HOW TO GET ORGANISED FOR THE NEW YEAR

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organise your life around it”- Brian Tracy.

Organisation is one of those things that many of us aspire to do better, but find difficult to sustain. I’ve naturally always found myself to be an organised person, but it has taken quite a bit of discipline and practice to get to to a point where I truly feel on top of my personal and professional life. 

As the New Year has rolled over, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my key tips and tricks for getting organised:

1. PLANNING YOUR LIFE

Having a plan of action and scheduling in meetings, tasks and events is incredibly important to me. I work well with having a plan and creating structure in my day. I buy myself a diary to kick off each new calendar year and also use the calendar in my iPhone to schedule in important dates and events. When it comes to work, I use my Outlook calendar to schedule in meetings and deadlines, and also use a notebook for my ‘to-do’ list. I write all my daily and project-based tasks down in my notebook so I don’t miss any important work or deadlines.

2. BE PROACTIVE

It is easy to procrastinate and get side-tracked when browsing online or watching the latest series on Netflix. By writing down a list, I can see exactly what I want or need to achieve for the day. Once I have completed my list for the day, I can then enjoy ‘me-time’ without the guilt of all those wasted hours in the day. This requires a fair bit of discipline, but once you develop this habit, you will feel much better about enjoying your free time.

3. EVERYTHING HAS IT’S PLACE

One of the most important habits of organised people is knowing where things are, because everything has its place. I tend to suffer from a mild case of OCD which spans across all areas including my home, office, wardrobe, handbag and everything in between. Knowing where you keep your keys, clothes, important documents etc. can save you a lot of unnecessary stress and time searching later. I know where everything is and it allows be to be so much more efficient with my time.

4. DE-CLUTTER

“Tidy your space, transform your life”- Marie Kondo.

I am ruthless when it comes to de-cluttering and throwing out items which are no longer required or serve purpose in my life. Over-packed drawers, cupboards and shelving can lead to having a cluttered home. I am a big believer that having a cluttered home leads to having a cluttered mind and consequently, a cluttered life. Marie Kondo’s KonMari method has been instrumental in equipping me with the tools and methodology to tidying up. If you haven’t read he book titled “The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up,” I strongly recommend you do! It is… well, life-changing.

5. EMAILS

If you are anything like me and receive a large volume of work emails, you need to develop a really good system for staying on top of it. Every person works differently and different systems may work better for some over others. For me personally, I have email folders set up by category (for example- ER, L&D, Blog etc.) All items sit in my inbox until they have been responded to or actioned accordingly. Once actioned, I then file away into the appropriate folder. This system works incredibly well for me, and ensures I do not miss anything important at work.

When it comes to personal email, I have been quite selective with what emails I have subscribed to, in order to keep unnecessary emails down to a minimum.

HOW TO BE MORE ORGANISED

What systems do you use to stay on top of your email, or to be more organised in your everyday life? I would love to hear your thoughts- leave your comments below!