Successful leaders, entrepreneurs, and business professionals lead very busy lives.
They often end up wearing many hats as they grow their businesses and take their companies to new heights.
So how do successful people stay productive? They stay organized.
But no one is born organized. It happens by building good and effective habits.Try these 12 simple starting points to organize your life.
1. Organize your mornings.
What you do each morning is an indicator of how you will approach the entire day. Make your bed. Have clothes and a healthful breakfast ready, and make sure to have your papers and work packed up and your phone always charged.
2. Organize your time.
Time is too precious as a resource to waste. Being respectful of your time gives you a better platform to work from, and organizing your time gives you more freedom to do the things you want.
3. Organize your email.
Develop a system of limits and organization that works for you, and then stick with it. If that is three times a day for 30 minutes each time, that is all you do. Keep your inbox uncluttered to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
4. Organize your desk.
Clutter is stuck energy–the word comes from Middle English and originally meant “to clot.” Less stuff means less mess, which in turn means more energy and less wasted time hunting for things.
5. Organize your workspace.
Don’t stop with your desk: Make sure your workplace, your environment, your entire office gives you the room to excel without distraction.
6. Organize what’s important.
Highly organized people make time for what’s important, so they have the time for activities that matter to them. The trick to having balance doesn’t lie in sacrificing important things, but in identifying what matters and making it important.
7. Organize time for yourself.
Make sure every day has some special time just for your own self-development, because the time you spend improving yourself is, quite simply, your most productive time.
8. Organize your work.
Be disciplined when it comes to work. Know when you start something that you will finish it. Make sure it gets done and gets done right.
9. Organize in advance.
Plan and work ahead of schedule as much as possible, so you can respond without stress if something goes wrong or a last-minute adjustment is needed.
10. Organize your expectations.
Keep your assumptions and expectations realistic to stay unflustered in the face of the unexpected. Stay organized enough to be agile.
11. Organize your problem solving.
Don’t spend too much time on problems; keep your focus on finding solutions. Tackle problems head-on and do everything you can to create great simple solutions.
12. Organize your evenings.
Schedule your evenings in a way that preps you for the next day and gives you some relaxation and connection that will fuel a productive tomorrow.
Being organized is the ability to get things done.
It’s not about being perfect, but about becoming more efficient. It’s about reducing stress and uncluttering your environment, moving past stagnation, saving time, and improving the overall quality of your living and being.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
THE LEADERSHIP GAP
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.