This past weekend, like most Americans, I was home watching the latest shows on Netflix I came across a new show called “The Home Edit.” The premise of this show is that we all could use some organization in our lives. Specifically, the show takes you through steps on how to help get organized using their techniques to help you see what you have, edit out what you need and what you don’t, and then organize it all into sections so everything is easy to find. Let’s just say… I was hooked! I mean who doesn’t need more organization in their home right?! I loved their concepts so much I even went to Target and Bed Bath & Beyond to find items that could get my home organized. 

I know what you are probably thinking right now, thanks for letting me know of this amazing show but what does this have to do with my day-to-day at work? Here’s my thought… I feel that you can easily take the “Home Edit” system and adapt it to what you do for your career. We all get bogged down with the day to day “clutter” of work. It could be emails, side conversations (video meetings nowadays) with colleagues, or getting caught up on tasks that don’t drive the bus for your organization. Whatever it is for you getting bogged down with tasks happens to everyone. While some people are good at getting back on task for others (me included) it can take a little extra organization to get there. Here are a few tips that might help you get back on track with your goals.

Step #1 Make A List of Daily Tasks

I know this seems very elementary but in order to get organized one must know what they are spending their time on. This list needs in include everything you can think of that you do from answering emails, to how many phone calls do you make each day, etc. The more detailed you can get with this the better.

Step #2 Time to Review (Edit) Your Tasks

Now that you have created this list you need to review it and rank the level of importance for each task from 1 “very important” to 5 being “not important”. During this process ask yourself questions such as “does this task need to be done by me or can this be done by another member of the team?” or “why is this task being done? does it have a purpose?”. Finally ask yourself, “how much time do I spend on this task and can it be done more efficiently?”.

Step #3 Organize

Now that you have your tasks ranked in a level of importance you can take these items and use them to prioritize your day. Items that are ranked at 1 need to be done first, next moved to items ranked at number 2, and so on leaving those ranked 5 items for the end of the day or for someone else to do for you.

Once you have done this technique a few times it will be easier and faster to get your day organized in the morning to ensure you get the most out of your days and most importantly feel like you are accomplishing important items on your list.

Need more help getting organized? Watch our course “Setting Priorities” within our video training series on “Time Management.” Not a P1 Learning subscriber? No problem! Register for a FREE 7-day demo to watch these courses and more.