How to get organised
In the modern world, there’s always something that needs to be done by a certain time. If we’re not careful, it can become overwhelming and easily lead to prolonged stress and anxiety. There are things you can do to make it easier though.
I’d like to help you create your own productivity system.
It will collect all the things you need to do, and then remind you when it’s time to do them. You can get everything out of your head and into a system, so you only need to focus on what’s important right now.
I think this is essential for everyone, as I honestly believe that getting organised can help us feel better and improve our mental health. For me, it’s up there with mindfulness and meditation.
In the sections below, I’ll explore the key things you need to consider and I’ll take digital as well as physical information into account. As always, I’ll then break everything down into three easy things you can do right now.
Identify where things come in
You’d be surprised at how many people couldn’t tell you where all the things they need to do arrive in their world. It’s so important that we fully understand this though, so we never overlook anything important. It also gives us the assured confidence that everything has been accounted for. Here are three easy things to consider.
Think about physical items
It’s so easy to overlook physical items like letters, cards and notes now we all use digital devices. While we may think we’re paperless, there are probably more physical items out there in your world than you realise.
Think about digital items
I think it’s safe to say that most of us receive digital messages now that we simply can’t overlook or ignore. These could be emails, instant messages, chats or notifications, and we need to know where they’re likely to appear in order to pick them up.
I suggest taking time to create a simple list of where digital messages arrive in your world, at home and at work, as there may be a way to improve this process.
Think about what you need to remember
While the two things I’ve listed above may seem obvious, this one isn’t. It also shows us why we really need to create a system.
How many times will someone simply walk up to you at work and ask you to do something? How many meetings end with a list of instructions, or a simple agreement to meet at a set time later on?
Without a system, it’s usually down to your poor brain to keep track of everything and then remind you when it’s time to do something. That’s probably not going to end very well.
Things you need to do may arrive in:
A letterbox or pigeonhole
An email inbox
Messaging apps
Phone calls/voicemail
Meetings
Verbal conversations
The next section will help you develop all of this.
Here’s an example of why this is necessary. Imagine an important letter, that is addressed to you personally, is delivered to your office. You’ll need to know what happens when it arrives, so in this case you’d need to be aware of what happens to the mail after it’s been sorted and processed. Is it left somewhere for you to collect it, or is it delivered to your desk? I’ll continue this example in the next section.
Collect everything that needs to be done
Now you know where to look for all the things you need to do, you need to collect it all together. This is really important, as it’s the part that makes sure you don’t forget about anything. Here are three easy things you can do to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Make sure you capture important information
As you’ve probably realised, it’s best not to rely on your memory unless you really have to. The brain is there for coming up with ideas, not storing them. We have to make sure we can capture tasks and ideas when they arrive in our world.
If you take a phone call or just chat with someone at your desk, make sure you have something to quickly make notes on. I’ll leave it to you to work out what works best, but I always try to have a physical notepad next to my phones and a notes app like Bear at the ready if I need it. Voice recording is also a great option now.
It helps if you can add the things you need to do onto your calendar or to-do list as quickly as possible. Don’t forget those flashes of inspiration either. I always have a digital device or notepad with me, or around my house, to make sure they’re not forgotten.
Put things in as few places as possible
We really need to collect the things we need to do into as few places as possible. If you’re using multiple to-do lists and calendars, you’re probably going to get confused and overlook things.
Ideally, we need to collect and put the things we need to do somewhere that gets our attention. A great example would be the top tray of an in-tray on your desk, as you will immediately see it when you sit down. If you have several piles, you could miss things and it will take time to process.
The same thing goes for email, and that’s why I always recommend using a single email app to collect emails from multiple accounts. This way, you’ll see where everything is with just one look.
Make sure it gets your attention
As I’ve said above, it really helps if you can instantly see what you need to do. An important note could easily get buried on your desk, or an email could sit in an inbox unnoticed if you’re not on top of things.
You need to make sure your digital messages are collected somewhere you can quickly spot them. You’ll also need to know when voicemails arrive and be able to quickly pick up any notes you’ve left yourself.
To put it simply, you need to ensure that anything you’ve collected gets remembered if you don’t have time to do it there and then.
Your collection tools may include
A notepad or app
An in-tray
An email app
A calendar or to-do list
A voice assistant
This is a really important step and I think it’s so important to separate it from simply knowing where things arrive. Although a lot of this will be automatic, we still need to make sure everything is set up and working as expected. The first part is really about making sure that nothing gets overlooked and this bit is more about making sure things don’t get lost. The next section focusses on how we actually get the things done.
Going back to the example of the letter, you’ve spoken to your colleagues and have now collected it from your personal pigeonhole (now you know this is where all your mail will arrive). The problem is, you’re really busy so you don’t have time to open it and read it immediately. Fortunately, you have an in-tray on your desk, so you leave it on the top tray where the unopened letter will clearly get your attention if you forget about it. Who knows where it would have ended up on your cluttered desk if you didn’t have this?
Store the things you need to do
Now we’ve identified where things come in and have effectively put them into neat little piles, it’s time to think about doing them. We need to consider how we store things, because we’re simply not going to be able to do everything as soon as it arrives. Here are three easy things that should help you.
Make sure you're reminded
I can’t emphasise how important it is to use place markers. Your system will soon fall down if you’re storing lots of things that need to be done, but don’t remember when it’s time to do them.
A great example is if your boss asks you to meet an important client next Tuesday, as they’re on holiday. They also give you some important notes on what you need to tell them, as well as general advice on how to approach them.
We’ve already established that you shouldn’t rely on your memory in cases like this, and that a note or a simple entry on a to-do list could be overlooked. You need to set yourself a reminder and if you can, make a note of where you’ve stored the instructions. Some sort of time-based notification would also be helpful.
Never assume you’ll remember anything and write your reminders as if they’re intended for someone else.
A great way to naturally be reminded of what you need to do is to divide your to-do list into four folders: Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Yearly.
This will make a huge difference and quickly help you see what you need to focus on. Just a quick check each day and a bigger check once a week will allow you to keep control and let your brain move on to other things.
You can do a similar thing with your email inbox. I create @Action, @Waiting, @Read and @Chase folders to store emails that require further actions, I can’t address immediately, away from my main inbox. The @ character allows them to appear at the top of an alphabetical list.
You can also use separate sections in your physical in-tray to quickly keep track. You could use one tray for items that need to be actioned on future dates, and another for items that require someone else to act before you can.
Don't store things you could do right now
It’s so easy to create a calendar reminder or a new to-do, make notes about the task and set a reminder and then realise that it’s taken more time to do this than the task itself. You always need to ask yourself if you could get the task done right now.
It’s so easy to get into the habit of storing everything and finding reminders for simple things later on.
It’s also worth thinking about whether you actually need to do the task as well. If you’re at work, you could decline the task if it was not appropriate, or delegate it to someone else.
I think it’s always best to aim for as few things in your system as possible.
Store projects separately
lf you’re working on projects or tasks that require a lot of individual actions to complete, you’re likely to swamp your to-do list. It may be a better idea to store these separately and group them together. I personally use apps like Trello or Notion to manage large tasks, as it helps me keep my to-do app focussed.
In this case, Trello has a lot of additional features that come in handy and I can still add urgent, key tasks related to any projects to my to-do list. This will help you focus your attention on where it needs to be
Your storage options may include:
Separate folders on your to-do list
Separate action folders in your email inbox
Separate folders in note taking apps
Separate trays in your in-tray
Removing notes from your pad, stapling them together and placing in your in-tray
It’s all about processing your piles to firstly establish IF it needs to be done, and then WHEN it needs to be done if you can’t action it immediately.
You’ll also notice that your storage points are likely to be the same places you collect the things that need to be done. The key to an efficient system is to make sure things are separated though, so you can instantly see where everything is.
If we go back to my example of the letter, it’s in a place that immediately grabs your attention when you sit down again at your desk. As you have some spare time, you open it and discover it’s an invoice from an important client. As the work you’ve requested from them won’t be delivered until next month, the payment date is about six weeks away. As you really can’t action this immediately, you mark it on your calendar, set a reminder and place it in the second tray of your in-tray, where you keep items that need to be addressed at a later date.
With all this in place, you can effectively forget about the invoice as you’ll be reminded when it needs your attention. The alternative would be relying on your memory and probably having to explain to your boss that you forgot to do this, or that the letter got lost somewhere.
Archive everything
So to recap, something has come in you need to do, you’ve collected it somewhere that gets your attention and then you’ve stored it somewhere if you couldn’t take care of it immediately. You’ve then completed the task, but I’m afraid that this isn’t it in terms of your system. Things don’t always stay done, so you’ll need to archive them. Here are three easy things that should help you.
Be ready for your worst day
If you need to reference something again, it’s critical that you know where it’s likely to be stored. It’s one of the worst feelings when you urgently need to check an email, but realise that you have several folders essentially doing the same thing and you just can’t find it in all the mess. The same thing goes for a physical filing system as well, where you can be presented with a pile of paper with no apparent order or logic behind it.
It can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. To avoid this, you need to design your archive so it can cope with your busiest and most stressful day.
If you can, try to use quiet times to prepare for those frenzied moments where it’s all going wrong. Your filing system can soon get out of date as well, so make sure you stay on top of it.
Think about a ‘limbo file’
If you’re like me and don’t really deal with much physical paperwork, you might want to try this idea. I have a simple box file I call my ‘limbo file’, where everything I’ve completed sits for about a month or so. I’ve found that I’m more likely to have to reference things again within a few weeks of dealing with them, so I can immediately put my hands on the document if there’s an issue.
An added bonus is that I only have to file things away when it starts to get full, which really saves time.
It also helps me, as my main filing system is in a separate room from my desk. This idea won’t help people with lots of paperwork though, as it’s better to have an ordered filing system that’s maintained regularly in this situation.
Have a logical order
Even if things are neatly ordered, there are no duplicate folders and you’re keeping on top of things, it helps to have a logical order. I think it’s best to design your system so someone else could easily use it. At home, this would mean placing things together.
For example, your car insurance documents could be filed next to your MOT certificates and all household items could be grouped together. This way, you’ll naturally be guided to the right place.
Alphabetical is always a great way to go, and it’s probably the best way to approach things at work. I’ve personally seen what happens when someone chooses their own system over something that’s alphabetical, and then forgets what that is.
Archive options could include:
Email Inbox folders
Filing boxes and trays
A filing cabinet
An external drive for old documents
Scanning physical items
That’s it… Congratulations, you now have a productivity system.
Going back to the example, you paid the invoice when it was due after a reminder popped up several days before. Unfortunately, that wasn’t it in terms of this task, as your finance team had an urgent query about it a few weeks later. Fortunately, you could quickly get things sorted as you’d stored it somewhere you could immediately get your hands on it. It was neatly filed among other invoices, under the client’s name and it was in date order. It’s a good job you were organised.
I hope this has been helpful and that you’re already starting to come up with some ideas. It’s now up to you to go away and work out how you can create a reliable productivity system that works for you, or just tweak the one you’re using.
Remember: Identify > Capture > Store > Archive
When you have everything set up though, it’s so important to keep on top of things as an out of date system could create more problems than it solves.
To help you, here are three easy things that will help you keep control of your productivity system:
Don’t use collection tools to store or archive things
Check it every day and review it once a week
Make sure there are place markers for everything
That’s it, you can now get organised.