Tips for Staying Organized

Staying organized can play a huge part in meeting your goals. If you don’t have a system, things may not get done on time, which could create stress for you and your clients. I decided to ask the Wise Owl Marketing team to share their tips for staying organized because no two people are the same and we all have a system that works best for us. A few of these are sure to help you as well!

Heather’s Tips for Staying Organized and Meeting Deadlines

In a nutshell, my ability to stay organized, productive, and meet deadlines boils down to focusing on three main actions: do, delegate, and dump.

1. Do

   If it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen.

   My calendar is my life-line. If it’s a priority, it’s on the calendar. I make appointments with myself that are every bit as important as my client appointments, a doctors appointment, etc. I like to block off time and group activities based on what I’m doing to keep it easy.

   • Me Time: Journaling, goal setting, meditating, eating lunch, taking a walk, reading a book, etc.
   • Family Time: Family dinners, movie nights, vacations, baseball/tennis games, visiting our oldest at college, helping our parents, etc.
   • Maker Time: Fulfilling work for clients: building websites, setting up funnels, graphic design, Facebook ad management, etc.
   • Marketing Time: Creating training programs, products, writing blog posts, and emails, improving my funnels, managing my Facebook ads, etc.
   • Management Time: Team calls, client calls, invoicing, bookkeeping, project management, inbox management, creating or improving systems, improving my skills – including taking training programs, etc.

   This makes sure that the things that are important are prioritized and I don’t let non-important things fill the day.

   I love the graphic below. It is from the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I like to print it off and write my goal above the arrow on the right. Then I hang it above my desk as a reminder to focus on what’s important, instead of getting pulled in different directions.

   

   Graphic from the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

2. Automate/Delegate

   Just because I can do it, doesn’t mean I should be doing it.

   Automation Examples:

   If there’s something on my to-do list that is a recurring item, I look for ways to automate that task.

   • Setting clients on a recurring subscription for payments instead of invoicing them each month.
   • Creating a lead generation funnel and a Facebook ad that keeps my calendar as full as I’d like it to be with calls with potential clients.
   • Using automatic bill-pay and savings account transfers set up through my bank.

   Delegation Examples:

   If it can’t be automated I look for ways to delegate it.

   • My kids alternate weeks on dishes duty or vacuuming/cleaning.
   • I hired a laundry service to pick up and drop off clothes 2x per week. It feels crazy indulgent but is very affordable and eliminates a major time-drain for me.
   • I’ve built a rock-star team who can handle any and all of the tasks in my business that don’t require ME to complete.

   This allows me to show up 100% for my clients and my family so I can give them my best rather than what’s left over.  (Blog post with more ideas for delegating and automation: https://wiseowlmarketing.com/overcome-overwhelm/)

3. Dump

   Why? Why? Why?

   Every week I do a recap of my to-do list. I highlight things that keep moving from week to week and ask myself a few questions.

   • Why didn’t this get done?
   • Am I procrastinating or feeling resistance? Why?
   • Should I even be doing this? Why?
   • What would the long-term costs and benefits be if I dumped this off the list?

   My goal is to either reaffirm why it’s a priority and increase the intensity around it so I get it done, or give myself permission to dump it off the list.

🙂 Heather

Angi’s Tips for Staying Organized and Meeting Deadlines

I don’t like clutter, and I absolutely hate having to hunt for things. I’d rather have things all tidy and neat. That’s just who I am.

On top of that, I am often working with several different clients who demand my attention at any given time (a game of ping pong ball, anyone?). In order to give them my full attention, I want to be able to pull out their project quickly, work on it, then put it away when done. That allows me to focus, complete the task, and then cleanly shift gears to the next project.

If you are anything like me, then here are some tips that can help you organize your workflow.

1. Make sure everything has a home.

   For a project with five parts, you don’t want to have to look for each part, which would take five times as long to find it. If you keep everything related in one place, you only need to go get it once. Folders are your friend, whether physical ones in a cabinet or virtual ones on your computer.

2. Be methodical in how you organize.

   Do you know where to go to get your morning coffee? How would you feel if you needed coffee, you knew it was somewhere in your house, but you had to spend a half hour looking for it? Sound familiar? Establish a system that allows you to know where to look when you need something. It will save you a ton of time and frustration.

3. Take care of clutter as it accumulates.

   Dogs bury bones because it is an effective way to hide them. It’s just as effective for hiding what you need from you. If you pull out a file and don’t put it back, your likelihood of finding it later decreases. Furthermore, out-of-sight/out-of-mind is a real problem for many. If clutter buries your tasks, they can become lost and deadlines missed.

Bo’s Tips for Staying Organized and Meeting Deadlines

My desk is a mess. I have way too many windows open on my two monitors. I generally work on several projects at the same time. Too often, while engaging in one task, I get an idea for another and skip over to work with it. I constantly bounce from one window to another as I feel I inspired.

Yes, I am the poster child for how not to organize your workload.

Well, that is if you accept popular advice.

I’m sure you’ve heard the advice before: Schedule your day and stay focused. Distractions are the enemy. Have clear beginnings and ends.

Sorry, but it’s not for me. It’s not that it can’t work for others. In fact, I know that becoming organized has helped many take their game to the next level.

But, when I tried it, I experienced “being organized” as a soul-crushing constraint.

That approach to increasing productivity just didn’t dovetail with my personality. I think that’s because true productivity for me is more about riding a feeling than adopting a structure. And the truth of my productivity is this:

I need to feel an energizing, creative flow. 

As I move from window to window, that’s exactly what I’m building. I might not keep “on task”, but I do keep “tasking” (is that a word?). And it is that very forward momentum — fueled by feeling — that is the essence of my productivity.

Having said that, here are some ways that I keep my creative flow going.

1. Make a list of tasks and prioritize them.

   You don’t have to do them in order. You do have to get them done. Whether you’re organized or not, deadlines are real. If your list is overwhelming, then take the top tasks that most need attention. Ignore the rest (at least for now). This is your playpen.

   Make sure you are aware of due dates. You may want to prioritize them with numbers so you have a sense of urgency attached to each task. That will remind you that you “need” to cycle back to “#1” soon(ish).

2. When you hit a roadblock, move on to another project.

   When it comes to productivity, frustration is my worst enemy. If I hit a roadblock and can’t see how to get past it, it’s easy for me to walk away and not want to come back. If I allow this kind of negativity to take root, then it will actually endanger my drive to move my business forward.

   Rather than fighting through the negativity, I jump ship. When the frustration starts to build, I go to another project on my list. That enables me ride the positive energy and carry it from project to project. When I come back to the roadblock, I do so with better energy and a fresh perspective. Then, I can then take the task the next leg of the journey.

3. Step away from the keyboard regularly.

   Sitting in front of the keyboard isn’t always the best place to think. Get up and get away for a few (or more) minutes. This isn’t a break where you do no work. This is taking off the pressure to allow the creative juices to flow.

   For this, I either pace around the house or take my dogs out into the yard (usually the latter). My phone goes with me. While I hang out, I let my mind go. Inevitably it will circle back around to work. These are the times that I find most inspiring. I generally work on an ever-accessible Google doc. This enables me to capture ideas or continue what I’m working on wherever I am. (In fact, I drafted this section on my phone.) While working on my phone, I usually find myself inspired enough to go right back to my desk and get back at it (which is exactly what happened here).

Randi’s Tips for Staying Organized and Meeting Deadlines

I am like many that start out with good intentions of being organized and staying organized. All the tips I see that others do goes out the window with my ADD. It’s hard for me to stay on task without lists; multiple ones, both written and digital. I get bored very easily and may at times, be working on up to ten things at once. My newspaper job sees to it that I actually work on up to twenty pages in a shift. I get to jump from one task to another and that works for me. I may also have several web pages and apps open at a time, depending on what it is I am working on.

My office, on the other hand, is neat and organized. My desk is almost always clean and tidy and this helps me focus on what I do on the computer. This also carries over to my computer. I have folders within folders and hundreds of files inside those folders (and backed up to several hard drives in case I lose the files on my desktop).

I need organization.  My mind is all over the place. If I don’t have a somewhat organized office, I will be easily distracted and that’s just bad all around. I need some sort of structure and plan.

Sticking with a routine is also a huge help for me for meeting deadlines and staying focused.

1. Make a list

   I like to actually write out a list of items that I need to get done in a planner. Writing things down makes my brain remember it more.
   I write my lists by starting with the most important and urgent items first. Then I make a list on my phone with clear deadlines and set reminders.

2. Take breaks

   GET UP AND STRETCH! Walk away if you’re stuck on an item and return to it in an hour or so. This allows for a clearer mind when you return. You may have a new idea, a better idea, or a simpler idea on how to tackle the tough task.

3. Set an end time

   Set a clear end time when you’ll stop working. You need time for yourself, family, hobbies, or life. I have a hard time following this, but I set a day or two every week that is just for myself and my family. I’m a firm believer in work and home life balance and having a career that allows me to work from home is a bit tough on that.

4. Clean your work-space so it’s free of distractions

   This might not work for everyone, but it works for me. I like having a tidy work-space so I’ll have fewer distractions. By keeping my desk clear, it allows my brain to actually focus on the work I need to complete. BUT, I do have a tv in my office. Like I said… I have ADD and I need to be able to jump around from item to item.

Whatever approach you take to maximize your productivity, remember that it must emerge from the depths of who you are. The purpose of “organization” at its best isn’t to structure your day for the sake of structuring your day. It’s a way to help you figure out how to bring your very best self to the table.

Ultimately, only you can decide that. Let us know what works best for you.

Post Author: Randi Sparkman