3 Ways to Streamline and Maximize Your Productivity: How to Take Control of the Paper Piles & Never-Ending To-Do Lists

We are all bombarded daily by meetings, emails, conference calls, project deadlines, travel and more. We are just way too busy, often working harder with fewer people. It is very difficult to move forward in an organized, systematic manner with all the demands rushing at us ­– yet this is exactly what we must do if we are to achieve our highest priorities and goals. This is why I asked Nealey Stapleton, CEO of On Track, to write a paper for my clients and other readers that describes her ideas on productivity. We can all benefit from being more organized and productive. My hope is that Nealey’s excellent ideas inspire you to take a look how you are managing your business life and strategize how you can be more in control of your time, priorities and goals.

How to Take Control of the Paper Piles & Never-Ending To-Do Lists

By Nealey Stapleton

Our business lives are easier and more satisfying when we actually have time to be thoughtful in our work instead of working in a frenzy to answer email after email or rush from meeting to meeting. Below are three time-saving tactics— organize, prioritize, and maintain systems—that can improve our happiness and our productivity.

ONE: ORGANIZE

We lose significant time to disorganization. If we don’t have things in order, we often procrastinate. Important papers can go missing in piles that start to take over our desks and our cabinets.

The first thing we need to do is get our physical workspace organized.

1. Customize a paper filing system that makes sense TO US and that we can commit to maintaining.
2. Create homes for all of our files, documents, papers, books and office supplies so that we have a clear desk for work. A clear desk can be a clear mind.
3. On a daily basis, spend a few minutes filing to keep the clutter monster from taking over.

TWO: PRIORITIZE

Working effectively means getting our highest priority things done. Whether a team member in a company or a business owner, we must strive for not only clarity in our goals but also time in our daily schedule to clear a path toward completion.

The second thing we need to do is to prioritize our work with effective tools and systems.

1. Use our calendars to schedule time to get things done and keep track of due dates. A favorite tip is to create a repeating appointment for something that needs to be done every week or every month, e.g., review our overall to-do lists, plan for the coming week, file, check in with our external and internal clients and other repeatable activities. This leads to the implementation of a productive routine.
2. Use ONE to-do list so that we can see all of our tasks at one time and prioritize.
3. Plan out our day to be productive and efficient. Set a timer while working on a project so we can make progress with it, but it doesn’t overtake other projects.

THREE: MAINTAIN SYSTEMS

Let’s say we have a meeting with a potential client, and it doesn’t go well because we didn’t have time to properly research and develop our strategy. This may give the impression that we are unprepared, unprofessional and not worthy of hiring.

Not only is this a missed opportunity with this prospect, but it also rules out all of the things that come with getting a new client, e.g., building a relationship or getting a great testimonial or a referral. It can even affect our reputation.

The third thing we need to do is maintain our organization and priorities.

Once we create homes for all of the physical items like files, papers, documents, books and supplies and are managing our time for maximum output, a little daily attention is required to keep up the order.

1. Spend a few minutes at the end of each day to put away files and other items.
2. On a daily basis, take a quick scan of the calendar and to-do list. Make sure we got done what we needed to accomplish for the day and preview what’s on the agenda for tomorrow so we can be prepared.
3. Repeat #2 on a weekly basis. At the end of the workweek, schedule in some time to go over what was completed and what wasn’t. This way we can allot the appropriate time the following week for the tasks that still need attention.
4. Tweak routines and/or systems that do not seem to be working for us and continue to do this until they are effective.

Last and certainly not least, enjoy the benefits of being organized, having clear priorities and maintaining your systems.

Let’s recognize victory and reward ourselves for consistent effort and a job well done. This will bring us satisfaction, which will inspire continued productivity and success.

About Nealey Stapleton

Nealey Stapleton is a professional organizer, a small business owner, and a committed blogger. She started her business, On Track Organizing, in 2007 with the goal of helping people get more organized and lead more efficient lives. A few years later, she established The-Organizing-Boutique.com in hopes of extending her reach across the nation and around the world. She is a proud member and an involved volunteer of the National Association of Professional Organizers and served on the Washington, DC chapter’s board for several years.

For more on getting motivated, getting organized, and getting happy today, download 30 Short, Daily Tasks That Lead To A More Organized Universe, at The-Organizing-Boutique.com.