Do you have a problem staying organized and focused? This is an issue for many people today, at home and on the job.
Adopt the following 7 practices, tips and strategies, and you will find yourself clutter free and focused, organized and more productive.
Let Technology Help You
There are several applications and pieces of software 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
- CamCard
- Expensify
- Tripit
- Hshtags
- MailTime
- HabitList
- IFTTT
- Toodledo
- Cold Turkey
- ProcrasterApp
- CoSchedule
- Venmo
List Your Big 3 Every Day
Write down your top 3 tasks for the day. Accomplish or complete these first, before you do anything else.
You will find your productivity soar, and your organizational skills improve.
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.
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.
Simplify
Do you really need another purse or pair of shoes? How many sports jerseys are enough?
Do you have too many televisions, smartphones, tablets and computers? 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 or chore the more you are putting on your plate.
Just like the last tip, simplifying, learning to say no means fewer obligations and simpler organization.
Clean Your Workstation
Relatively recent research about clutter reveals a simple way to organize your life. Did you know that everything in your field of vision is being processed by your eyes and mind?
You may be consciously writing a report or listening to a conference call. At the same time, your brain is trying to handle any and 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 improving.