Hey,
Are you confusing being productive with working as fast as you can, every second of the day? Maybe with a fear that slowing down to get organised will kill your productivity?
Check these facts out:
- The average office employee spends over one hour each day just looking for things.
- The average executive spends six weeks per year searching through a messy desk and disorganised files for misplaced information.
- 23% of adults say they’re late paying their bills because they lose them.
Being disorganised is costly, in terms of both money and time.
So if you can convince yourself to slow down and get organised, the ROI will blow your mind.
Here’s my top 5 tips for getting organised & maximising your productivity on a daily basis;
#1: Plan your days the night before.
Go to bed each night organised, secure in the knowledge of what you’ll accomplish the following day. Get your priorities straight the night before, so that once the day starts, you’re less likely to get distracted.
#2: Work from a single to-do list.
When you consolidate everything into one list, you always know where to look, and you can stop wasting time trying to remember which list has the information you need.
#3: Make time for lunch.
We’ve all been there—you’re head-down busy, and by the time you look up, it’s way past lunchtime. As far as skipping meals, not only does it affect your concentration, productivity, and problem-solving skills, it also affects your general health. Eat to perform.
#4: Eat frogs.
“Eating a frog” is the best antidote for procrastination; Do the least appetising, most dreaded item on your to-do list first, before anything else. After that, you are freed up to tackle the stuff that you really enjoy or want to do.
#5: Tidy up at the end of each day.
Set aside 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to organise your space. Check off what you have done, check up on what’s required for tomorrow.
So as Benjamin Franklin said
“For every minute spent organising, an hour is earned.”
This estimation is perhaps overstated but spending time getting organised is still a valuable investment.
There’s a reason why people who are the calmest and least stressed are the ones who get the most done—they understand the importance of organisation, and have adapted their habits accordingly.
Have a great week.
It’s all about progress over perfection.
Rich
