Self Organisation: How efficient are you?

Written by talentspa on .

Deadlines, ongoing projects, business meetings, it’s very easy to for you to be constantly swamped at work. Sometimes the biggest struggle can be knowing which task to prioritise and how to stay on top of everything to ensure nothing slips through the net. Truth is, nothing can be solved without a clear head. Here are a few suggestions to help keep you sane and organised throughout the manic moments in your working life.

Prioritising

When creating your task list, ranking in order of deadline, will also enable you to remain productive and efficient. Getting started on something that isn’t required for another weeks’ time, but leaving a presentation until last minute when its due tomorrow morning, is not ideal.

Once a task has been completed, cross it off. Not only is this a small sense of achievement, but crossing it off also enables you to stop focusing on it, you are now able to put it to one side and continue working your way down your list.

If you prefer using programmes or technology, created reminders on your calendar is also a good idea.

Note-taking is essential if you expect to be productive. You cannot remember everything without capturing thoughts and information in writing and storing them where you can easily retrieve them when needed. Otherwise, you will find yourself wasting untold amounts of time hunting for something you require in order to accomplish the task at hand.

A Systematic Approach

Having a systematic approach to your day allows you to steer clear from any distractions or non-urgent tasks that are not time sensitive. If you’re tech savvy or a traditional pen-and-paper person, having a daily ‘To Do’ list can manage your workload and time keeping.

Schedule a time during the day to check emails. Maybe first thing in the morning, then again before and after lunch. Consider it a formal task. This way you are keeping updated with communication, however not constantly allowing your mind to be distracted.

Be Specific

For each task you add to your list, be specific. ‘finalise project’ is too vague for it to benefit your productiveness. What do you require in order to finalise the project? To be even more organised, split your to do list in sections regarding each task. For example, “Organise board meeting” could be a section, and underneath list the tasks that you need to undergo for this meeting in order for it to take place.

Vague lists can pressurise you even more and be the opposite of informative and encouraging.