Staying organised at work can be challenging, especially when you have a lot going on. I definitely understand that feeling when you get in to the office and find that you are completely overwhelmed with your workload. When you have a lot going on, staying focussed can be quite difficult and managing your time can be a challenge. With all of this... productivity dips and can hit rock bottom (especially on a Monday!)
However, I have 5 tips that may help to overcome the stress of having a lot of work to do. Here are my tips and advice for organising yourself at work...
1. MAKE LISTS
I am a big list writer. I love lists. I have lists for my own personal life. Lists for my blog. Lists for my errands. And of course, lists for work. Writing lists can help you simplify your tasks into a couple of bullet points. By doing so, you can visualise what you exactly have to do in the day and work through it in a systematic order (more on this shortly).
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2. HAVE A DIARY OR NOTEBOOK
Keeping a diary or notebook can help you schedule in meetings, notes and tasks and remain on the ball with it all. Basically keeping everything (meeting dates, notes, important information etc.) in a written format can help in terms of reminding yourself to do something or even when it comes to scheduling things in to your day. I am a strong believer in keeping a written copy of your work as well as a digital copy!
3. FILE YOUR WORK
Separating your work into different files can help when it comes to tackling your to-do list as well as if you were sourcing a specific document. Digital and print filing will keep your workspace/desktop clutter free and will make it easy when it comes to going about your day-to-day jobs.
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4. START PRIORITISING
Okay so when you are looking at your list of things to do, start prioritising the tasks so you know what you are going to be doing when. Consider deadlines, timescales, how long a task will take you, meetings scheduled and of course what is most urgent.
I usually have a colour coding system to represent what is priority and what is not as time-sensitive. Perhaps try doing this and using sticky notes to display what is most important and what is least important. This can help you manage your time at work and boss your to-do list!
5. AVOID MULTI-TASKING
Multi-tasking is a massive skill to possess. Although it can be good sometimes, if you have a busy day at work, it can be overwhelming and mind boggling to try and tackle a few tasks simultaneously. Instead, focus your attention on one thing at a time. By drawing attention to a single task (instead of two or three) it can definitely help put your mind at ease and allow you to complete the task well before moving on to the next thing on your list.
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How do you like to organise yourself at work?
