Improve Your Processes

Getting organized is no easy task, and it’s certainly not something that is going to happen overnight. It takes time to develop a system, will to stick to it, and effort to maintain it. There’s something to be said about the ability to multi-task and remember every single event, task, and project that needs to be completed. But for the rest of us, organization is a must.

#1 – Scheduling

Take time out of your day to plan ahead. Make sure you’ve scheduled all of your meetings for the week on Monday and that you’ve scheduled for things like lunch breaks and time to work independently. Don’t allow people to add things to your calendar without asking you, and never allow others to pass along tasks to you when your list is already full. Make sure you’ve scheduled arrival and departure times and stick to them. Leave your work at work and go home to relax at the end of the day.

#2 – Productivity Apps

Consider downloading apps that will help you stay organized and maintain productivity, especially while you travel. For example, Expensify is an excellent app to organize your travel receipts and accounting. With it, you can easily hand off your expense reports to your corporate travel manager or accounting department. Use the Notes app that comes standard with any phone to make lists of tasks when you don’t have paper and pencil. Stay organized by referring to these lists frequently and writing them down when you get back to the office.

#3 – Maximize Travel Time

Don’t waste time on the plane by sleeping or watching a movie. Maximize that time by tackling some of your harder tasks. When you’re in the back of your chauffeured car, make sure you connect to the wireless Internet that comes standard with most car services. Now you can check emails, video conference people in the office, and catch up on drafts of your presentation. Getting work done while traveling will give you more time to relax when you’re at home or in your hotel room. It will also keep you from being overwhelmed with too much to do in a short amount of time.

#4 – Start Clean Finish Clean

Your desk should be completely clean at the beginning of the day—there shouldn’t be any paperwork piled up in bins. Keep track of your task list, and take about 10 minutes in the morning to go over what will be expected of you for the day. At the end of the day, make sure you’ve completely finished anything of importance. When you leave, make sure that as many tasks as possible are complete. Take a minute to prioritize leftover tasks to ensure that what needs to get done is finished in a timely manner.

#5 – Write It Down

Write everything down. Even if you don’t think a certain detail won’t be important, it might be the key to closing a deal. Write down client interactions, important notes, dates, and events. Keep track of every appointment you make by writing it down even if you aren’t in front of your calendar. Text yourself reminder messages, if needed. You can leave them unread until you are ready to review them. Writing everything down will ensure that you complete everything assigned to you in a timely manner. Being organized is no simple task. Once you’ve figured out the areas of your professional life that are unorganized it’s time to change your habits and put these practices into place. It takes 28 days to reverse a habit, so the best advice is to be diligent, remain focused, and stick to the system.