Have you been keeping up with your organizational goals for the New Year? Many attorneys vow to "Get Organized." However, what many people forget is that "Getting Organized" is not is not a goal but a continual process. Here are ten tips to help you along the path towards perpetual organization.
1. Purge your files
Look around your workspace. Do you see piles of paper? Those piles are slowing you down!!! Even the piles of paper "neatly" handing in file folders clog your productivity. Set aside 15 minutes every week to go though your paper files/folders (even the digital files), elminate the surplus, consolidate sticky notes and paper scraps on your master todo list (see below), and recycle the paper that you no longer need.
2. Create A Master Action List
Sticky notes, paper scraps, business cards, phone memos.....get rid of it! Whether you use paper or a computerized action list, create a master "action" list to record all of the phone calls, and projects that you need to work on. A master action list will eliminate the clutter from your desk and your mind.
3. Clean Out Your Inbox
Don't let your inbox become a glorified "paper holder". Each day, go through your inbox, complete the items that can be done quickly, recycle the items not needing your attention, and schedule the items on your master list that need to be addressed at a later time. The important thing is to make a decision on each item and then file the document away.
4. Read Your E-Mail One Time - And Only One Time
Treat your E-mail in-box just like your paper in-box. Read it & act on it. Action means either deleting it or assigning the E-mail to your action list.
5. Don't Over-Schedule
Type-A personality types tend to overestimate how much they can get done in a given day. When you schedule your tasks/appointments for the day, be careful to be realistic on how long it will take you to perform each task and the time necessary to transition between tasks. Use your calendar to schedule like items together to maximize efficiency and to block out periods of uninturrupted time for tasks requiring indepth thought.
The time to organize starts today. Purge, recycle, make lists and plan. But remember -- the true goal is not to "get organized" but is to live your life in an organized manner. Use today to start running your life rather than letting your life run you.
