – even better! By being focused on fewer tasks your productivity will increase. By marking items off of your to-do list the feeling of accomplishment will motivate you to stay focused.
Do One Thing At a Time
Do you remember a few years back, when multitasking was all the rage? As it turns out, you get more accomplished when you focus on one task at a time. The human brain works better when it is devoted to one train of thought. Research backs up this belief, showing that multitaskers suffer higher levels of stress and anxiety, and more disorganization as well.
If you are a multitasker to the core, try setting a timer to focus on one task for a small amount of time before moving to the next.
Handle Things Once
Deal with your mail as soon as you take it from your mailbox. Don’t take it inside, lay it down on your desk or counter, intending to deal with it later. Do the same thing with every physical and virtual object or piece of information you have to deal with. Handle everything one time, and you cut down on the time spent trying to organize your life.
This may be a little more difficult when it comes to email if you keep a busy work schedule. To work towards the goal of handling messages one time, set aside 30 minutes to an hour each morning to sort through emails and handle them at once. Then schedule another half-hour in the afternoon to go through new emails.
Simplify
Cleaning out the closets and cabinets in my home always gives me a sense of peace. It feels freeing to declutter. Learning to let go of objects is a way to clear mental space. How many coffee cups can you drink out of at one time? Take some time to simplify your life. Organization is easier when you have fewer things to deal with.
Learn to Say No
Sometimes organization simply means saying no. The more times you agree to help someone out with a task the more you are putting on your shoulders. Just like the last tip, simplifying, learning to say no means fewer obligations and simpler organization.