by Kelly Sims
©
2007
http://www.virtuallythereva.com
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.
