A standard work day’s productivity can vary a lot between what you want to do, what you intend to do, and what you actually end up doing. Sometimes you go into work with the very best of intentions and set out to have a super productive day, but then by 11 AM you still haven’t got anything done and you’re wondering where the day is going. Sometimes it’s not up to you whether you get anything done, as the office can resemble a zoo – and sometimes it’s just so hard to get organised when everyone is roaming around and interrupting your workflow.
It helps with your productivity if you have a set method and some tactics in place that you follow as religiously as possible when times (and staying focused) gets tough.
We’ve compiled a list of the top five tips that you can follow if you want to stay organised at work. Hopefully you’ll find that there is some semblance of organisation that comes from this!
Step One: Record everything
Make sure you have an excellent desk calendar for you to record all of your events and upcoming engagements. That way you’ll have a reference available that will serve as a constant reminder. A calendar is available on almost every single device and computer nowadays, but there’s also something really nice about having a tactile and physical calendar on your desk as a reference point.
Step Two: Use time tracking and productivity tools
Think about getting yourself installed some software that is capable of tracking time and measuring your productivity. This kind of thing can sometimes be very useful for people who have been doing the same kind of work for a while, as it helps you to recognise patterns of behaviour and different kinds of time-wasting behaviour.
From monitoring your behaviour it’s possible to make the necessary changes to it. Some kinds of software run in the background of your computer and monitor how much time you’re spending on certain tasks or in certain apps – and how often you switch around between certain things. It can be very helpful as both a time tracker, and also as a means of checking up on yourself.
Step Three: Learn what experts do
Learn as much as you possibly can about the art of getting organised! Learn from the experts – or at least from the people who have gone before you and figured out a system that works for getting your stuff together.
There are a multitude of blogs and advice columns and papers out there, both in the library and on the internet, and you’ll find that you can learn a lot from other people on how to get organised.
Step Four: Get your office on board
If you work in a small office, or in a team within a larger office, you might find that other people are struggling with similar issues to yourself. A way around this is to get everyone together and get them all on board with your new organisational roster. If you figure out what is the most time consuming team activity you can work out a way to deal out tasks, or to streamline the process.
There are various tactics and tools you can use to help streamline things – and once again you could consult with the internet on this one!
Step Five: Share the load with some other people
A great place to get some inspiration for your organisational journey is online, and it’s also where you’ll find a team of like-minded people who can work with you on getting organised and share you successes. A forum is a great place to get in touch with other people – so use all of the possible resources out there to keep yourself on track and you’ll find that your success comes sooner than later.