Another New Year is here, which means we have another opportunity to get organized, regroup, start afresh, and to reinvent ourselves for the better!
If you want to be more productive in 2018, you need to learn to be organized. To get organized can be as simple as arranging your desk to be in order or hiring a commercial cleaning company to keep your office organized; it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is setting up the infrastructure for a habit.
Keeping New Year resolutions can be tough. Most of us lose motivation even before we make it to February. The only way we can keep the fire burning is by building a habit that will outlast the initial outburst of motivation.
If you are looking to become more productive or add some orderliness to your life in 2018, you will find this article extremely useful.
1. You Need to Downsize
Alright, you have heard it before, “less is always better”. No need going through 2018 with all the baggage you don’t use anymore. They will continue to weigh you down; you need to get rid of all these clutters in your office that you don’t use anymore.
One key rule when it comes to staying organized is getting rid of items you don’t use anymore. Avoid “I might need it someday” thoughts. The fact is that you probably won’t need them again. Go through your drawer and desks and find all these items you don’t need, give them out, burn them, or throw them into thrash, just get rid of them to free up more space in your office and life.
2. Write and Schedule Down Everything
To stay on top of your game both at the office, you need to write everything down. You can do this manually with pen and paper, but that will be inefficient. Instead, there are tons of free and paid calendar apps you can download online.
One of such apps is Wave – It comes with everything you need to have on your calendar app. You can schedule programs, add your to-do list, merge appointments, and get notifications for your event. This app is awesome to get organized.
3. Backup Everything
Unfortunately, we can’t see the future so you never know what might happen tomorrow. To stay safe, you need to be ready for any eventuality. Backup all your important files and make duplicates of your important documents.
Scan your passport, IDs, bank details and other important documents and store the originals in a safe place. Make a backup of all your digital files. To keep them safe, store them in the cloud so you can always access them no matter your location.
4. Set Up a Mail Station
You need to create a mail station to maintain control of the paper coming into your office. Ideally, you should have a folder for incoming and outgoing mails. Ensure you properly categorize each folder.
Once you have a mail, file it in the mail station. Then to ensure you maintain control over your mails, take a few minutes to go through each folder once a week.
5. Manage Your Finances
You need to keep an eye on your overall spending in 2018. Software that can help you achieve this easily is “Quicken”.
Quicken is designed to help you pay your bills, manage your banks and credit card accounts, make financial plans, budget, and see where your money goes. It cost about $50 but it totally worth it. This software will make your financial life very easy to manage.
6. Declutter Your Desk
Most office desks contain piles of papers, opened mails, and more. Take a moment to go through your desk and get rid of items that you don’t need soon. If you think you may need them in the future, find a space for them in your drawer. When you are done, clean the desk to bring out the true color and make it extremely neat and attractive.
Your desk needs to be as free as possible. With less clutter on your desk, you will not only have more space to work but will also be more productive.
7. Clean Up Professionally
While you may be the one doing your cleaning, it is important that you use the services of a commercial cleaning company to keep your space neat and get organized. The best time is to have them clean your office just before you resume work and once-in-a-while after that. Using professional cleaning company has its perks, they will help you spot things you may miss when you do the cleaning yourself and of course, you place will always look more organized after they are done.
Conclusion
Keeping your get organized new resolutions is a gradual process. Don’t expect to keep them all in just one week. Take them gradually so you don’t lose motivation. Your resolution will eventually pay off if you stick to them.