Five Strategies to Organize Your Work Day

To Do List

Organizing your work day can seem daunting at first. But keeping an organized day will reduce stress and increase productivity. Here are five strategies you can do right now to keep your day running smoothly.

1. Make a To-Do List.  At the beginning of the day, make out a list of tasks you would like to get done. List the most important and time sensitive tasks at the top, in order of importance. Keeping the less important tasks, or tasks which can wait for another day, at the bottom will become less stressful if you find time running out near the end of the day. You can create your To-Do list on paper, a dry erase board, in a document or spreadsheet, or even write them individually on Post-It notes and create a physical task board. Online Task Boards, such as ClickUp or Trello are excellent organizing tools, as well.

2. Organize your workspace Clear your workspace and desk of all unnecessary items to help keep focus on the tasks at hand. Keep your current tasks on your computer or actual desktop, and file away or send out tasks as they are completed. Watching your task pile shrink throughout the day is very rewarding.

3.  Schedule and set goals As you are listing and organizing tasks, give yourself a time-table in which to complete these tasks. Minimize distractions so that you can concentrate on your current project and get everything you need completed within your scheduled times.

4. Take breaks As the saying goes “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. To bolster your creativity and to avoid burn out, take a break several times throughout the day. Get up and walk away from your desk, take a walk, grab some water, or just stretch. 

5. Delegate tasks Take advantage of help when you can get it. Delegate some tasks to others who are able to help, especially if the tasks are a team effort. Outsourcing regular tasks to a Virtual Assistant is a great way to organize your workload and will allow you more time to concentrate on bigger tasks which need your attention.