7 Simple Ways To Get Organized And Stay Informed
The problem with trying to stay well-informed these days is that there’s just so much information out there. On top of this, we’re supposed to demonstrate an overall semblance of organization in order to properly function in today’s high-demand, overly competitive business culture.
So yes, we need to be always in the know, and have our acts together while we’re at it. Would you like fries with that?
But fear not, for there are ways and means for getting organized and keeping yourself informed of the goings-on around you, all while still letting you have a life. It should come as no surprise that being organized and being informed end up having a lot of overlap.
Here are some easy ways to achieve these goals, and make everyone around you believe that you have your act totally together. After all, as the article “Essential Tools that Keep Your Business Organized & Informed”says, “For businesses, staying organized is an essential part of success”.
Calendars
Whether we’re talking about the “trees died to make this” kind of calendar, the smart phone app variety, or the office bundled software type, you first and foremost need a good calendar, and you need to put it to daily use. It’s such a basic, old-school tool, and yet it’s the best foundation for building your organizational skills.
The particular advantage of calendar apps, daily planners, and related software is that many of them can be programmed to send you reminders of upcoming appointments and other commitments. Just make sure that you enter the appointments and events when you find out about them!
Make Lists
Another simple trick which you would think doesn’t bear mentioning but nevertheless seems to fly under the radar, creating lists is an essential part of organization. Whether you’re writing it out on a sticky note or creating a virtual note on your smart phone, there’s nothing like a list to help you get your thoughts organized and remind you of what needs doing.
There’s also something to be said about writing out all of your tasks in one place where you can see them all, taking in the whole picture and deciding which things need to be bumped further up or down in the order. Seeing all of your tasks written out helps you determine their priorities, and make changes as needed.
Multi-Task
Granted, there are situations where this is impossible, but when you’re faced with several tasks and one of them is mindless, repetitive work, then yes, you can do more than one thing at once! In fact, if you’re really on a roll with just one task, you may find yourself with enough motivation and mental clarity to be able to tackle several jobs at once; that’s what you call being in the zone!
Have Your Space, And Know Where Everything Sits
How many times have we seen the gag about some well-meaning soul who cleans and organizes the desk of some workaholic slob, only to have the latter pitch a fit because despite the fact that the desk top resembled a landfill, they knew where everything was?
That’s why another key to organization is to have your own space set aside, whether it’s at a place of business, or a portion of your home dedicated to working, and have everything you need right there within reach.
Having a space set aside for work is also important in establishing boundaries. When you’re in your work space, you’re doing work. Otherwise, you’re relaxing and having fun. Knowing when to work and when to switch off is an important talent in the ongoing struggle to be better organized.
Let Someone Else Do It
Ah, delegation! What a sweet word! And sometimes, yes, it’s better to farm off a particularly annoying or time-consuming bit of grunt work to a subordinate. Naturally, you need to keep good notes in order to keep track of what job has been delegated to whom, and when you did it. And of course, you need to maintain contact with these workers, and stay informed of their progress, which segues us nicely into …
Project Management Software
This kind of tool lets you keep track of who has what project, and keep current on how far they’ve gotten on it. Depending on the software you have, many of these applications lets you monitor multiple projects and tasks, using either your computer or mobile device. This type of software, used in conjunction with a good internal phone system, will go a long way towards keeping everyone in the loop.
Google Alerts
Finally, we wrap up with a cool Internet tool, Google Alerts. You can set up certain parameters in order to monitor particular terms or phrases, and keep tabs on what people are saying about them. This is an easy way to tackle the daunting job of monitoring online information.
There are other online tools to consider as well, including RSS feeds and MonitorThis, designed to help you stay updated as well as to monitor your reputation.
Knowledge Is Power
So what do we take away from all of this? Just that you need to make sure you have a good continuous pipeline of information, and a means of easily accessing that information. Stay connected, stay organized, and your business will have a leg up on the competition.
