We take organization for granted, but did you know organization radically increases your productivity? Imagine the time you can save figuring your next move or where you put the things you need for today’s agenda. When you are organized, there is no wasted time on completing your daily routine. Do not worry, we get your distress. Every professional has fallen prey tedious routines and messy office desks. Papers are piling up and empty coffee cups begin to take space on your workplace.
In line with this, the National Associate of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conducted a survey among more than 1, 000 office workers. A whopping 82 percent said they feel being organized pays in terms of improving productivity and performance, yet 42 percent said they clean up their workplace only once a month. Moreover, 32 percent admitted to keeping a disorganized working desk. Workplace clutters usually includes food containers, papers and even boxes of office shoes. Aside from these things hamper productivity, keeping your desk unorganized leads to missed deadlines and tardiness. To solve this, get storage cabinets can quickly transform a cluttered garage or office desk into an organized space. In addition, here are some tips to increase productivity.
- Plan your day the night before. I know you may be sleepy, lazy or even tired to do this but it will save your ass out. No more late/absences just because you wasted so much time figuring your next move, or your OOTD-approved office look.
- Write things down. From grocery list, holidays, deadlines, and important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. In this manner, things are more organized and permanent. Also, follow your assigned schedules and deadlines strictly. By living an organized lifestyle, you can track your progress for those deadlines as well.
- Know when and where to unload stuff. Less things=less clutter. Donate your old clothes to charity or sell it in a bazaar. Things of your ex still at your apartment? Sell it in eBay or Craiglist. In this manner, you only have what you need to keep.
- Learn to delegate properly. Hey, you do not have the superpowers to do everything. Make sure you know the strengths and weaknesses of your colleagues so you can get done things efficiently and effectively. If you keep doing all the things alone, you will not only lose your precious time but it will also be detrimental to your well-being. Lastly, it will also crash down your business or organization.
- Create an email-checking schedule. Make sure that you do not constantly refresh your emails from time to time. Before you know it, you already consumed 5 hours of your time answering emails. Do not also ignore emails altogether because it would take a toll on your accountability. Also, delayed communication can create misunderstandings in the workplace. The recommended email schedule is to answer emails four times a day, 20 minutes allocated for each period. You may start handling emails to start your day, before lunch break, mid-afternoon (preferably between 2 and before leaving the workplace.
- Utilize automation – If you can set up automatic payments for employees or simply paying your monthly utility bills, do so. Not worrying about paying bills on time will remove stress in your life so you can focus your time and energy to more productive things.
- Schedule your personal time. We can’t always unleash our inner Rihanna and work, work, work all the time. Non-stop working leads to stress and over fatigue, thus completely killing your productivity and overall well-being. Dedicate this allotted time to family, beau, friends or hobbies.