“It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” – Tame Impala
When your day isn’t organized it may feel like you are going backwards.
Applying a process to stay organized can help you manage multiple assignments, multi-task and be in charge of your schedule.
This post provides a seven-step process you can follow to stay organized.
A process for organization will help you:
- Set and focus on your most important priorities
- Make sure you are efficiently using your time through the day
- Reduce stress from last-minute emergencies
These guidelines will help you achieve the structure you want in your workday. You can also experience improved trust with customers, co-workers, and your manager for your dependability.
Step 1: Inventory Your Tasks
Make a list of all your tasks. Knowing your “to-do inventory” gives you a complete picture of your assignments. As productivity expert David Allen says “capture 100% of everything that has your attention.”
Here’s a sample of jotting down all your to-do’s:
- Prepare agenda for client conference call
- Hold call with client on business objectives
- Develop metrics report
- Hold weekly one-on-one with manager
- Follow-up on with client on invoices
- Schedule brainstorming meeting with internal team on process improvement
- Start on annual strategic plan for client
- Check-in with client on next year’s budget planning
- Develop quarterly forecast for manager
- And so on…
Step 2: Plan Your Day
Decide what to work on today. Break-up your day into segments like early morning, late morning, early afternoon and late afternoon. Then assign the tasks you will complete in each part of the day.
Here’s an example:
- Early morning
- Follow-up on with client on invoices
- Develop metrics report
- Late morning
- Prepare agenda for client conference call
- Early Afternoon
- Hold call with client on business objectives
- Hold weekly one-on-one with manager
- Late Afternoon
- Schedule brainstorming meeting with internal team on process improvement
Step 3: Then Plan Your Week
Spread out your remaining tasks in buckets for the rest of the days of the week based on priority. There’s no need to worry about doing these tasks until you reach that day and you assign them to your daily schedule.
Example:
- Tuesday
- Start on annual strategic plan for client
- Wednesday
- Check-in with client on next year’s budget planning
- Thursday
- Develop quarterly forecast for manager
Step 4: What Are You Waiting For?
Another helpful technique from David Allen is making a list of what you are waiting for. Keep the list of items you are owed at the top of your daily schedule so you can reference it for follow-up. Then add and remove items as needed through the day.
For example:
- Client feedback on metrics report
- Contract review and approval from legal department
- Comments from manager on quarterly forecast
- Hear from team about attending brainstorming meeting
- Get accounts payable aging report from accounting
Step 5: Get Started
After you’ve organized your projects for the day you can get started with your schedule. You’ll know exactly what to work on each part of the day plus what you need to follow-up on.
As habits expert James Clear says having an “Implementation Intention” of a day, time and place an activity will happen makes it more likely to be achieved.
Step 6: Regroup Through the Day
When new work arrives take a few minutes to regroup your schedule. List out your new tasks, insert them into your day and move tasks to later in the week that can be deprioritized.
Pro-tip: Your priorities during workday will likely change often. Taking a few minutes to regroup your schedule will help you stay focused on what’s most important.
Step 7: Prepare for the Next Day
Before you start your next work day plot out your daily tasks. Pick-up anything you couldn’t complete the day before and combine it with the tasks you assigned to the new day.
Then Reap the Benefits
Having a system to stay organized will give you an understanding of your workload at all times. This will help you:
- Communicate with your manager about your priorities
- Keep commitments with customers and co-workers
- Know what new tasks you can or can’t take on
- Be aware of any projects that are in jeopardy of slipping
- Stay focused on the most important tasks
Customers, co-workers and your manager will appreciate your ability to stay on top of your projects. You will gain a sense of control of your schedule and feel like you are always moving forward not backwards.