Get organized!

Organization is, perhaps, the most difficult part of any job. It's an ongoing process. And you may feel as if there just isn’t enough time to plan for this very basic—but very necessary—task.

I occasionally fall victim to poor organizational skills. I have lists upon lists scrawled on Post-it notes, and sometimes I can’t remember which note contains urgent to-do activities and which includes important tasks for the week, but not necessarily for the day. This is compounded work-at-home issues: laundry, dirty dishes, yard work…all of which are actually nice breaks from my daily desk-time but can end up sucking up way too many minutes.

But most of the time, I’m pretty good about organizing. I’ve got files on all my clients—past and present—and a system for keeping track of potential work. Really, I have no choice but to be organized in this area. Not being able to answer a client’s question when it arises or being unable to find the second revision of Company XYZ’s brochure copy is bad for business. And since it’s just me running the show, I make an extra effort to be on top of things. No reminders from anyone…except for additional scribbles on Post-it notes. (What can I say…it’s an addiction of sorts.)

Having problems staying organized with your own time and resources? Check out these tips from Carol Halsey for prioritizing and organizing. http://www.pilestofiles.com/articles.html