It's 10:38am and you are on a roll. You are so deeply
involved in your work, that you barely notice the world
around you. You are in the zone. You just need to verify
the date on that invoice…but where is that invoice? It was
right there a second ago. Nothing throws off your
concentration faster that disorganization. You may have to
spend the next 10 minutes looking through drawers, the
piles on your desk and maybe even the recycling bin to see
if it accidentally ended up there.
Are you one of those people who say they have their 'own'
filing system? This usually is just a cover for 'I
basically know what each of these various piles are here
for and can probably tell you what's in some of them.'
There is no telling how much time can be lost in a day due
to disorganization. Imagine if every time you needed
something, it was right where it was supposed to be. What
a time saver that would be! If you are trying to find a
way to avoid losing precious minutes out of your day trying
to find that file, email, invoice or pen, the following
tips may be valuable to you.
1. File everyday. Don't let papers build up on your desk.
Piles of paper sitting on your desk not only hamper your
efficiency, they create stress as well. Imagine sitting
down to work with nothing but your current project on your
desk. Now imagine it (if it doesn't already resemble this)
with piles of work everywhere. You can feel the stress
those piles create. Set aside 15 minutes each day to
create files, label them clearly and set up a filing system
or just keep them in alphabetical order. This will be a
great time saver the next time that you are looking for
that invoice. The 15 minutes a day you put into this will
be regained and then some in the time that you don't have
to spend searching for things.
2. Organize your computer files. Just as you set up a
filing system for your papers, you need to arrange a filing
system on your computer. Not being able to find a document
on your computer is every bit as frustrating as losing one
on paper. But this is very easily avoided, since every
time you save a document on your computer, you are asked
where you would like to save it. If you have just been
randomly saving your work wherever your computer prompts
you to, it's time to clean up. Create folders for larger
topics and subfolders within each topic. For example, if
you work with contracts, have one folder called
'contracts', and within this folder have a subfolder where
you keep your contract templates called 'templates' and
other subfolders for each of your clients where you can
store copies of the contracts you have with each customer.
You should also regularly organize your desktop in order to
avoid sitting and staring at it unproductively for long
periods. You need to eliminate the clutter on your desktop
by erasing any shortcuts for programs that you don't use
often. This will enable you to quickly access your
frequently used programs.
3. Make to-do lists. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with
work that you don't even know where to begin? Making a
to-do list at the start of each work day is such a simple
step, but will help enormously to keep you on track. You
will avoid starting one task only to realize that you have
something more important that needs to be done first. I
personally have found to-do lists to be the most effective
time saver and I am constantly amazed at how doing such a
small thing as creating a list makes me a great deal more
efficient.
4. Be neat. It's incredibly simple and amazingly effective
at saving you time. Put things back in their place when
you are finished with them. There is nothing more
irritating than having to stop working in order to find
your pen. If you don't have them already, find some
organizational objects for your desk such as, a cup for
your pens, a box for your paperclips and an in-box for your
newest tasks. Keep the supplies you use frequently such as
staples, staplers, highlighters and hanging file folder
tabs in one easily accessible place.
5. Keep a calendar. With all of the responsibilities you
have in a day, you can't possibly expect to remember
everything. A calendar will keep you on track and help you
to avoid missing important meetings, appointments and even
family events. If you use Microsoft Outlook, and have your
computer on throughout the day, use its calendar or you can
find many free calendar programs online. Just do a Google
search for 'free online calendars'. If you don't work at
your computer all day, consider buying an agenda to keep
you on track, or a handheld such as a Palm Pilot or Pocket
PC, or check if your cell phone has a calendar you can use.
Organization is the key to efficiency. Using these few
simple steps will help your work day run considerably
smoother. Taking the time to get organized is just the
first step. Maintaining organization is the solution for
helping you to remain effective in your work. Take charge
of your time by following these tips, it will cost you
little time, but will ultimately save you considerable
hours.
----------------------------------------------------
Kelly Sims is a Virtual Assistant and President of
Virtually There VA Services. Please visit her website to
sign up for her monthly newsletter providing useful
information that enhances and simplifies the lives of busy
entrepreneurs. =>
No comments:
Post a Comment