Organize your space- Mind & Work

I’ve always thrived on being organized. Even as a child I liked for my pencils and pens to be neatly in their place on my desk. I actually had them separated according to color (green, red, black and blue). My pencils were sharpened and I had numerous highlighters. My notebooks were always neat and everything filed neatly behind their tab. As an adult, I can stay in Staples for hours buying just the right post-it notes, highlighters, etc. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Each of my clients have a notebook in my office. That way, I can immediately put my hand on any of their documents, correspondence, etc.

I’m also a serial filer. Not being able to find things in my office is a huge office time waster. I was actually up last night at 2 am (check my Twitter if you don’t believe me) filing in my home office.  Maybe I’m a little OCD when it comes to organizing my space. To run a successful business, you almost have to be.

My business day is full of meetings, calls, research, grants, follow up calls and of course networking. Throw additional administrative tasks in there and my entire day can be a blur. All of this used to confuse and overwhelm me. I’ve always been so organized. What I realized was that I wasn’t really as organized as I thought. I had a lot of clutter in my mind. I knew that I needed to make immediate changes.

I love to hit the snooze button but realized that I was robbing myself of precious time. Now my day starts at 7am. I get up and fix my son’s lunch. Yes, he’s a senior in high school. #dontjudgeme. After he leaves, I eat a little breakfast all while checking email and news headlines. I try to be in my office no later than 8am.

I review my weekly goals and tackle the hardest phone calls and tasks right away. A lot of people put these things off until the end of the day but like I’ve said before, I find myself dwelling on them so I tackle them right away.

It’s essential that I list my goals for the week and major projects for the week. I go a step further and list the estimated time that it takes for tasks to be completed. I break down projects into manageable chunks. Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a big project and not knowing how it’s going to get done. I immediately put it into a work plan. That way, I know what steps I need to take and the amount of time I need.  

I find that if I focus on a task, I mean REALLY focus and give myself a time frame to work on it, I get a lot done in manageable chunks of time. Another way I declutter is to move everything off of my desk except what I need for the task at hand. When you have other things in your vision area, your mind will wander and clutter. Working this way is not as easy as it sounds. It took me a few weeks to concentrate only on the task at hand and in chunks of time. Trust me. It works. Try it.

Being organized also entails knowing when you are most productive. Handle those tasks when you are at your maximum energy level. I work best between 8am-noon. I try to handle those tasks that require the most concentration and thought. I schedule return calls, emails, administrative reports, etc. for the afternoon.

My biggest mind clutterer (is that a real word?), is my phone. When my phone beeps, etc., it takes real discipline not to pick it up. I have alerts for everything- top news stories, Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. When it beeps, I have to make an instant decision. Do I check the phone? Do I answer it? Do I respond? I have given my family a special alert on my phone so I know immediately if it’s them calling. Other than that, I force myself to wait until my task is complete. Remember that your mind can only make so many decisions a day. Perhaps you are strong enough to turn off your alerts. I told you in an earlier blog that I’m WAY to nosy to do that. I have to take baby steps. 

I also list meetings, phone calls, emails, etc. and assign a time frame to them. I try to schedule about 15 minutes a day for client and prospective client calls. Cultivation is an important part of any business so make this a priority. Sometimes the phone calls and emails will lead to more items on your “To D” list. I have learned not to let other people’s emergency’s become my priority. If I can squeeze in their task I will but if I can’t, I can’t.

Don’t be like I used to be. I felt as if I was not productive if I didn’t have enough on my “To Do” list for the day. Now I know better. Don’t try to fill every white space on your calendar. Give yourself at least 10 minutes in between tasks to refocus, take a break, eat, and BREATHE.  Actually block the 10 minutes out on your calendar.

Someone taught me years ago to NEVER leave things on my desk at the end of the day. I try to take the last 30 minutes of the day to file 

and put things away. Although everything has a place, you may not be able to put all of your clutter in its proper place. Stack it in a neat pile and at least put the pens back where they belong. I keep wipes in my desk and give it and my phone a quick swipe before leaving. You’ll be surprised how much better you will feel when you come into your office the next morning to a clear desk. If you come in the next morning to a cluttered desk, that sets your tone for the day. I’m the same way in my personal life. If there’s a glass in the sink I wash it and then yell at whoever is in the house. Come on guys!! It’s ONE GLASS. Why are you cluttering up my sink????

Don’t allow clutter in your life. If you do, it will catch up and overpower you. As a business owner, being organized is extremely important. Facing a clean or cleaner slate on your desk and desktop will better clear your mind for the day's tasks.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments section. How do you organize your mind and business space?

Until next time...

-Kimberly