How’s that working out for you? You’ve heard the experts: people usually bail on their resolutions by end of January if not sooner. It’s hard becoming faster, better, stronger with everything else you’ve got going on. So, to ease your journey to success, get organized. Take it to the extreme and organize all areas of your life, both business and personal.
I totally drank all the Koolaid from watching “At Home with Nikki & At Work with Nikki, an uber (read: Type A) professional organizer I discovered on YouTube. Do check her out. I’m not quite at the level she is, but I’ve sorted, organized into attractive containers and added labels in my bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Even though it’s been several months since I started getting it all together, I still smile when I open my cabinets at home.
I am currently trying out separate planners, one for business and one for personal. So far, so good! It’s helpful (and visually appealing) to use color-coded labels for meetings, appointments and reminders. This is especially helpful if you have more than one line of work as we busy multipreneurs (and those with side hustles) tend to do.
Although mult-tasking has been vilified, one frequently ends up working on more than one project at a time, whether it’s due to a pause in thought or resources. Although work tends to spread itself all over my desk when I’m working, at the end of the day, I gather up all the papers into related piles and cover them with a colorful folder, using a large labeled binder clip to identify each project. I love it and appreciate not starting the next day looking at a rat’s nest. (This idea was from AtHomeWithNikki.com video on YouTube)
When you start arranging everything just so, be sure to think outside the box and use perhaps non-traditional containers for your office supplies. Label everything. And be sure to put everything back where it belongs. A clean desk is an instant motivator, and when you can find what you’re looking for when you need it, you will become much more efficient.
So, to recap:
Use labels (I use the Dymo labeler, but you can also create labels on your computer & use Avery label sheets.)
Use file folders with labeled binder clips to contain the outpouring of your brilliance and keep your desk neat.
Color-code your meetings and calls in your planner(s).
Schedule your time well in advance and use reminders.
And while you’re at it, Breathe! You got this!