Hello, and happy New Year! I hope your 2018 is off to a great start thus far. I love the new year because it always provides an opportunity for a fresh start. Whether it’s restored energy for your business, renewed commitment to your health, or just the overwhelming feeling that NOW is your time, there’s something about a new year that is invigorating.
To help you tackle whatever it is you have in store for 2018, I suggest starting the new year off right…aka organized. My top three tips for achieving this are below.
Anyone who’s ever planned an event knows that it comes down to the details. Whether it’s a bride’s dream wedding day or a corporate client’s 5-star incentive trip, being well-organized and prepared is the key to a successful event. Well that and a great planner of course.
Step 1: Organize your inbox.
I know this seems daunting when you’ve got an inbox with literally thousands of emails, but I promise, you can do it! And once you do you’ll feel so much better. Here is a helpful article written by Alex Cavoulacos, President & Founder of The Muse, with a great guide to organizing your inbox.
Personally, I color code everything.
Now this may only work if you use Outlook, but categories are crucial to my sanity. Each job has its own color as does each of my internal business categories, ie. Accounting, social media, operations, etc. This trick makes searching and sorting SO much more efficient.
In short, when it comes to the seemingly overwhelming task of organizing your inbox, be like Nike: Just Do It.
Step 2: Create a “to-do” list
Now this may seem obvious, but it’s all about what you put on your to-do list. Can you think of one task that would tick numerous boxes? If so, DO THAT.
Here’s an insightful article published by Forbes with tips on creating your best to do list. Luckily everything remains relevant even though it’s dated 2014.
Step 3: Create a schedule (and stick to it)
Especially if you are your own boss, creating a schedule is vital. It can be easy to get side-tracked with other tasks. Carve out blocks of your time for the day and assign them different responsibilities, ie. Proposals, make phone calls, return emails, etc. And take breaks!
Here’s a great article from Jacquelyn Smith, Director of Content Strategy at FlexJobs, with tips on creating a schedule to maximize your productivity.
I also really love Daymond John’s morning routine, starting the day on the offensive, take a look here. Daymond John is the CEO of FUBU and The Shark Group and is a major investor on ABC’s Shark Tank.
We all wish there were more hours in a day, especially if you’re trying to balance work, family, fitness, the list goes on, the key is being efficient with your time. To be efficient you must be organized. It will take a little work up front (like anything) but once you do it you will find yourself at a whole new level of productivity.
Just do it!
And to end on a fun note, (and because you’re probably ready for a break after all of this) here are a couple of songs I’ve been listening to on repeat lately to help keep me motivated and inspired as we wrap up week two of January 2018.
Macklemore’s “Glorious” featuring Skylar Grey off of his latest album Gemini. Needless to say, I dance A LOT to this one.
Imagine Dragon’s “Thunder” from their latest album Evolve. I love the idea of being the lighting before the thunder.
Here’s wishing we can all make 2018 electric!! And thank you for sticking with me if you’ve made it this far down.
