Busy professionals often find that their days look like a blur. They have so much on their plate that it’s hard to focus on one thing at a time. Hence, the tendency to take on a lot of work simultaneously. But if you think about it, this isn’t very productive.
Working on a lot of things at once or multitasking reduces the quality of the results. For busy professionals, it might seem like the only way to accomplish everything they need to. But with a little organization, it will be easier to align tasks, allocate time for meetings, and keep up with due dates. Here are some tips on how to stay organized.
Invest in a planner
If you’re incredibly busy every day, never rely on your memory. Doing so puts you at risk of forgetting important events like your appointment with your dentist or your FHA loan application due date.
Save yourself from depleting your energy trying to remember your schedules and task, and invest in a planner. Make it a habit to jot down your to-do lists and appointments. This will help you keep track of everything you have on your plate. If you’re not up to carrying a notebook and pen with you everywhere you go, there are so many digital apps nowadays that can help you plan and organize your schedule. So really, you have no excuse.
Categorize your paperwork
Busy professionals know the feeling of entering their office and seeing stacks of paperwork they need to accomplish. But are they all urgent? The key to meeting deadlines is knowing how to prioritize. Arrange your paperwork by category. Put urgent tasks on your desks, so you know that you have to address them first. Others that are due later in the week should be stacked somewhere else. Doing this will help you focus on one pile of paperwork at a time, accomplishing those that are more urgent than others.
Spread your work throughout the week
Human beings love to procrastinate. We understand that accomplishing tasks early might not be an option if you’re busy with other matters. But there’s a way for you to work with your schedule and stay on top of deadlines.
Take a look at your planner and determine which days of the week you’re busiest. Then identify tasks that would likely take up most of your time. Spread out the work for those tasks by scheduling an hour or two in less busy days to work on them. Doing this will save you from spending late nights in the office the day before your due date.
Follow the 2-minute rule
The 2-minute rule is something all professionals need to follow to avoid piling up work. The rule says if you can accomplish a task in less than two minutes, then you should do it right at that moment. Don’t pile it up with other intimidating tasks.
For example, you need to send an email to your assistant or your boss. Composing that message won’t take longer than two minutes. But a lot of us put off doing it for a later time. Doing that will pile up work. But if you follow the 2-minute rule, you’re checking off more tasks in your to-do list, hence, freeing up more time for you to focus on important matters.
Staying organized is the key to meeting deadlines and accomplishing tasks. Take these tips and prepare for a more productive and efficient workflow.
